Former Scandal star Columbus Short has been charged with two misdemeanors following a recent arrest for alleged domestic violence.
The Stomp the Yard star, 39, is facing one count of domestic violence and one count of child endangerment, because the alleged incident took place in front of a child, according to documents obtained by Us Weekly on Thursday, February 17. Short was arrested for felony domestic violence, though the prosecutors ultimately reduced the severity of his charges.
The choreographer was taken into custody on February 2 after authorities responded to a call regarding a verbal altercation that had turned physical between Short and his wife, Aida Abramyan. The couple married in 2016 and share two sons. Short also has a daughter named Ayala, 10, whom he shares with ex-wife Tanee McCall.
When police arrived at the couple’s Los Angeles home, the Cadillac Records actor claimed that Abramyan had punched him, per the docs. Authorities didn’t see any injuries or marks on Short’s face after inspection. However, they did notice a minor injury on his wife’s face, which led to Short’s arrest.
The That’s So Raven alum denied the allegations of abuse on February 6 in a since-deleted post on Instagram. “Marriages are challenging but getting through it is the blessing!” he wrote at the time. “I AM not [an] abusive man nor am I on drugs but drinking alcohol makes my words unholy sometimes. My wife and I are working on our marriage.”
Short left Scandal in April 2014 after being arrested on felony assault charges following a restaurant brawl that occurred one month earlier. At the time, he was also in the middle of a heated divorce with McCall and had been charged with misdemeanor spousal battery.
“I must confirm my exit from a show I’ve called home for 3 years, with what is the most talented ensemble on television today,” Short said in a statement to Us amid the drama. “I have enjoyed every single minute of it. Everything must come to an end and unfortunately the time has come for Harrison Wright to exit the canvas. I wish nothing but the best for Shonda Rhimes, Kerry Washington and the rest of the cast, who have become like a second family to me in such a short amount of time.”
In December 2014, Short revealed that his departure from Scandal was partially due to his struggle with addiction. “I’ll be candid: I was struggling with drugs,” the This Christmas actor told Access Hollywood Live at the time. “I had a lot on my plate, and you know, I was using unhealthy ways to kind of self-medicate and deal with a lot of heavy duty stuff in my life.”
Short credited Rhimes, 52, and his costars with helping him tackle his substance abuse issues, adding, “That was one of the real reasons [I left] – they just wanted me to get my stuff together. Sometimes the bottom has to be dropped out for you to really get it.”
If you or someone you know are experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.