Authorities in New Mexico have accused Emmy-winning actor Timothy Busfield, known for “The West Wing” and “Thirtysomething,” of child sexual abuse.
The judge on Friday issued a warrant for the arrest of the 68-year-old actor for two counts of sexual contact with a minor and one count of child abuse. The arrest affidavit, reviewed by The Times on Sunday, accuses Busfield of inappropriately touching two child actors, who are his brothers, while hosting Fox’s crime drama “The Cleaning Lady.”
“The health and safety of our cast and crew is always our top priority, especially the safety of children in our productions,” said Fox and Warner Bros. Television in a joint statement on Sunday. “We take all allegations of misconduct very seriously and have plans to investigate promptly and thoroughly, and when necessary, take appropriate action. … We are aware of the current charges against Mr. Busfield and have been and will continue to cooperate with law enforcement.”
Busfield, a former actress, producer and director of “The Cleaning Lady,” allegedly sexually assaulted one of the young actresses multiple times during her tenure. According to the affidavit, one child actor said Busfield began touching his “‘private parts'” several times on set when he was 7 years old. The actress said that when she was 8 years old, Busfield touched her inappropriately and several times. “He was afraid to tell anyone because Tim was the Director, and he was afraid that Tim would be angry with him,” the affidavit said.
The second child actress said Busfield “started touching them the first two years” of her time on “The Cleaning Lady,” which was filmed in Albuquerque, according to the complaint. The detective said both children said they did not talk about their encounter with Busfield out of fear or concern for him.
The actress’ mother, according to her complaint, reported the alleged abuse to Child Protective Services in October 2025, alleging that Busfield sexually abused her children from November 2022 to the spring of 2024. Police began investigating the alleged abuse in November 2024 after receiving a request from a doctor at the University of New Mexico Hospital.
According to the affidavit, the investigation also included interviews with pediatricians and doctors. One of the child actors, who disclosed allegations of abuse by Busfield to her therapist, has bedwetting issues “and other behavioral issues,” has been diagnosed with PTSD and anxiety and has had nightmares about “the director touching her,” according to the complaint.
The detective also spoke with many of the cast and crew of “The Cleaning Lady,” which was canceled in June after four seasons. The affidavit details the investigator’s conversations with production assistants, a studio teacher and Busfield.
Busfield, who is married to actress Melissa Gilbert, told an investigator that “Cleaning Lady” producer Warner Bros. Television informed him in the spring of 2025 of an investigation into complaints “about him from boys.” When asked if he had had contact with the two child actors, Busfield “said there was a good chance he had,” the complaint states. He suggested to the investigator that the boys’ mother may have wanted “revenge” on the director for “not bringing her children back for the final season,” according to the complaint.
Although Busfield confirmed the identity of the young actors to the detective in his interview, he allegedly said later, ” ‘I don’t remember those boys’ ” and “‘I don’t remember tickling the boys much, but it wouldn’t have been unusual for me.’ “
The complaint also details Warner Bros.’ investigation into Busfield’s alleged conduct. The studio began its investigation after receiving an anonymous tip in February 2025 from the SAG-AFTRA hotline about an incident in December 2024. Busfield allegedly entered a hair and makeup cart and “kissed a small male on the face as the child was getting a haircut.” The complaint went on to say that “there are pictures of Mr. Busfield, ‘tickling and stroking the head and body of the little boys.’ “
Neither Fox nor Warner Bros. immediately responded to a request for comment Sunday, but a spokesperson told The New York Times that it is “aware of the current charges against Mr. Busfield and has been and will continue to cooperate with law enforcement.”
Busfield received critical acclaim for his portrayal of Elliot Weston on the ABC drama “Thirtysomething” in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He also appeared in “Field of Dreams,” “Little Big League,” “The Byrds of Paradise” and other titles. He is perhaps best known for his recurring role on “The West Wing” as Danny Concannon, a White House correspondent who develops a relationship with Press Secretary CJ Clegg, played by Allison Janney.
In addition to television and film, Busfield is an actor and director. In 1991, Busfield and his brother Buck Busfield founded B Street Theatre, a non-profit theater in Sacramento that began as a children’s theater group. He also pitched for the Sacramento Smokeys baseball team and was inducted into the Sacramento Baseball Hall of Fame in 2024.
Before the allegations of his time on “The Cleaning Lady,” Busfield was accused in 1994 of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old actress who appeared on “Little Big League.” He denied those allegations and filed a defamation case against his accuser. The case was eventually settled, with a judge ordering Busfield to pay the woman $150,000.
