Zachery Ty Bryan’s Ups and Downs Through the Years: Child Stardom, Legal Issues and More
Zachery Ty Bryan has faced major ups and downs over the years after becoming a household name.
Bryan got his big break when he was cast as Brad Taylor on the ABC sitcom Home Improvement. The show, which ran from 1991 to 1999, also starred Tim Allen, Patricia Richardson, Jonathan Taylor Thomas and Taran Noah Smith.
While the sitcom was a hit, Bryan struggled to navigate life after stardom.
"If you star in a TV show today, you can be in any film that you want, but back then, it was the polar opposite," Bryan told The Hollywood Reporter in June 2023. "You were stigmatized as a TV star, and no matter how good your audition, you were never going to be taken seriously. But I kept at it."
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Bryan found it "really difficult" to find stability after Home Improvement wrapped, adding, "On the same token, you might get turned down on a bunch of projects, but you could go out at night and hang out with your buddies at Mel’s Diner and everybody knows you."
After pivoting from acting to producing, Bryan was involved in projects including Prowl, Rogue River and The Grief Tourist. His legal woes have overshadowed his post-Home Improvement career.
In October 2020, Bryan was arrested for allegedly strangling his partner Johnnie Faye Cartwright. Us Weekly confirmed that Bryan agreed to a plea deal in the domestic violence case, agreeing to plead guilty to menacing and fourth-degree assault.
Bryan, who remained in a relationship with Cartwright, later claimed the incident was "blown out of proportion."
“We got really loud. We were screaming and because we were in a townhome that had [thin walls], everybody could hear," he told THR in June 2023, alleging that he and Cartwright didn’t "even really get that physical" before he was arrested. “At the end of the day, [the police] throw a bunch of counts at you because they ultimately want you to plead to something. I could’ve fought it — but that’s more stress and drama.”
While reflecting on his personal struggles, Bryan said he considered it all a lesson. "I do know when things get in the way of who you’re meant to be, where you’re supposed to go and what God has planned for you," he continued at the time. "He sometimes challenges you to do some reflecting by looking in the mirror and taking responsibility."
Bryan has since been charged several more times for domestic violence and a DUI.
Keep scrolling for Bryan's ups and downs over the years:
1990s
After being raised by his parents in Denver, Bryan started acting by appearing in local print and TV ads. He later appeared at a showcase in New York City, which caught the eye of a talent rep that convinced Bryan and his family to move to California. Bryan was subsequently cast as the oldest Taylor child on Home Improvement.
"Obviously, my life flipped upside down and everywhere you go, people know who you are, but I give a lot of credit to my dad and my mom because they always kept me grounded," Bryan told THR in June 2023 while calling his time on the sitcom as "some of the best days" of his life.
Early 2000s
Bryan remained a consistent onscreen presence with roles on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Boston Public, Family Law, Center of the Universe and Veronica Mars. After appearing in several 2009 projects including Meteor and THOR: Hammer of the Gods, Bryan took a break from being in front of the camera and became a producer on multiple films.
2007-2020
While attending La Ca?ada High School, Bryan met and started dating Carly Matros. The couple, who tied the knot in 2007, expanded their family with twin girls in 2014. Matros gave birth to their third daughter in 2016 and a son in 2019. Following 13 years of marriage, Bryan and Matros called it quits in 2020.
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May 2020
Bryan entered a guilty plea after being booked for a DUI. He was sentenced to five years of probation and 18 months of a multiple-offender alcohol program due to a past record of DUI arrests.
October 2020
Bryan's legal issues continued when he was arrested for allegedly strangling Cartwright, who he started dating after his divorce from Matros. He received three years of probation, which included attending a violence intervention program called Bridges2Safety. As part of the deal, prosecutors agreed to drop six other charges against him, including strangulation and coercion.
2021-2022
In the aftermath of his arrest, Bryan and Cartwright stayed together and got engaged in November 2021. The pair have since welcomed three kids. He made a TV comeback in Netflix's 2022 series The Guardians of Justice.
June 2023
In a profile about Bryan, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that he was accused of running a fraudulent agriculture-technology startup scheme. Several sources told the publication that Bryan would allegedly take individual payments ranging from $5,000 to $25,000 in exchange for fake contracts. Bryan was accused of earning close to $50,000 from the scheme.
Bryan told THR he was not "running some shady scam deal" and claimed he was in "in the same boat" as his investors. He also addressed his past arrests, which he called a “learning experience,” adding, “I thank God for that. I went through a situation that I’m sure plenty of people across the globe experience with their partners.”
He maintained that he was still in a relationship with Cartwright, who declined to provide a statement at the time.
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July 2023
One month after the tell-all interview, Bryan was arrested in Eugene, Oregon, following an alleged physical domestic dispute with a woman. He was charged with two felonies and one misdemeanor — assault, robbery and harassment.
Bryan pleaded guilty to felony assault in the fourth degree constituting domestic violence in court during an October 2023 hearing. The second count was dismissed as part of a negotiated resolution.
Instead of spending 19 to 20 months in the Oregon Department of Corrections, Bryan received a “downward dispositional departure” to 36 months of supervised probation, seven days in jail and he had to abide by a set of conditions typical of domestic violence cases.
Cartwright, meanwhile, broke her silence on Bryan’s legal troubles, telling Us in August 2023, “Trauma can bring struggles in many shapes and forms. It’s a horrible situation that’s going to be spun in so many ways. I’ve learned firsthand the truth will never align with what’s been put out there.”
She continued: “I ask everyone to please be respectful of our privacy for the sake of the children and our families so the healing process can begin.”
February 2024
Bryan was arrested for a suspected DUI with three or more priors. According to court documents obtained by Us, Bryan was booked by the La Quinta Police Department for contempt of court as well after he was pulled over at a traffic stop.
A spokesperson told TMZ that the authorities stopped Bryan’s vehicle at 2 A.M. because he was suspected of being involved in a traffic collision. Bryan allegedly showed signs of impairment, which led to his arrest. His next court date was set for April 2024.
TMZ reported in March 2024 that Bryan was charged with a felony after the arrest. He is facing additional charges due to having a DUI conviction within the last 10 years and this is Bryan's fourth DUI charge. He is also facing a misdemeanor charge of a hit and run and property damage.
