Former Child Star Zachery Ty Bryan Arrested Again in Eugene

EUGENE, Ore. (Dec 2, 2025)— A familiar face from 1990s television is once again in police custody after a tumultuous weekend in Lane County, Oregon. Zachery Ty Bryan — best known for playing Brad Taylor on the hit sitcom Home Improvement — was arrested Saturday in Eugene for allegedly violating the terms of his probation. 

According to the Lane County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a call on Big Fall Creek Road after a report of reckless endangerment. Inside a pickup truck were Bryan, his 32-year-old fiancée, Johnnie Faye Cartwright, and their three young children. At some point, Bryan exited the vehicle and began walking; deputies said that Cartwright aggressively drove the truck in his direction, then lost control and crashed into a ditch — the children still inside. Nobody was hurt. 

Both adults appeared impaired, the sheriff’s office said. Cartwright was arrested and booked on multiple charges including first-degree attempted assault, three counts of reckless endangerment, and driving under the influence. Bryan was taken into custody for violating his probation stemming from a prior domestic violence conviction. He was denied bail. 

Bryan, 44, has been arrested multiple times across several states since leaving the spotlight. His prior charges include a 2020 strangulation and assault arrest (to which he pleaded guilty), a 2023 felony domestic violence case in Eugene, and two DUI arrests in 2024 — one in California and one in Oklahoma. The current probation was imposed in 2023 and remains in effect until October 2026. 

Authorities say the three children involved have been placed with a family member. Bryan is being held at the Lane County Jail without bail and is scheduled for review on December 3. 

This marks Bryan’s sixth arrest in five years — a dramatic fall for a former child star who once enjoyed fame on one of America’s most popular sitcoms. 

All suspects are believed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law