Zachery Ty Bryan Pleads Guilty to Felony Assault in Oregon Case, Cuts Deal to Avoid Prison Time

Chris Gardner
·4 min read
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Zachery Ty Bryan appeared in an Oregon court Wednesday afternoon to face charges stemming from a July arrest, which marked the latest in a string of legal issues for the troubled former child star best known for Home Improvement.

During today’s proceedings, Bryan, 42, pled guilty to felony assault in the fourth degree constituting domestic violence. As part of a negotiated resolution, a second count was dismissed and, rather than spend 19 to 20 months in Oregon Department of Corrections, Bryan will receive a “downward dispositional departure” to 36 months of supervised probation, seven days in jail and he must abide by a set of conditions typical of domestic violence cases.

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Those conditions call for no contact with the victim without the probation officer’s approval, alcohol and substance abuse treatment, and no alcohol and drug use moving forward. Should he violate any of the above conditions, Bryan would be subject to serving the 19 to 20 months of prison time that the court suspended under the deal. Details of today’s court hearing were confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter by Lane County’s Chief Deputy District Attorney Chris Parosa as well as Bryan’s personal attorney, John Kolego of Kolego & Kraushaar.

“Mr. Bryan decided to accept this resolution and admit that he recklessly caused physical injury to his domestic partner to avoid further trauma to his family so they could move on and heal,” Kolego tells THR.

Arrested by the Eugene Police Department on July 28, Bryan was facing fourth-degree assault and third-degree robbery charges, as well as a misdemeanor claim of harassment, per official records. That evening, Eugene police officers responded to a physical dispute between a male, Bryan, and an unidentified adult female at a north Eugene residence that had occurred several hours prior, a spokesperson for the Eugene Police Department confirmed to THR. Bryan was contacted while he was in the area and was brought in to Lane County Jail on one charge of assault in the fourth degree under the Abuse Prevention Act.

Though she was not named in the arrest report, Bryan has been in a multiyear relationship with Johnnie Faye Cartwright, with whom he shares three young children, including a set of twins born in May. Following Bryan’s arrest, Cartwright, his fiancée, released a statement to the press saying that she will “always want what’s best for the father of my children.” She added: “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. 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.”

The couple previously had a domestic dispute in October 2020 that resulted in Bryan pleading guilty to two misdemeanors, menacing and fourth-degree assault. He received three years of probation, was required to attend a violence-intervention program called Bridges2Safety and was ordered to have no contact with the victim, Cartwright.

As part of an investigation published by THR in June, Bryan opened up on the arrest by saying that the situation “got so blown out of proportion” by the media. “We didn’t even really get that physical. We got really loud. We were screaming and because we were in a townhome that had [thin walls], everybody could hear. Johnnie was, at the time, just really upset about my situation,” he said, revealing that she had issues with his “double life” as he was still married at the time to Carly Matros, with whom he shares four children (including a set of twins). “At the end of the day, [the police] throw a bunch of counts at you because they ultimately want you to plead to something.”

Bryan’s history of legal troubles also includes four DUI arrests and a default judgement in a breach of contract lawsuit filed by a man who claimed that Bryan failed to return a $60,000 investment he made, through Bryan, in a feature film titled Warning. In his THR interview, Bryan said that while the past few years have been challenging, he felt as if he had turned a corner and gotten a handle on a drinking problem and a tumultuous personal life.

“Every day is a new day and there are stresses and triggers, but I’m learning coping skills. I wake up, go on a nice walk, come back and kick it with the kids. I try to enjoy the little moments rather than try to dream for the big moments. It’s an interesting journey as long as we can stay sober. Then things are going to be good.”

Bryan is best known for playing Brad on the long-running and beloved sitcom Home Improvement opposite Tim Allen, Patricia Richardson, Jonathan Taylor Thomas and Taran Noah Smith. After the show’s blockbuster run, he segued to TV and film roles before transitioning to feature film producing and investments. He has four children with his first wife, Matros, and he also kept busy with investments in cryptocurrency and other tech and new media start-ups.

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