Columbus Short: Alcohol, drugs preceded 'Scandal' exit

HOLLYWOOD, Dec. 10 (UPI) -- Former "Scandal" actor Columbus Short said he "doing cocaine and drinking a lot" during the months he faced numerous personal and legal troubles preceding his exit from the ABC hit.

Short's two-year contract with the Shonda Rhimes series wasn't renewed in April after he made headlines for spousal battery and aggravated assault. 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 an interview Monday with Access Hollywood.

"I'll be candid: I was struggling with drugs," the 32-year-old 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."

"I found out when I was on set, and it really just, it took my legs out from under me," Short said.

"I think when anybody's dealing with drugs or alcohol, you need to change your environment, period," he said. "Persons, places, things, you need to get out of whatever the comfort – it was accessible to me. Come on – 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?"

Short said he's ready to get back to work and would love to return to "Scandal."