A friend of Columbus Short has filed for a temporary restraining order against the actor's estranged wife Aida, alleging Aida has stalked and threatened her to the point where she now fears for her life ... and the safety of her kids.

In the filing, obtained by TMZ, Chantel Heath says Aida has harassed her on at least 3 occasions. In one alleged incident, Chantel claims Aida found her at a friend's house and attacked her with wine bottles and plates while calling her a bitch.

Chantel says Aida seems to think she's romantically involved with Columbus, but Chantel says that's not true. According to Chantel, Columbus has been like a brother to her and has never so much as flirted.

In the papers, Chantel says she wants the judge to order Aida to stay at least 100 yards away from Chantel and her 2 daughters.

A hearing was held earlier this month, but Chantel failed to appear ... and the case was dismissed.

Remember ... Columbus told friends he was planning to divorce Aida after being awarded a TRO against her last year. He claims she kicked and threw a 10-week-old puppy, before busting his eye open and drawing blood, leading to her arrest. Aida later filed her own TRO, claiming Columbus choked her.

In 2018, Columbus pled no contest to hitting Aida and served jail time.