Former ‘Home Improvement’ Star Zach Ty Bryan Faces Possible Prison Sentence After Probation Violations

By Zoe Papadakis | Wednesday, 31 December 2025 01:18 PM EST

Zach Ty Bryan, a former child actor best known for his role on the sitcom “Home Improvement,” is now facing potential prison time after admitting to multiple probation violations in Oregon. Bryan, 44, appeared in court Monday and acknowledged three violations of the probation imposed following a domestic violence conviction.

The court is scheduled to sentence him on February 17. His probation officer has requested that the judge revoke his probation and impose the original custodial sentence.

In 2023, Bryan avoided a 20-month prison term after a domestic violence conviction and was placed on three-year probation. Court records indicate he has since been arrested multiple times for driving under the influence of intoxicants over a span of 26 months, which form the basis of his current probation violations.

The most recent violation stems from an incident earlier this year involving Bryan and his fiancée, Johnnie Faye Cartwright, who was also taken into custody. According to the Lane County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were dispatched to a reported incident of reckless endangering near Big Fall Creek Road, a popular camping area northeast of Lowell.

During the incident, Bryan exited the vehicle and began walking along the roadway while traveling with their three young children in a pickup truck. Cartwright then attempted to run over Bryan, causing the truck with the children inside to crash into a ditch. Bryan was able to move out of the way and avoid injury; no one inside the vehicle was harmed.

Authorities reported both adults appeared impaired at the time. The sheriff’s office also noted that Bryan violated the terms of his domestic violence probation by contacting Cartwright, which led to his arrest for probation violation and Cartwright being charged with attempted assault in the first degree, three counts of recklessly endangering, and driving under the influence.

The couple’s legal history predates the most recent incident by several years. In 2020, Cartwright accused Bryan of attacking her, resulting in felony charges including strangulation, menacing, assault, and harassment that culminated in a domestic violence conviction placing Bryan on probation.

Bryan previously stated that his legal issues stemmed from struggles following early fame: “Being thrust into the spotlight at nine years old brought pressures I wasn’t equipped to handle — but that’s no justification for my choices as an adult,” he said in a November interview with TMZ. He added that his “repeated legal issues” were rooted in “the lasting effects of early fame, addiction, and poor decision-making,” expressing regret for his actions.

The upcoming sentencing hearing will determine whether Bryan remains on probation or is ordered to serve the original prison term. If the court accepts the probation officer’s recommendation, he could be required to serve the full sentence that was previously suspended.