‘Home Improvement' Star Jonathan Taylor Thomas Detained for Public Intoxication and Obstruction

Jonathan Taylor Thomas, who's largely stayed out of the spotlight since his 'Home Improvement' days, was briefly detained by police this week in California.

Jonathan Taylor Thomas was detained by police this week in Westlake Village, California.

According to law enforcement, Thomas, 45, was in the passenger seat of a vehicle when it was pulled over for a DUI investigation on Monday, September 21. He had not been driving, but details about the driver’s identity were not revealed.

Jonathan Taylor Thomas at the WB Network All-Star celebration in January 2003 | Source: Getty Images

After being pulled over, Thomas reportedly exited the vehicle despite the police instructing him not to. "He was uncooperative with them, failed to follow orders, and obstructed the investigation, so he was arrested for obstruction, and he was arrested for drunk in public," law enforcement told People.

Thomas was detained at the Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff's Station jail at 1:50 a.m. on Monday and released more than 34 hours later. It’s unclear whether the driver was also detained.

Charges had not been filed against Thomas, though prosecutors may still review the case within the legal statute of limitations.

Thomas first achieved fame when he played Randy Taylor on “Home Improvement” from 1991 to 1998, opposite Tim Allen and Patricia Richardson.

He’s been away from the spotlight in recent years, though he was seen in a photograph posted by Richardson in July with his former costar Taran Noah Smith. “My other boys," Richardson captioned. Before that, Thomas was publicly photographed in 2021 while walking his dogs.

As a young star, Thomas was known to be thoughtful and having a mature perpective. In a 1995 interview with the Los Angeles Times while promoting “Tom and Huck,” then-14-year-old Thomas shared his candid thoughts about his director’s hesitation to cast him in the film.

"I kind of suspected he wasn't sure about me," Thomas said. "It's only natural for a director to be concerned about his project." He said he understood why the director was skeptical, given his image from "a hip kind of '90s series."

Tim Allen, Zachery Ty Bryan, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Patricia Richardson, and Taran Noah Smith in a portrait for season 4 of "Home Improvement" in July 1994 | Source: Getty Images

Even then, Thomas was aware of the realities of the industry and what his priorities were. "I think kids often get caught up in this industry and take it for more than it really is," he said at the time. "I think you just have to take it with a grain of salt because nothing in this industry really totally makes sense."

Thomas clarified that he had no intention of making Hollywood his whole life. "If this business went away, it would be a blow... but it wouldn't be devastating because I have an education," he said.

Jonathan Taylor Thomas attending the 52nd Annual Golden Globe Awards on January 21, 1995 | Source: Getty Images

"I'd been going nonstop since I was 8 years old," he told People in 2013. "I wanted to go to school, to travel, and have a bit of a break."

Jonathan Taylor Thomas (L) in a guest appearance on "Last Man Standing" in March 2013 | Source: Getty Images

Thomas returned to television in 2013 for several stints in Allen's “Last Man Standing,” where he reunited with his “Home Improvement” parents. At the time, he also dabbled in writing scripts and directing, as well as enjoying his free time doing things he loved like hiking, watching movies, and going to the theater. He said he had no regrets about laying low from the spotlight.