Former child actor Zachery Ty Bryan sentenced to prison
What's the story
Zachery Ty Bryan, the former child star of Home Improvement, has been sentenced to 16 months in prison for driving under the influence (DUI). He was arrested in California in February 2024 after registering a blood alcohol level of 0.15%, nearly twice the legal limit. This is not his first DUI conviction; he has two prior convictions, which affected his sentencing this time, as per TMZ.
Legal history
Bryan's history of legal troubles
Bryan, who played Brad Taylor on the hit sitcom Home Improvement, has a lengthy history of legal issues. Since 2020, he has been arrested multiple times in different states for various offenses, including domestic violence. His latest arrest was in February 2024, when he was pulled over in La Quinta, California, at around 2:30am for suspected involvement in a traffic collision.
Arrest details
Details of his latest arrest and sentencing
During the traffic stop, Bryan exhibited signs of impairment and was subsequently arrested on felony DUI and misdemeanor contempt of court charges. He was booked into the John Benoit Detention Center with a bail set at $50,000 plus an additional $15,000 for the misdemeanor charge. His 16-month sentence comes after he struck a plea deal, which saw two other charges dropped in exchange for his guilty plea.
Criminal past
Second DUI arrest in a year
In October 2024, Bryan was arrested again for DUI and driving without a license in Custer County, Oklahoma. He admitted to having "too much" to drink and confessed that his expired license was due to one of his several DUI arrests. His legal troubles also include a 2020 arrest for allegedly strangling his girlfriend, Johnnie Faye Cartwright, nearly to suffocation.
Restraining order
Restraining order from ex-girlfriend
In November 2025, it was revealed that Cartwright secured a five-year restraining order against Bryan following allegations that he punched her in the head and threatened to kill her in July. Responding to the domestic violence report, Bryan called it a "painful wake-up call." He admitted that fame as a child actor left scars and brought pressures he wasn't equipped to handle, but added, "that's no justification for my choices as an adult."