At a Glance
- Timothy Busfield, 68, faces two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse
- Scenes featuring Busfield are being removed from the upcoming Amazon rom-com “You Deserve Each Other”
- The West Wing alum remains jailed without bond ahead of a Jan. 20 detention hearing
- Why it matters: The swift removal underscores Hollywood’s zero-tolerance response to serious allegations against actors
Timothy Busfield has been cut from his forthcoming romantic comedy after New Mexico authorities charged him with sexually abusing twin 11-year-old boys he met on a television set. The decision to erase the actor from “You Deserve Each Other” comes as prosecutors seek to keep him jailed until trial.
Charges and Arrest
Busfield surrendered to Albuquerque police on January 13, three days after a warrant accused him of unlawful sexual conduct with child actors who worked alongside him on FOX’s “The Cleaning Lady.” Bernalillo District Attorney Sam Bregman announced the indictment the same day.
The Emmy winner is charged with:
- Two felony counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor
- One count of child abuse
A judge ordered Busfield held without bond following his first court appearance on January 14. His pretrial detention hearing is scheduled for January 20.
Film Removal
Amazon MGM Studios is scrubbing Busfield’s performance as Bernie-the father of Meghann Fahy’s character-from the completed romantic comedy. The movie, directed by Marc Silverstein and Abby Kohn, finished shooting in New York during summer 2025 and has no release date.
Sources told News Of Los Angeles that editors are working to delete every frame featuring the actor. TMZ broke the story of the removal.
Project Details
“You Deserve Each Other” adapts Sarah Hogle’s 2020 novel. The plot follows engaged couple Nick and Naomi-played by Penn Badgley and Meghann Fahy-who fall out of love and secretly scheme to make the other cancel the wedding, only to rediscover their feelings.
Denial and Legal Strategy
Busfield has publicly denied the accusations, calling them “horrible” and “all lies.” His wife, actress Melissa Gilbert, is listed as a potential witness in the case.
Support Resources
Anyone with information about child abuse can contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or visit www.childhelp.org. The hotline operates 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
