Family Matters Star Darius McCrary Has A History Of Legal Troubles

Whatever happened to the cast of "Family Matters?" It's a thought that frequently pops into the heads of fans as they reminisce about the hit show's good ol' days. However, they probably never imagined Darius McCrary, the sweet kid they once knew as Eddie Winslow, would end up in legal hot water. In February 2017, the former child star's second wife, Tammy Brawner, was granted a restraining order against him after she accused McCrary of domestic violence. The complaint, obtained by E! News, detailed several hugely disturbing incidents, including the time her estranged husband supposedly hovered their then-1-year-old daughter Zoey over boiling water while stating that he didn't want her in the first place. 

According to Brawner, McCrary would often come home heavily inebriated and quickly "get violent." After the restraining order was put in place, the "Family Matters" star wasn't allowed to be within 100 yards of his child or McCrary's soon-to-be ex-wife. Still, the actor's lawyer insisted that Brawner's allegations were totally false, clarifying, "Tammy Brawner is no victim....she is a predator motivated by a desperate desire to extort money out of Mr. McCrary while trying to create an advantage in an impending divorce and custody battle." 

Shortly afterward, the beloved former child star made an unexpected legal move and requested a restraining order of his own against his second wife, alleging that she had hurled verbal abuse at him and burned his chest by launching a hot iron McCrary's way, per legal documents cited by TMZ. The courts ultimately granted his restraining order as well. Unfortunately, although the courts also signed off on the former couple's divorce papers just a few years later, it wasn't nearly enough to end their legal drama for good. 

According to TMZ, Darius McCrary's second ex-wife, Tammy Brawner, was awarded full custody of their daughter in the couple's February 2019 divorce settlement. Although the "Family Matters" star didn't have to shell out any spousal support, McCrary did have to make a monthly payment of $1,366 to Brawner for child support. Little did he know that order would end up becoming a tragic detail of McCrary's life. Between 2015 and 2025, the former child actor was arrested three times for failing to pay child support for his three kids. After he was reprimanded at the U.S.-Mexico border due to these outstanding charges, in October 2025, online records even deemed him a "fugitive," per Us Weekly. According to Michigan prosecutors, the actor's unpaid child support payments had already mounted to an eye-watering $95,523 by March 2024. 

McCrary's legal troubles were further exacerbated when he was a no-show at a June 2024 court hearing after contracting COVID-19. Ultimately, the "Family Matters" alum's alleged failure to pay earned him four felony counts and the possibility of spending four years behind bars. It's worth noting that, in November 2017, TMZ reported that McCrary had requested the court to halt his child support payments because he supposedly only brought home $500 the previous year. Speaking on the "No Jumper" podcast, in October 2024, the actor sadly confessed that the legal drama had gravely impacted his mental well-being, paining both McCrary and his children. Unfortunately, the rest of the "Family Matters" cast's lives were similarly filled with tragedy.

If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.