You might remember Zachery Ty Bryan as the charming Brad Taylor from the hit ‘90s sitcom Home Improvement. But today, his name pops up more in headlines about legal troubles than nostalgic TV reruns. Investigation Discovery’s Hollywood Demons: Child Stars Gone Violent, which aired on March 31, 2025, shines a spotlight on this former child actor’s rocky journey. At TV Acute, we’re diving into Zachery’s story—his rise to fame, his personal life, and the struggles that have defined his path since the cameras stopped rolling. Let’s unpack where Zachery Ty Bryan is now and how he got here.
From Colorado Kid to TV Star: Zachery’s Early Days
Zachery Ty Bryan was born on October 9, 1981, in Aurora, Colorado, to proud parents Jenny and Dwight Bryan. A few years later, his little sister Ciri joined the family, completing their tight-knit crew. Growing up in the Centennial State, Zachery was an active kid who loved soccer and had a natural knack for performing. Even in elementary school, he caught the eye of local talent agencies in Denver. Soon, he was landing gigs in print ads and TV commercials—pretty impressive for a kid still figuring out multiplication tables!
As he got older, Zachery’s passion for acting only grew. He moved to New York for training with talent scout Peter Seidman, then headed to California in the ‘90s to chase his dreams. That’s when everything changed. In 1991, at just 10 years old, he scored the role of Brad Taylor on Home Improvement. For eight seasons, until 1999, he played the oldest son of Tim Allen’s character, winning over fans with his boyish charm. While juggling fame, he still managed to graduate from La Salle High School in Pasadena in 2000. Talk about multitasking!
A Two-Decade Career Packed With Hits
Zachery didn’t stop at Home Improvement. The ‘90s and early 2000s were busy years for him, with guest spots on shows like The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Picket Fences, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He even popped up in movies like First Kid and The Fast & The Furious: Tokyo Drift. His resume grew fast, and he proved he could hang with the big names in Hollywood. Later, he flexed his skills on popular series like Smallville, Veronica Mars, and Cold Case. The guy was everywhere!
In his late 20s, Zachery shifted his focus and began working behind the camera. He started his own production company, Lost Lane, and worked on projects like The Kindergarten Teacher and Skin. He also snagged the TV adaptation rights to Freeway Rick Ross: The Untold Autobiography, a memoir by former drug kingpin Rick Ross. Acting took a backseat, and he officially retired in 2009—though he did surprise fans with a small role in The Guardians of Justice in 2022. Clearly, the entertainment bug never fully left him.
Family Life: Two Relationships, Seven Kids (Maybe Eight?)
Zachery’s personal life has been just as eventful as his career. In high school, Zachery met Carly Matros, and their relationship quickly blossomed. They tied the knot on March 10, 2007, and settled down in Newport Beach, California. Over the next decade, they welcomed four kids: twin girls Gemma and Taylor in 2014, daughter Jordana in 2016, and son Pierce in 2019. It sounded like a picture-perfect family—until it wasn’t. By September 2020, after 13 years together, they called it quits. Fans raised eyebrows when Zachery’s Instagram post about the split revealed a verbatim copy of Armie Hammer’s divorce announcement. Ouch.
Fast forward to 2021, and Zachery was back in the news with a new love—model Johnnie Faye Cartwright. They got engaged that November, and in April 2022, their daughter Kennedy Faye arrived. Then came the big surprise: twins! In November 2022, Zachery shared the exciting news on Instagram with a photo and the caption, “2 Heartbeats + 2 Sacks = TWINS!” Parker and Sequoia were born in May 2023, bringing his kid count to seven. But wait—there might be more. In January 2025, People reported a woman claiming she and Zachery share a child, which could make him a dad of eight. That’s still unconfirmed, but it’s safe to say his family tree keeps growing!
Who’s Carly Matros, Zachery’s Ex-Wife?
Carly Matros was Zachery’s high school sweetheart turned wife. After their 2007 wedding, they built a life together and raised their four kids. But by 2020, the marriage was over. In a 2023 chat with The Hollywood Reporter, Zachery opened up about what went wrong. “I was in party mode—making movies, traveling, drinking,” he admitted. “I wasn’t being a faithful husband or the best version of myself.” He thought he could live wild and still come home to play family man, but real life doesn’t work that way.
Carly, meanwhile, keeps a low profile. She’s a real estate agent in Laguna Beach, California, specializing in luxury properties. Unlike Zachery, she stays out of the spotlight and focuses on co-parenting their kids amid his ongoing legal drama. She’s clearly the steady one in this story.
Legal Troubles: A Downward Spiral
Here’s where things get messy. Zachery’s struggles with alcohol have repeatedly led him into trouble. He’s racked up multiple DUIs—starting as early as 2004 and continuing through 2017, 2020, and twice in 2024. But it’s not just driving that’s gotten him in trouble. In October 2020, he faced serious charges after a fight with Johnnie Faye Cartwright in their Oregon apartment. Police hit him with felony strangulation, fourth-degree assault, and more. He pleaded guilty in 2021, earning three years of bench probation and a no-contact order with Johnnie—though they kept seeing each other anyway.
The trouble didn’t stop there. In July 2023, Zachery was accused of violence again, this time involving Johnnie, one of his kids, and her father. He pleaded guilty to felony assault and got another three years of supervised probation. Then came 2024: two more DUI arrests in February and October. He posted bail both times and walked free. But the latest blow came in January 2025, when he was arrested for second-degree domestic violence after allegedly punching and choking a woman and threatening her life. He was out of jail by January 3, but the charges keep piling up.
What Hollywood Demons Says About Zachery
Investigation Discovery’s Hollywood Demons: Child Stars Gone Violent doesn’t hold back. The episode, streaming on Max, digs into how fame chewed up and spit out kids like Zachery. They point to his wild teenage years—hitting nightclubs at 14—and the lack of structure after Home Improvement ended. Experts like Dr. Drew Pinsky weigh in, blaming the ‘90s Hollywood culture for leaving young stars vulnerable. Friends and colleagues call his story “tragic,” and it’s hard to argue. The show clearly illustrates the paradoxical nature of early fame.
Where Is Zachery Ty Bryan Now?
As of April 2025, Zachery’s life is a far cry from his Home Improvement days. At 43, he’s juggling fatherhood to seven (or eight?) kids, navigating co-parenting with Carly, and facing a string of legal battles. His latest arrest in January 2025 keeps him in the news for all the wrong reasons. He’s no longer acting or producing much, and his once-promising career feels like a distant memory. TV Acute has chronicled his journey, revealing that he stands at a crucial juncture. Can he turn things around? Only time will tell.
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