The wife of Scandal actor Columbus Short has filed for both a divorce and a temporary restraining order against Mr. Short after police were called to their home to respond to a domestic violence report. They have one child together who is two years old. This is the second time that Mr. Short’s wife has filed for divorce, the first time was last year but the pair apparently reconciled and the petition was withdrawn.
This case involves a lot of difficult issues, particularly since there are allegations of domestic abuse. These allegations will impact the divorce proceeding in a variety of ways, including the child custody arrangement. In most cases where there have been allegations of domestic abuse the spouse accused of the abuse will not be granted physical custody of the child. They may still have visitation rights but it is likely that visitation would have to be supervised.
One other major issue in this case is asset division. Since both spouses are actors, they each have rights to various interests in films and other intellectual property. These types of assets can be hard to value since their popularity changes over time. For example, Mr. Short may have a high projected net worth at the moment as a result of his appearance on the hit show Scandal, but things could change if the criminal allegations impact his ability to continue to work for that series.
These types of issues impact families across the country, and victims of domestic violence should know that they can seek protection and remain safe while they seek a divorce.
Source: The Star-Ledger, “'Scandal' star Columbus Short hit with divorce papers, restraining order,” Vicki Hyman, April 17, 2014