At a Glance
- Timothy Busfield was arrested Jan. 13 on charges of criminal sexual contact of a minor and child abuse
- He remains in custody without bond pending a Jan. 20 pretrial detention hearing in New Mexico
- Wife Melissa Gilbert submitted a letter of support and is listed as a potential defense witness
- Why it matters: The case involves allegations from child actors on the set of FOX’s The Cleaning Lady, raising concerns about safety in TV production environments
Timothy Busfield surrendered to Albuquerque police on Jan. 13 after a warrant accused him of unlawful sexual conduct with 11-year-old twin boys. He faces two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse. The actor-director is being held without bond ahead of a Jan. 20 detention hearing.
Allegations and Arrest
According to the warrant, the twin victims were child actors who met Busfield on the set of The Cleaning Lady, where he directed episodes. The series aired from January 2022 to June 2025.
Busfield made his first court appearance in Bernalillo County on Jan. 14. A pretrial detention motion filed the same day added another accusation: Colin Swift told police that Busfield sexually abused his 16-year-old daughter “several years ago” in Sacramento. The motion states Busfield allegedly kissed the girl and touched her intimately during an audition at B Street Theatre, then “begged the family to not report to law enforcement if he received therapy.” No charges resulted.
Defense Response and Witness List
In a filing dated Jan. 16, Busfield’s legal team submitted 75 letters of support and a witness list that includes Melissa Gilbert, his wife. The letters come from family, colleagues, and longtime friends.
Gilbert’s letter describes Busfield as “my love, my rock, my partner in business and life.” She wrote:
- “Tim has the strongest moral compass of any human I have ever known.”
- “On every single set where Tim is working, multiple people tell me he is their favorite director ever.”
- “He nurtured and guided my youngest son… admonished, praised, loved, consoled, cajoled, fretted, cared for, and fed my son both physically and spiritually.”
She concluded by asking the judge to “please, please, take care of my sweet husband… I am relying on you to protect him for me.”
Busfield’s Public Denial
In a video obtained by TMZ shortly before his arrest, Busfield denied the allegations:
> “I did not do anything to those little boys… They’re all lies and I’m gonna fight it… I’m gonna be exonerated.”
He said he drove 2,000 miles to Albuquerque after receiving the call Friday night and securing legal counsel.
Additional Allegation and Attorney Response
Busfield’s civil attorney, Larry Stein, addressed the 25-year-old Sacramento claim after it surfaced in the Jan. 14 motion:
> “The allegations were never challenged, they never proved, and they’re 25 years old… There doesn’t seem to be any connection between these allegations regarding women 25 years ago and the allegations regarding these young boys.”
Next Court Steps
Busfield remains in custody awaiting the Jan. 20 hearing, where a judge will decide whether he will be detained until trial. The defense witness list includes 13 names; prosecutors have not yet disclosed their witness lineup.
Key Takeaways
- The case combines recent charges involving child actors with an older, uncharged allegation from a Sacramento audition
- Gilbert’s public support and role as a potential witness underscore the personal stakes
- Production safety on sets where minors work may face scrutiny as the case proceeds
If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or visit childhelp.org.
