After exiting the hit show Scandal, Columbus Short has finally opened up about the reason for his departure.
[ Related: Columbus Threatened To Murder His Wife & Then Kill Himself?! ]
In a recent and frank interview, Columbus cited cocaine abuse and excessive drinking as the reasons for his exit.
Here’s what he had to say about his departure from the show:
“I’ll be candid: I was struggling with drugs. 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├óΓé¼┬ª 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… And if we’re going to be fully transparent, they protected me and they held me down. And that was one of the real reasons ├óΓé¼ΓÇ£ they just wanted me to get my stuff together. Sometimes the bottom has to be dropped out for you to really get it. So I moved to Atlanta. I’ve been living there for the last five months, five-and-a-half months, and it’s just been great. It’s been life-changing… I was going through a lot, going through a lot in my marriage, I had a lot of loss, tragic loss, so it’s tough. Last year, one of my best friends died, he killed himself, Lee Thompson Young, and that kind of started a spiral. I found out when I was on set, and it really just, it took my legs out from under me…. I think when anybody’s dealing with drugs or alcohol, you need to change your environment, period. Persons, places, things, you need to get out of whatever the comfort ├óΓé¼ΓÇ£ it was accessible to me. Come on ├óΓé¼ΓÇ£ I’m on the number one show on television, anything I wanted I could get it, but that’s deadly, you know what I mean? So it was about, how do I change my life?… I’m really ready to get back to work. As far as Shonda’s shows, I would love nothing more to go back to ‘Scandal.’ It’s my family.”
Wow, that is quite an admission.
UPDATE:
Following the Scandal actor’s drug admittance, Demi Lovato tweeted out her support for Columbus.
The singer has been through her fair share of drug abuse and eating disorders in the past, so she definitely knows and understands what he was going through.
[ Related: Wilmer Prevented Demi From Going Back To Rehab ]
Dems said on Twitter:
One of the ways to get better and overcome addiction is by having a strong support system.
We have a feeling Demi will definitely be there to help the actor during his time of need.