A warrant has been issued for actor Timothy Busfield on allegations of sexual abuse.
Emmy Award-winning actor and director Timothy Busfield is facing two charges of “criminal sexual contact of a minor and child abuse related to alleged misconduct involving child actors” during the filming of The Cleaning Lady, according to Albuquerque, New Mexico, news outlet KOAT.
The outlet reported Friday (January 9) that an investigation into the claims against the 68-year-old actor started in late 2024 after hospital staff called authorities, suspecting that two minor male patients had been groomed by the accused. The alleged victims, who appeared on the Fox series with Busfield, did not disclose any abuse at the hospital, but later made concerning statements to interviewers and their mother about Busfield’s behavior.
In an interview with investigators in November, the actor stated, “I don’t remember it… If it happened, I don’t remember.” He also claimed that the mother of the two boys “sought revenge after the children were not brought back for a new season” of The Cleaning Lady, which Busfield directed.
Court documents obtained by KOAT show that an investigation into the claims was conducted by Warner Bros., the production company behind the series, and that, at the time, the claims could not be substantiated.
More information about the investigation and subsequent fallout was revealed on Monday (January 12).
NBC announced on Monday that it would not be airing a new episode of Law & Order: SVU that features guest star Timothy Busfield. The episode was scheduled to air on January 15 and featured Busfield in the role of a judge. He previously appeared as a guest star on the series in 2011 and directed two episodes in 2019.
The episode previously scheduled to air on January 22 will air in its place.
In other developments, a spokesman for the Albuquerque Police Department told TMZ on Monday that the actor had not yet been taken into custody. They told the outlet that U.S. Marshals were enlisted to assist APD in locating Busfield and taking him into custody in connection with the allegations.
The APD spokesperson also reported to PEOPLE that Busfield’s location was unknown and that he had not been “located, detained, or arrested” at this time.
Who is Timothy Busfield?
Timothy Busfield rose to fame in the late ’80s as a star of thirtysomething, a television drama series that earned him an Emmy Award in 1991. His acting resume also includes film roles in Field of Dreams alongside Kevin Costner, A Few Good Men, Little Big League, and many more.
He made numerous television appearances over the course of his 40-year career. His television acting credits include roles in Family Ties, Blue Bloods, The West Wing, Law & Order, and nearly 50 more shows.
In 2013, Busfield married Little House on the Prairie actress Melissa Gilbert. Both had previously married twice and had children from their previous relationships. They now live in a cabin in New York’s Catskills Mountains.
