LOS ANGELES, Sept. 25 (UPI) — Former Scandal star Columbus Short has pleaded no contest to an assault charge stemming from a fight at a West Los Angeles restaurant last year.
People confirmed the news Thursday, reporting Short will be sentenced to three years probation and 60 days of community service. He was also ordered to complete 26 anger management classes.
The 33-year-old actor pleaded to an amended felony count of assault likely to cause great bodily injury, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said.
In 2014, Short’s legal issues and drug problems led to his exit from the ABC hit drama.
Short’s two-year contract with the Shonda Rhimes series wasn’t renewed in April of that year after he made headlines for spousal battery. After he lost his job, he was arrested for public intoxication over the Fourth of July weekend.
He blamed his troubles on drugs and alcohol in a previous interview with Access Hollywood.
“I’ll be candid: I was struggling with drugs,” Short said. “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… I was doing cocaine and drinking a lot and trying to balance a 16-hour work schedule a day and a family, and I just lost myself back then.”
Scandal returned to television Thursday night along with the other Shondaland shows, Grey’s Anatomy and How to Get Away with Murder.
