Jonathan Taylor Thomas Photographed Publicly For the First Time in Almost 8 Years

Jonathan Taylor Thomas was spotted in Los Angeles while walking his dogs, six years after the '90s heartthrob last appeared on a TV show.

He’s our childhood crush, all grown up! It’s been eight long years, but Jonathan Taylor Thomas has finally resurfaced. 

The 39-year-old former child star was recently spotted publicly for the first time since 2013, though he last appeared onscreen in Last Man Standing in 2015. 

On Sunday, June 20, Jonathan and his two small white dogs were photographed in Los Angeles on a casual walk. He wore Nike sneakers, loose jeans and a zipped up dark hoodie, along with sunglasses, a New York Mets baseball cap and a black mask that was worn around his chin.

An eyewitness described him as “relaxed looking” while he smoked a vape on the street. 

The last time fans got a glimpse of the 8 Simple Rules alum out and about was in August 2013, when he was photographed in L.A. in a flannel and tan jacket. 

Jonathan, who first appeared onscreen at age 7 in The Adventures of Spot, went on to voice Young Simba in The Lion King before landing the role of Randy Taylor in Home Improvement, which he starred in from 1991 to 1999 alongside Tim Allen.

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Child Stars Then and Now

He reunited with Tim for Last Man Standing, playing John Baker in 2013 and 2014, before appearing as Randy in the 2015 “Helen Potts” episode that also starred Home Improvement‘s Patricia Richardson. Jonathan even dabbled in directing by helming three episodes of the comedy from 2013 to 2016.

He’s basically been off the grid since then, but Deadline reported last year that he will soon executive produce a TV series based on David Henry Sterry‘s memoir Master of Ceremonies: A True Story of Love, Murder, Roller Skates & Chippendales about his time with the male strip troupe.

Coleman-Rayner

Jonathan graduated from Chaminade College Preparatory School a year after leaving Home Improvement, and then enrolled at Harvard University, St. Andrews University in Scotland and Columbia University.

In 2013, the Veronica Mars guest star told People why he stepped out of the spotlight for a bit. “I’d been going nonstop since I was 8 years old… I wanted to go to school, to travel and have a bit of a break,” he shared. “To sit in a big library amongst books and students, that was pretty cool… It was a novel experience for me.”

During the interview, he said his interests included watching “a lot” of movies.  

In retrospect, he said his career in Hollywood was a “great period in my life,” noting, “But it doesn’t define me. When I think back on the time, I look at it with a wink. I focus on the good moments I had, not that I was on a lot of magazine covers.”

Ellie Kemper Publicly Apologizes Amid Veiled Prophet Ball Controversy

Ellie Kemper has addressed the controversy over her participation in the 1999 Veiled Prophet Ball, a week after an article on her crowning resurfaced. Read on for what she has to say 22 years later.

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A week after social media erupted over her resurfaced Veiled Prophet Ball crowning, Ellie Kemper has officially spoken out. 

In a statement shared to Instagram on Monday, June 7, the 41-year-old Bridesmaids star and The Office alum acknowledged participating in the 1999 Veiled Prophet Ball held in her native Missouri—in which she was crowned the “Queen of Love and Beauty”—and decried some of the organization’s history. 

“Hey guys – when I was 19 years old, I decided to participate in a debutante ball in my hometown,” she began her social media statement. “The century-old organization that hosted the debutante ball had an unquestionably racist, sexist, and elitist past. I was not aware of this history at that time, but ignorance is no excuse. I was old enough to have educated myself before getting involved.”
 
Making her stance clear, she continued, “I unequivocally deplore, denounce, and reject white supremacy. At the same time, I acknowledge that because of my race and my privilege, I am the beneficiary of a system that has dispensed unequal justice and unequal rewards.”

Watch

Ellie Kemper Is “Happy” With “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” Ending

Kemper also shed some light on how she reacted to the criticism she faced. “There is a very natural temptation, when you become the subject of internet criticism, to tell yourself that your detractors are getting it all wrong,” she wrote. “But at some point last week, I realized that a lot of the forces behind the criticism are forces that I’ve spent my life supporting and agreeing with.”
 
The actress explained that she “strongly” believes in kindness, integrity, and inclusiveness. “I try to live my life in accordance with these values,” her statement read. “If my experience is an indication that organizations and institutions with pasts that fall short of these beliefs should be held to account, then I have to see this experience in a positive light.”
 
Kemper concluded her message with an apology and further steps she plans to take. “I apologize to the people I’ve disappointed, and I promise that moving forward I will listen, continue to educate myself, and use my privilege in support of the better society I think we’re capable of becoming,” she wrote in closing. “Thanks for reading this.”

Watch: Ellie Kemper Is Game for a Reboot of “The Office”

In response to last week’s uproar over Kemper’s participation, the Veiled Prophet Organization told E! News in part of a statement, “The VP organization is dedicated to civic progress, economic contributions and charitable causes in St. Louis. Our organization believes in and promotes inclusion, diversity and equality for this region. We absolutely reject racism and have never partnered or associated with any organization that harbors these beliefs.”

In the statement, the Veiled Prophet organization noted they host “two major free events in St. Louis, including America’s Birthday Parade and Fair St. Louis.”

“Both events,” they said, “reflect the diversity of the St. Louis community and include a wide variety of partners—such as PrideFest and the Annie Malone Parade.”

For more on the controversy surrounding Kemper’s participation and the organization’s history, read E!’s breakdown here.