New Mexico authorities have accused Emmy-winning actor Timothy Busfield, identified for collection “The West Wing” and “Thirtysomething,” of kid intercourse abuse.
A decide on Friday issued an arrest warrant for the 68-year-old actor on two counts of prison sexual contact of a minor and a single depend of kid abuse. The arrest warrant affidavit, reviewed by The Occasions on Sunday, accuses Busfield of inappropriately touching two youngster actors, who’re brothers, throughout his tenure on the Fox crime drama “The Cleansing Girl.”
“The well being and security of our forged and crew is at all times our prime precedence, particularly the security of minors on our productions,” Fox and Warner Bros. Tv stated in a press release shared Sunday. “We take all allegations of misconduct very critically and have techniques in place to promptly and completely examine, and when wanted, take applicable motion. … We’re conscious of the present fees towards Mr. Busfield and have been and can proceed to cooperate with legislation enforcement.”
Busfield, who was an actor, producer and director for “The Cleansing Girl,” allegedly sexually assaulted of one of many younger actors a number of instances throughout his tenure. In keeping with the affidavit, one youngster actor stated Busfield first touched his “‘personal areas’” a number of instances on set when he was 7 years outdated. The actor stated that when he was 8 years outdated, Busfield touched him inappropriately once more a number of instances. He was “afraid to inform anybody as a result of Tim was the Director, and he feared Tim would get mad at him,” the affidavit stated.
The second youngster actor stated that Busfield “began touching them for the primary two years” of his time on “The Cleansing Girl,” which filmed in Albuquerque, in line with the grievance. The investigator stated each kids stated they didn’t converse out about their alleged encounters with Busfield out of worry or concern for him.
The actors’ mom, per the grievance, reported the alleged abuse to Youngster Protecting Providers in October 2025, claiming that Busfield sexually abused her kids from November 2022 to spring 2024. Police started investigating the alleged abuse in November 2024 after receiving a request from a physician on the College of New Mexico Hospital.
In keeping with the affidavit, the investigation additionally included interviews with the kids’s therapists and medical doctors. One of many youngster actors, who disclosed the alleged abuse by Busfield to his therapist, has points with bed-wetting “together with different conduct points,” was recognized with PTSD and anxiousness and has suffered nightmares “concerning the director touching him,” in line with the grievance.
The investigator additionally spoke to quite a few forged and crew members of “The Cleansing Girl,” which was canceled in June after 4 seasons. The affidavit particulars the investigator’s conversations with manufacturing assistants, the studio instructor and Busfield.
Busfield, married to actor Melissa Gilbert, informed the investigator that “Cleansing Girl” producer Warner Bros. Tv notified him within the spring of 2025 of an investigation concerning complaints “about him from the boys.” When requested whether or not he had any bodily contact with the 2 youngster actors, Busfield “stated it was extremely probably that he would have,” the grievance stated. He steered to the investigator that the boys’ mom may need sought “revenge” on the director for “not bringing her youngsters again for the ultimate season,” in line with the grievance.
Although Busfield confirmed the identities of the younger actors to the investigator in his interview, he allegedly stated later, “ ‘I don’t keep in mind these boys’ ” and “ ‘I don’t keep in mind overtly tickling the boys ever, but it surely wouldn’t be unusual for me.’ ”
The grievance additionally particulars Warner Bros.’ investigation into Busfield’s alleged conduct. The studio began its investigation after receiving an nameless tip in February 2025 from the SAG-AFTRA hotline concerning a December 2024 incident. Busfield allegedly entered the hair and make-up trailer and “kissed a minor male on the face because the minor was getting a haircut.” The grievance additional alleged “there are footage of Mr. Busfield, ‘tickling and caressing the top and physique of minor boys.’ ”
Neither Fox or Warner Bros. instantly responded to a request for touch upon Sunday, however a spokesperson for the latter informed the New York Occasions it’s “conscious of the present fees towards Mr. Busfield and have been and can proceed to cooperate with legislation enforcement.”
Busfield acquired essential popularity of his portrayal of Elliot Weston within the ABC drama “Thirtysomething” within the late Nineteen Eighties and early ‘90s. He additionally appeared in “Discipline of Goals,” “Little Huge League,” “The Byrds of Paradise” and different titles. He’s maybe finest identified for his recurring function in “The West Wing” as Danny Concannon, a White Home correspondent who strikes up a relationship with Press Secretary C.J. Clegg, performed by Allison Janney.
Along with tv and movie, Busfield is a stage actor and director. In 1991, Busfield and his brother Buck Busfield created the B Road Theatre, a nonprofit theater in Sacramento that first started as a touring theater group for youngsters. He additionally pitched for baseball group the Sacramento Smokeys and was inducted into the Sacramento Baseball Corridor of Fame in 2024.
Previous to the allegations from his time on “The Cleansing Girl,” Busfield was accused in 1994 of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old actor who appeared on “Little Huge League.” He denied these claims and sued his accuser for defamation. The case resulted in a settlement, with a decide ordering Busfield to pay the lady $150,000.
