Family Matters alum Darius McCrary has been arrested by border patrol.
According to records viewed by Us Weekly, McCrary, 49, was arrested by United States border patrol on Sunday, October 5. He was brought in on a “fugitive arrest.”
The California penal code listed on the record allows a peace officer to arrest a person without a warrant if they are believed to be a fugitive from another state.
McCrary remains in jail in San Diego as he is “not eligible for release” or bail, according to records.
The feel-good sitcom Family Matters premiered in 1989, and is perhaps best remembered for the family patriarch Carl Winslow’s (Reginald VelJohnson) feud with his nerdy neighbor Steve Urkel (Jaleel White). Although White was initially supposed to appear in just one episode of the ABC series, he was an instant hit with audiences and ended up […]
McCrary’s rep told TMZ, who was first to report the news, that the actor’s arrest was due to a warrant out of Michigan for a missed court appearance regarding his failure to pay child support.
A rep for McCrary addressed the arrest in a statement with Us Weekly, claiming that the actor “was picked up at the Border of Mexico because he was partnering with a real estate developer that is building homes for the homeless in Tijuana Mexico.”
“Darius was doing a good deed when he discovered he had a felony warrant at the Border of Mexico for a missed court appearance,” the statement read. “The missed court appearance was for an ongoing child support dispute whereas Oakland County mailed the notice to appear to Darius PO BOX giving him only 3 days to appear in Michigan Court. Unfortunately Darius had Covid therefore did not check his PO Box until the day after his court date. However immediately notified the Judge with a doctor’s note diagnosis of Covid.”
McCrary’s rep also claimed that McCrary’s son, who is 18, is the beneficiary of the actor’s trust where he is “funded every month.”
This is not the former child actor’s first run-in with the law. In 2015, McCrary was arrested in Michigan for failing to pay child support. The Daily News reported that a judge ordered McCrary’s arrest during a court appearance. After being booked, McCrary paid a $5,500 fine and was released.
Eight years after his first arrest, McCrary was booked for a second time for failing to pay child support. In November 2023, TMZ reported that McCrary had an outstanding payment due of $52,788.04 dating back to March 2019. He pleaded not guilty at his arraignment. The judge set McCrary’s bond to $13,197. He was also ordered to be monitored by a GPS device.
McCrary was previously married to Juliette M. Vann from 2005 to 2006, Karrine Steffans from 2009 to 2011 and Tammy Brawner from 2014 to 2017. He is a father of three children whose identities have remained private. McCrary’s legal woes were against Brawner, per multiple outlets.
McCrary opened up about his child support battle during a 2024 appearance on “No Jumper” podcast.
“It brought a lot of anguish. My children man.It’s hard for a man to be a father in this country especially let alone I hate to say this … [when] you’re a Black man you have double the problems,” he reflecting, confessing that his legal drama took a “serious” toll on his mental health.
Jaleel White didn’t shy away from mentioning his Family Matters costars in his memoir. Family Matters, which aired from 1989 to 1998, was a spinoff of the Perfect Strangers that followed a middle-class Black family living in Chicago. The hit sitcom starred Reginald VelJohnson, Jo Marie Payton, Darius McCrary, Kellie Williams, Jaimee Foxworth, Bryton McClure […]
“I’ve never really had bouts of depression because life has been really good,” he said. “But what people don’t understand about life is you got to take the good with the bad.”
McCrary is best known for his role as Eddie, the oldest child of Carl and Harriette Winslow, on Family Matters. The beloved comedy ran for nine seasons from 1989 to 1998.
Following his time on Family Matters, McCrary continued to act in a variety of projects. He starred on several shows including 2003’s Kingpin, 2005’s Committed and more. In 2009, he joined The Young and the Restless as Malcolm Winters. He remained on the soap until 2011. McCrary was also the voice of Jazz in the Transformers movie.
Most recently, McCrary starred on the series Monogamy from 2018 to 2021. He also has a guest role on American Soul.