Columbus Short has had his fair share of trouble with the law, but he claims the most recent incident was all a misunderstanding.
“There was no fight. I was involved in no fight,” Short, 31, explained during an appearance on “Access Hollywood” on Monday.
“I was with a group of people that were eating, I went to the bathroom, I came back and there was an altercation ensuing when I came back. And me being [like] ‘Whoa, let’s break it up,’ it’s as a misunderstanding and I guess cops thoughts I was someone involved in the situation. And then they grabbed me up, and by the time I was on the ground … I apologized to the officers later, [but] I said some pretty choice words [when] I was already in cuffs.”
The altercation at Dallas’ Katy Trail Ice Bar on July 5 is the most recent in a string of violent incidents involving Short. When asked if he’s self-medicating, Short admitted he struggles with alcohol.
“I struggle with medicating with alcohol, I think, and that’s a real truth,” said the former “Scandal” actor, who’s also facing a divorce battle with estranged wife Tanee McCall.
“I think that deserves more looking into. If I want to be truthfully honest, I think dealing with the stress of the situations that I’ve been going through, medicating with anything, I think is dangerous because it becomes a crutch. But it doesn’t change it, the situation. That’s the funny part — I’m in a season where that’s not a part of my life — alcohol, drugs, those kinds of things aren’t around me, aren’t in my life, so it was an unfortunate event that happened the other night [July 5]. Still yet, I think in the past that was definitely a struggle for me.”
Despite getting nixed from “Scandal” in the wake of his legal trouble, Short says he’s not the man he’s painted as.
“I haven’t been perfect,” he said. “But I have not been all of the things that’s been in the press.”
View video