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Actor Columbus Short joined Roland Martin Friday on “NewsOne Now” to discuss his return to TV in TV One’s “Fear Files” and life after leaving ABC’s smash hit, “Scandal.”

Short addressed some of the unfortunate events that transpired in his life leading up to and following his departure from “Scandal.”

As previously reported on NewsOne.com,

“…the former “Scandal” star, has had more than his fair share of personal woes over the last year. He grappled with a cocaine addiction, is going through a tumultuous divorce riddled with accusations of violence, and child custody disputes over the daughter he has with his ex, Tanee McCall-Short.”

Short told Martin the most important learning experience that he has had amidst all of this troubles is learning to “own your kingdom.”

“Sometimes you may allow other things or circumstances or people — don’t allow anybody to tear down [your kingdom],” Short explained.

“If your kingdom is going to fall, allow it to fall on your own,” Short said was one of the biggest lessons that he learned. “Don’t allow anyone else to have a hand in it.”

SEE ALSO: #BlackLivesMatter On ABC’s ‘Scandal’: Actor Courtney B. Vance Talks Racism, Police Brutality [VIDEO]

Short, who also starred in “Stomp the Yard,” continued, “Own your mistakes, fix yourself. If you want to be great, you gotta act great and I don’t think I was acting great.”

Short, who still considers the cast of “Scandal” to be his family, said that he dreams about the time he spent working on the show.

“When you’re with people like 17, 18 hours a day, when I was with them for three and a half years Monday through Friday… I spent more time with them than I did with my actual family at the current time.”

“It’s hard, I miss them,” said Short. “It’s hard for me to watch the show.”

Short got a little emotional during his chat with Martin when talking about how Kerry Washington recently commented about him during the Paley Fest.

Washington was quoted by www.madamenoire.com saying:

“The one thing that I would say, just so that it’s clear: everyone who’s in this family is in this family whether you’re in this show or not.”

Short said, “Just the way Kerry answered the question shows what Gladiators is, shows what OPA represents, shows what Shonda (Rhimes) was writing when she was writing “Over the Cliff,” what that means.”

“It means, it’s the way that God loves us. There’s no judgement, it’s over a cliff. It’s ‘I love you’ without condition.” Short then paused to gather himself, appearing to become overwhelmed by emotion and said, “That’s what it is.”

As a result all of his trials and tribulations, Short told Martin that his “mind should be gone.” He praised God for keeping him and those individuals who came into his life at that time to help turn things around.

SEE ALSO: “Scandal” Went There: Did Shonda Rhimes Get Ferguson Right?

Short added “Block [House], my brother saw me struggling and brought me into an environment to say, ‘Clean your act up, clean yourself up, clean your heart up, clean your mind up — let me show you how to be a man.”

Short said he was so “Richie Rich and spoiled” at that point in his life that he forgot how to use a vacuum. “I had nannies and maids — God has taken me through this season for a very specific reason, so I was reckless with my kingdom before … and I promise you…that’ll never happen again.”

Watch Roland Martin’s exclusive interview with Columbus Short in the video clip above. Short also speaks with the “NewsOne Now” Straight Talk panel featuring: Dru Ealons, political and lifestyle blogger,  Dr. Wilmer Leon, political strategist, and Janaye Ingram, National Executive Director, National Action Network.

Don’t miss Short’s return to television tonight on TV One in the second installment of “Fear Files.” “Fear Files” premieres on Friday, March 13th at 8PM EST / 7 PM CST on TV One.

Short plays the role of a crooked councilman named Harvey Jordan who wants to build a football stadium in an impoverished neighborhood, but the residents of the community are against it.

When a fire claims the life of the person who presents the biggest opposition to his plan, the community begins to point fingers at Jordan who is haunted by the crime.

Be sure to watch “NewsOne Now” with Roland Martin, weekdays at 9 a.m. EST on TV One.

Subscribe to the “NewsOne Now” Audio Podcast on iTunes.

NewsOne Now Exclusive: Columbus Short Talks Life After ‘Scandal,’ TV One’s ‘Fear Files’ [VIDEO]  was originally published on newsone.com