New Mexico authorities have accused Emmy-winning actor Timothy Busfield, identified for sequence “The West Wing” and “Thirtysomething,” of kid intercourse abuse.
A choose on Friday issued an arrest warrant for the 68-year-old actor on two counts of felony sexual contact of a minor and a single depend of kid abuse. The arrest warrant affidavit, reviewed by The Instances on Sunday, accuses Busfield of inappropriately touching two youngster actors, who’re brothers, throughout his tenure on the Fox crime drama “The Cleansing Woman.”
“The well being and security of our solid and crew is at all times our high precedence, particularly the security of minors on our productions,” Fox and Warner Bros. Tv mentioned in a press release shared Sunday. “We take all allegations of misconduct very significantly and have programs in place to promptly and completely examine, and when wanted, take applicable motion. … We’re conscious of the present prices 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 Woman,” allegedly sexually assaulted of one of many younger actors a number of instances throughout his tenure. In line with the affidavit, one youngster actor mentioned Busfield first touched his “‘non-public areas’” a number of instances on set when he was 7 years previous. The actor mentioned that when he was 8 years previous, 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 mentioned.
The second youngster actor mentioned that Busfield “began touching them for the primary two years” of his time on “The Cleansing Woman,” which filmed in Albuquerque, based on the grievance. The investigator mentioned each youngsters mentioned they didn’t communicate 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 youngsters from November 2022 to spring 2024. Police started investigating the alleged abuse in November 2024 after receiving a request from a health care provider on the College of New Mexico Hospital.
In line with the affidavit, the investigation additionally included interviews with the youngsters’s therapists and docs. One of many youngster actors, who disclosed the alleged abuse by Busfield to his therapist, has points with bed-wetting “together with different habits points,” was identified with PTSD and anxiousness and has suffered nightmares “concerning the director touching him,” based on the grievance.
The investigator additionally spoke to quite a few solid and crew members of “The Cleansing Woman,” which was canceled in June after 4 seasons. The affidavit particulars the investigator’s conversations with manufacturing assistants, the studio trainer and Busfield.
Busfield, married to actor Melissa Gilbert, instructed the investigator that “Cleansing Woman” producer Warner Bros. Tv notified him within the spring of 2025 of an investigation relating to complaints “about him from the boys.” When requested whether or not he had any bodily contact with the 2 youngster actors, Busfield “mentioned it was extremely probably that he would have,” the grievance mentioned. He advised to the investigator that the boys’ mom may need sought “revenge” on the director for “not bringing her children again for the ultimate season,” based on the grievance.
Although Busfield confirmed the identities of the younger actors to the investigator in his interview, he allegedly mentioned later, “ ‘I don’t bear in mind these boys’ ” and “ ‘I don’t bear in mind overtly tickling the boys ever, nevertheless it wouldn’t be unusual for me.’ ”
The grievance additionally particulars Warner Bros.’ investigation into Busfield’s alleged habits. The studio began its investigation after receiving an nameless tip in February 2025 from the SAG-AFTRA hotline relating to 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 photos 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 instructed the New York Instances it’s “conscious of the present prices towards Mr. Busfield and have been and can proceed to cooperate with legislation enforcement.”
Busfield obtained essential popularity of his portrayal of Elliot Weston within the ABC drama “Thirtysomething” within the late Eighties and early ‘90s. He additionally appeared in “Area of Desires,” “Little Huge League,” “The Byrds of Paradise” and different titles. He’s maybe finest identified for his recurring position 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 Avenue 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 Woman,” 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 led to a settlement, with a choose ordering Busfield to pay the lady $150,000.
