I lifted the below exchange from a TV Guide interview with Shonda Rhimes, published yesterday, in which they discuss the upcoming 4th season of her hit ABC drama series "Scandal."

• TV GUIDE: Is it safe to assume that Harrison is dead or will fans be in for a shock when it comes to his fate?

• RHIMES: It’s safe to assume that Harrison has met his end.

And I’ll add that, if she wasn’t clear previously, it’s also therefore safe to put all those rumors to bed once and for all, that Columbus Short will be replaced by another actor for the next season of "Scandal" – rumors that, for some reason, just won’t die.

I’m still receiving emails, and still reading other sites claiming, or, at least, inquiring into whether Larenz Tate is indeed joining the cast of the show, replacing Columbus Short. Before Tate, it was an actor named Eric West, whose rumored attachment came via a supposed screen capture of what was said to be email correspondence between series creator Shonda Rhimes and the stars of the show, announcing that West had been cast as Short’s replacement.

It apparently fooled many, because several sites picked up the story as fact. Rhimes would quickly bury that alleged casting news with a furious tweet.