Columbus Short admits drug abuse, talks being axed from ‘Scandal’

During an interview with Wendy Williams, Columbus Short admitted that he had abused drugs in the past and spoke about his relationship with his ex-wife.

TheGrio Staff

Jul 20, 2017

During an interview on The Wendy Williams Show, Columbus Short admitted that he had abused drugs in the past and spoke about his tumultuous relationship with ex-wife Brandi Short.

The actor, who stars in the upcoming film True To The Game, spoke on what he called a “toxic relationship” with Brandi and denied allegations that he had physically abused her.

“Was I abusing drugs and alcohol? Yes,” he said. “Have I ever abused a woman? Never. Maybe with my words, possibly, but I’ve never put my hands on a woman.”

He added that Brandi “took all of his money,” and that she had been keeping his daughter from him for three years.

He also spoke on how his Scandal family has been there for him as he has gotten help for his drug issues, adding that he was sure Kerry Washington had figured out what was going on with him, because she pulled him aside to tell him to “pull it together.”

“Kerry yanked my coat tails a couple times,” he said. “[She would say] ‘Pull it together,’ basically. We’re in a high-powered, high-octane situation.”

He added that he didn’t let his drug problem spill over into work: “I wouldn’t show up to work high. It was a very secretive thing for me. So we’d [the cast] get together a lot, so when I’m dipping off and going to the bathroom… you know. Me, I was off. The thing about addiction is you think you’re getting off on people and you’re not and the only person you’re fooling is yourself.”

But even since being fired, he said of the Scandal cast and family, “They had my back all the way to the top,” adding that the show had paid for rehab for him.

In particular, he said Shonda Rhimes “had his back like he was her family.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mHZ5DLUoKA