Actor Columbus Short Pleads Not Guilty To Felony Battery [VIDEO]

Columbus Short seems to be having a major meltdown.  The former Scandal actor faces divorce after assaulting his wife and recently plead not guilty to felony assault charges after attacking a man at a bar.

The actor was in court on Thursday May 15th, according to reports by TMZ, stemming from an arrest in March.  Short got arrested after sucker punching and severely hurting a man at Gabe's Bar and Grill in L.A.  The actor was attending a engagement party and punched the 37-year-old victim in the face, after the man insulted the actors estranged wife.  Sources say the former Scandal star reportedly got angry after the other gentleman said: ‘You might be richer than me but I get my girls to buy me everything I want including your wife.’

The victim ended up in a neck brace and unconscious, before being taken to a local hospital.  The incident resulted in Short being charged with felony assault.  The actor was arrested and booked before being released on $50,000 bail.  Around that same time, Columbus Shorts announced his departure from Scandal.  As a result of his unemployment, he reportedly went back on a settlement agreement with the victim of the bar brawl and will now face him in court. The victim is seeking several hundred thousand dollars in damages.

Unfortunately that's not the extent to his legal problems.  Short continues his downward spiral as his marital problems escalate.  In April, his estranged wife, Tanee McCall-Short, filed for divorce and requested a temporary restraining order against him.  Shorts wife alleges the actor violently attacked her in their home, put a knife to her throat and threatened to murder her and kill himself.

Since the attack, a judge ordered the actor to move out of their Los Angeles home and stay away from his wife and their 2-year old daughter.  However, according to Mrs. Short, he has violated the judge's restraining order at least a half-dozen times, even allegedly breaking into their home and ransacking the place.

Because of this, Mrs.Shorts lawyer has asked the court to make the restraining order against the actor permanent. While the judge considers whether or not to grant the request, he has extended the temporary restraining order to July 30.