Former Child Star Subject to Five-Year Court Order
Zachery Ty Bryan, best known for playing Brad Taylor on the hit 1990s sitcom Home Improvement, has been issued with a five-year restraining order following allegations of domestic violence made by a former girlfriend. The court order, which will remain in effect until September 30, 2030, requires the actor to stay at least 100 yards away from his ex-partner.
Allegations of Physical Violence and Threats
According to court documents obtained by TMZ, the incidents began on July 3 when the woman, who dated Bryan for three months, reported to police that he had punched her in the temple. She claimed this assault occurred after she playfully bit his nipple while they were lying down together.
Days later, the situation reportedly escalated during a verbal altercation. The former partner told law enforcement that Bryan threatened to end her life, allegedly stating: 'Shut the f*** up or I'm gonna shut you up.' She expressed that she was genuinely scared for her safety following this threat.
The woman also made further disturbing allegations to the police, claiming that Bryan took her dog and locked himself in a room, subsequently punching the door so hard that it separated from the door frame. In a separate incident the previous month, she alleged that he sprayed the dog in the face with bleach.
A Pattern of Legal Trouble
This latest restraining order comes just months after Bryan's arrest in January of this year for second-degree domestic violence in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. In that case, a different alleged victim told police the actor punched her in the face multiple times and placed her in a chokehold, restricting her breathing and making her fear for her life.
This is not an isolated incident in Bryan's recent history. His legal troubles include:
- A 2023 case where he served seven days in Lane County Jail in Eugene, Oregon and received 36 months of supervised probation for domestic violence.
- A 2020 incident where he was sentenced to three years of bench probation and ordered to attend a batterer intervention program after being charged with domestic violence against his then-fiancée, Johnnie Faye Cartwright.
- Two arrests for DUI in 2024.
If convicted of the second-degree domestic violence charges from his January arrest, Bryan faces up to three years in prison and/or a fine of $2,500 to $5,000 under South Carolina law. He was released on $10,000 bond following that arrest.
Bryan's career began as a child star on Home Improvement alongside Tim Allen, running for eight seasons from 1991 to 1999. Since the show ended, he has taken film roles, guest spots on television series, and more recently has worked as a conservative commentator on platforms like FOX News and The Daily Wire.
