Johnnie Faye Cartwright, the fiancée of former Home Improvement actor Zachery Ty Bryan, has returned to custody in Oregon after authorities said she violated the terms of her pretrial release. Another court hearing is now set for Thursday, December 18.
What started all of this, and what makes the latest update feel so grim, is the allegation that Cartwright tried to run Bryan over during a November 29 incident near a camping area, with their three children in the truck. People reported the vehicle ended up in a ditch, and no one was injured.
Court paperwork is where the story turns from shocking to procedural, in a way that’s almost colder. PrimeTimer reported that the pretrial release rules included no contact with Bryan, alcohol monitoring, and staying only at a pre-approved address, and an affidavit later alleged she did not follow that housing requirement.
The story so far
According to the court filings reported on by PrimeTimer, a warrant was issued after the alleged violation and Cartwright was taken into custody.
The location is allegedly Big Fall Creek Road, an address that keeps appearing in the reporting of the deputies who handled the situation that day. People Magazine quoted that the Lane County Sheriff’s office described Bryan getting out of the pickup truck and Cartright allegedly attempting to run him over. This is before the truck crashed into a ditch.
All coverage of this event highlights that both adults showed signs of impairment at the time. Additionally, Bryan was not supposed to be in contact with Cartwright as per a prior court order.
Importantly, it was reported that the children were unharmed and taken to a family member.
Where the court dates land
Bryan’s side of the story has been moving through the courts, too. People reported he was released from custody on December 10 after being held for nearly two weeks related to an alleged probation violation, and court records showed upcoming hearing dates tied to that probation issue.
Cartwright’s court posture has been clearer in the public record, at least on paper. People reported she pleaded not guilty to multiple charges after the November arrests, including DUI-related and endangerment-related counts.
This latest arrest cycle also fits into a longer run of legal trouble for Bryan. People described the November booking as his sixth arrest in five years, and that kind of number starts to feel less like a rough patch and more like a life that can’t stay on the rails.
The Independent noted Bryan has been serving probation tied to a 2023 felony assault case related to domestic violence, with conditions that included no contact with the victim. That context matters when a new incident involves contact that reportedly should not have happened
Global News recapped that in the earlier 2020 case, Bryan pleaded guilty to menacing and fourth-degree assault after more serious charges were dropped, and he was sentenced to probation.
I’ll admit it, I still think of Bryan as Brad Taylor when I see his name, and that contrast is unsettling. When I was growing up, a sitcom star’s biggest problem was usually a bad movie choice, not a trail of court dates and allegations like this.
For anyone reading along, the key point is simple, these are allegations, and the legal process is still playing out.