Scandal actor says woes have been magnified by the press

After a string of violent allegations ranging from domestic abuse to bar-room brawls, former Scandal star, Columbus Short is finally speaking out about his bumpy year so far.

Though there seems to be an insurmountable amount of evidence that’s not in his favor, the actor claims the occurrences have been blown out of proportion by the media.

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“I think there’s a time when your personal life get’s magnified by who we are as celebrities,” Short said when asked by Billy Bush on Access Hollywood if recent events in the news have all been misunderstandings. “Both of those two cases that you were speaking of earlier, those are dropped,” Short added in reference to misdemeanor spousal battery and aggravated assault charges that he had been hit with in February and March, respectively.

The charges from February stemmed from an altercation between Short and his now-estranged wife, Tanee McCall, who alleges that an intoxicated Short threatened to kill her and himself with a knife. In March, Short allegedly punched a man in the face while in a Los Angeles bar. The man suffered a broken nose and was knocked unconscious for several minutes, according to TMZ. In April, Short announced that he would not be returning to act in a fourth season of Scandal and there were rumors that his contract was not renewed because of his personal dramas.

Most recently, Short was arrested for public intoxication over the Fourth of July weekend when he was involved in yet another bar-room tiff involving off-duty police officers.

“I was involved in no fight,” Short asserted on Access Hollywood of the incident this past weekend. “I was with a group of people that were eating and I went to the bathroom. I came back and there was an altercation ensuing. I guess the cops thought I was somebody involved in the situation and they grabbed me up. By the time I was on the ground I said, and I apologized to the officers later, but said some pretty choice words.”

Short also addressed the accusations from the bar fight in March, for which he has been hit with a million-dollar lawsuit by the alleged victim. “See, there comes a time when you have to exercise patience, I believe, and sometimes you get yourself in situations where you don’t realize that people are actually testing you.” The actor claimed that his estranged wife was with him that night and his actions were in her defense.

Though the actor says that his behavior has been less than exemplary, he still denies any claims that he has been violent. “I haven’t been perfect. I have not been perfect, but I have not been all the things that’s been in the press,” he said. “I am not a physically violent man. I have never put my hands on a woman physically. Ever.”