columbus short mia at court hearing, bench warrant for arrest issued

A bench warrant has been issued for Columbus Short after he failed to show up for a mandatory court hearing for felony battery charges on Monday.

The Scandal actor "missed his flight which caused him to miss court," a source tells E! News.

Short's attorney, Michael Levin, told the Daily News that his client's "failure to appear was due to circumstances beyond his control" after his flight was delayed in Atlanta.

If convicted, Short could face up to four years in prison. He originally pleaded not guilty during an arraignment back in May to charges that he punched a man and left him unconscious with a fractured left eye socket.

Short was subsequently let go from his hit show amid the arrest and other allegations of spousal abuse.

Short's second wife, Tanee McCall, obtained a temporary restraining order against her estranged husband earlier this year shortly after filing for divorce.

In the court documents, she alleged that he had yelled at her abusively, spilled wine on her and held a knife close to her throat during an argument in which he threatened to kill her and himself.

He was also arrested in Texas in July for public intoxication.

A source told E! News at the time that Short allegedly yelled at police officers, calling one black officer an "Uncle Tom" while being arrested.

Upon learning that Short would not continue to play litigator Harrison Wright on Scandal, he released the following statement:

"Everything must come to an end and unfortunately the time has come for Harrison Wright to exit the canvas. I wish nothing but the best for [creator Shonda Rhimes], [Kerry Washington] and the rest of the cast, who have become like a second family to me in such a short amount of time. For this, I will forever be grateful."