Darius McCrary Regains Freedom In Time For The Holidays Amid Haunting 'Family Matters'

Darius McCrary receives an early Christmas present amid his ongoing legal troubles as he regains his freedom.

The actor, best known for his role as Edward "Eddie" Winslow on the hit '90s sitcom "Family Matters," is currently facing five felony charges linked to child support accusations. He was arrested back in October, marking his third arrest for failing to pay child support fees.

Darius McCrary's child support issues stemmed from his acrimonious relationship with his third ex-wife, Tammy Brawner. The former couple, who welcomed a daughter named Zoey, were locked in a 2-year divorce battle that saw them throwing nasty allegations against each other.

According to new reports, McCrary has finally regained his freedom following his October 2025 arrest near the Mexican border. He walked free from police custody on Monday, December 8, after a hearing linked to his five felony charges, including four counts of unpaid child support.

McCrary also got in trouble for skipping scheduled hearings in Michigan, which sparked his arrest warrant and calls for his continued incarceration without bail because prosecutors feared he might be a flight risk. Despite these arguments, McCrary managed to walk free.

The actor's rep, Ann Barlow, told TMZ that he entered a no-contest plea to all five felony charges and was set to return to court in February 2026 for his sentencing. She added that McCrary was happy to regain his freedom ahead of the holidays and would continue fighting to win the case.

McCrary couldn't have regained his freedom without the help of his public defender, Paulette Loftin. The legal rep raved about their small victory in court to the outlet, implying that there was more to the story of the unpaid child support narrative.

"Over the last four years, Mr. McCrary's fight for justice and truth has been painted as an attempt to shirk his responsibilities to his child," Loftin began, noting that the resolution achieved on Monday proved that "family does matter and that it always has."

McCrary regained his freedom following his third arrest in the unpaid child support fees case in October 2025. He was taken into custody near the U.S.-Mexico border in California on an out-of-state felony charge and held in a San Diego jail.

According to online records, the United States Border Patrol slammed cuffs on McCrary while carrying out a "fugitive arrest." This type of arrest affects individuals in California who are wanted in another state for a serious crime.

McCrary's rep, Barlow, addressed the arrest in a statement, revealing the media personality had a warrant for his arrest in Michigan after missing scheduled court appearances in his unpaid child support case. As stated, the incident marked his third arrest for unpaid child support issues.

In November 2023, The Blast reported that McCrary had been arrested a second time for unpaid child support. He allegedly owed $52,788.04 as of March 12, 2019, and pled not guilty to the felony count, with his bond set at $13,197.01.

McCrary's first run-in with the law over unpaid child support occurred in 2015 when he painted a dire financial crisis. He alleged that he wasn't absconding from his responsibilities as a father, but he could not afford to pay his third ex-wife's child support.

The '90s sitcom star stressed that he had no money, claiming he only made $500 that year and owed the IRS $90,000. Eight years after his first arrest for unpaid child support, The Blast shared that McCrary had filed another restraining order petition against his ex-girlfriend.

McCrary first filed for a temporary restraining order in 2022, but the petition was dismissed because he missed a scheduled court hearing. In his second filing, he claimed he missed the hearing because he had to flee from his ex-girlfriend, whom he accused of physical and emotional abuse.

McCrary hasn't had the best luck in love, with three failed marriages. His third ex-wife, Brawner, filed for divorce in 2017 and clashed with him in court for two years before they finally hashed out a divorce agreement and custody arrangement for their daughter.

During their heated court battle, The Blast reported that Brawner had accused McCrary of hurting their daughter in 2018. She claimed he partially dislocated the little girl's arms after grabbing her, but her ex-husband denied the physical abuse narrative.

McCrary stressed that he never hurt their daughter, but acknowledged that he did grab her arm while lifting her up to head to the bathroom. The former couple's child was taken to the hospital and diagnosed with Nursemaid's Elbow, a common elbow injury among young children.

Will Darius McCrary score another victory in his 2026 sentencing?