My [27F] coworker [25M] yells and has anger management issues and is causing needless drama because I commented on his tantrum

I go out with a lot of my coworkers often and I have witnessed this guy (who is a hothead) scream at others at full volume on 3 occasions, which can be stressful and triggering to me as a person who grew up getting screamed at and also got screamed at by my abusive ex last year. For context, one occasion was when he embarrassed another coworker \[28M\] in front of some girls. The other coworker nicely confronted him and the fact that I happened to be there and that we were out in public did not stop him from responding by raising his voice. On the second time, the same two individuals and I had a debate about a gendered topic that was calm until he started yelling and spewing misogynist rhetoric. He literally kept screaming over me and I could not be anywhere near as loud as he was. On the third time, the hothead had brought a friend out with us. While he was yelling, I asked the friend how long he has known hothead and the friend said they lived in the same apartment building for a year. I asked the friend if he had ever seen that side of him because I thought that if I were the friend, I would feel uncomfortable if this were the first time I saw him like this and I was also curious if he just yells in front of anyone without caring about the time and place. The friend said yes, he had seen him like that on the phone. I mentioned that I had seen it a few times. For some reason, the friend told my coworker and made it seem like I was saying stuff about him instead of me just asking a question, his response, and saying what his response was. I learned about what the friend said because another coworker \[F25\] told me the hothead doesn’t f\*\*k with me because of what I had said. Additionally, some other interpersonal drama came up between two others \[27F and 25F\] that I was genuinely trying to assist with resolving and the hothead tried to insinuate that I had intentionally caused it, which then got back to me. Mind you, he was not directly in the situation and did not see it unfold, so I believe it’s none of his business to speak on. He also told the 25F coworker that I’m trying to f\*\*k the 28M coworker because I’m friends with him and we talk a lot which is not at all the case.

​

I think all this drama is childish. I’m irritated that either the friend or my coworker would try to make drama out of nothing and assassinate my character, and I don’t believe I’m wrong for saying what I said. You’re not supposed to get that angry in front of coworkers. And my coworker’s inability to regulate his emotions is triggering to the trauma I’ve dealt with. I know some people say to let people talk, but I’ve done that before and had several friendships and my reputation ruined in some situations. I plan to confront him and ask if he has a problem with me in a semi public place at work where he will have to keep a proper tone of voice. I don’t want to have to skip every group outing because of him, and I’m apprehensive about telling people not to invite him or excluding him due to the possibility of it getting back to him. How else do I deal with a toxic and dramatic personality like this?

​

\*\*TL;DR: My hothead coworker is running his mouth after I asked his friend if he had seen him yelling before and I am trying to figure out how to stop his gossip.\*\*