Scandal star Columbus Short heading to divorce as harrowing 'domestic violence' photos are released
On Monday, a judge signed off on a restraining order request filed by Aida Abramyan-Short, who claimed that her husband had injured her at their home on July 7, according to documents obtained by DailyMail.com.
In her request, Short's wife claimed that he attacked her after a day of heavy drinking while she was doing laundry.
DailyMail.com has contacted Short and Abramyan-Short for comment but hasn't yet received a response.
Short's wife was granted a restraining order against him a week after he received his own temporary restraining order against her for alleged domestic violence after police were called by a neighbor and arrested her.
And on Tuesday, sources told TMZ that Short, 42, is preparing to file for divorce after deciding that their latest run-in with the law was the end of the marriage.
Short was granted a temporary restraining order against her a week ago, but his wife received her own TRO on Monday after alleging that he was the one who attacked her and outlining a pattern of domestic violence
They said the couple had shown no 'humility' in their marriage and claimed the two had failed to move beyond their issues.
In Short's restraining order request, he claimed that his wife kicked and tossed their 10-week-old puppy, before hitting him in the eye with a glass trophy that cut him.
The actor had brought home the puppy — named Matilda — on June 21, and he claimed that its lack of house training led his wife to lash out at him
He claimed that a neighbor heard her screams and proceeded to call the police, who arrested Abramyan-Short after arriving because they allegedly saw bruising on her husband.
Short, who described his wife as 'emotionally unstable,' claimed that he was subjected to verbal abuse from her on a daily basis, including in front of their two children, eight-year-old Denzel and five-year-old Liam.
He also accused her of pulling knives on him and of having bitten him in the past.
Sources also said the puppy was doing well after allegedly being abused, though they noted that Short didn't take it to a veterinarian after his wife allegedly injured it.
Abramyan-Short is currently required to stay 100 yards away from her husband under the terms of his temporary restraining order.
She said in a statement to TMZ: 'Over the past week, my family and I have endured an extremely painful and deeply personal experience. I'm disheartened by the lies spread about me. As a wife and mother, my utmost priority is always the safety and well‑being of my children and myself. Following a distressing incident in July, I felt compelled to seek legal protection to help ensure our safety while matters are addressed in court.
'My focus remains on protecting and providing for my family, and on allowing the legal system to proceed without external interference. Additionally, my prayer is that my husband gets the help he needs.'
In her own temporary restraining order request from Monday, she claimed that Short began shouting at her to not slam a door before pushing her and choking her with both hands.
According to her, it was her own screams about her husband trying to choke her that led a neighbor to call police, who proceeded to arrest her.
In addition to the disputed July 7 incident, Abramyan-Short claimed that her husband had grabbed her roughly and gave her a bruise on the arm on June 24, which she included a photo of.
She also included a photo of red marks on her back and shoulder, allegedly caused by Short pushing and scratching her on June 22.
One particularly disturbing photo in the restraining order request showed Abramyan-Short with an apparent black eye, which she claimed her husband previously gave her in October 2023 with his elbow after allegedly throwing her down the stairs.
Another photo appearing to show a bloody scratch and bruises on her upper arm was allegedly from Short grabbing her roughly in March 2023.
She also claimed that Short had sent her threatening and abusive text messages on multiple occasions.
She noted that Short had been convicted of a DUI and claimed he was drinking daily, which led him to become 'violent and belligerent,' and she said she didn't think their children were safe in his presence.
According to TMZ's sources, Short and his wife have previously taken and completed domestic violence programs in the past.
The actor, who was previously married to Brandi Short from 2001–2003 and Tanee McCall from 2005–2013, has a lengthy history of violence that has led to run-ins with the law.
In 2014, he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor domestic violence involving McCall in a deal that allowed him to avoid jail time in exchange for performing 30 hours of community service.
That same year he was arrested in a separate incident in which he punched a man hard enough to knock him unconscious at a family gathering.
He ultimately pleaded guilty to felony assault likely to cause great bodily injury in 2015, and the incident forced him to leave his role on Scandal, which he starred on for its first three seasons.
However, he again avoided jail time in exchange for three years of probation and two months of community labor, as well as the requirement that he take 26 anger management course sessions.
In Abramyan-Short's restraining order request, she noted that Short was convicted in 2021 of domestic violence against her.
He was also previously convicted and sentenced to a year in prison for hitting her in a 2018 conviction.
Short was later arrested and charged for domestic violence against Abramyan-Short in 2022, but those charges were ultimately dropped.
According to TMZ's sources, Short's wife and their children have been staying with her parents since her arrest.
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