Timothy Busfield told grand jury his career is over after abuse charges
USA Today reports the actor denied allegations tied to two child actors on The Cleaning Lady as his lawyers seek to dismiss the indictment.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
Timothy Busfield told an Albuquerque grand jury that child sexual-abuse allegations have left his acting career wrecked, according to USA Today, which obtained the actor’s two-hour testimony.
The Emmy-winning actor, known for The West Wing, Thirtysomething and Revenge of the Nerds, denied wrongdoing while speaking to the grand jury, USA Today reported. Busfield, 69, said he had lost television work, a movie role and representation by his agency after the allegations surfaced.
A New Mexico grand jury indicted Busfield in February on four counts of criminal sexual contact of a child. The charges stem from allegations involving two twin boys who were child actors on The Cleaning Lady, though the indictment applied to allegations involving only one of the boys.
Busfield is presumed innocent unless convicted by a jury.
What the allegations involve
The allegations described in the case include unwanted tickling. One boy also alleged that Busfield touched his genitals over clothing while they were in a secluded area on set.
During his grand jury testimony, Busfield said he was not alone with the boys and pointed to the presence of crew members, including a cinematographer and hair and makeup staff, according to USA Today. He denied ever behaving inappropriately with a child and accused the boys’ parents of coaching them.
Busfield also told the grand jury that he believed the parents reported him to police because the boys were removed from The Cleaning Lady, costing the family $30,000 per episode, USA Today reported. He described the allegations as false and said they had harmed his family and raised concerns about the career of his wife, actor Melissa Gilbert.
Gilbert told Good Morning America in April that she was “100 percent confident” Busfield would be cleared, while also saying the family had to prepare for every possible outcome.
How the case developed
According to the report, the University of New Mexico Hospital raised concerns in November 2024 after the boys’ mother brought them in and said they had been sexually abused. The hospital found no evidence of abuse at that time, and the boys told police then that they had not been abused.
The boys later told therapists in September that abuse had occurred, which led to Busfield’s arrest.
Albuquerque Police Officer Marvin Brown presented testimony from 10 interviews at the hearing. Three people said they had seen the boys without supervision, according to the report. Brown also told the grand jury that Busfield initially said he had not touched the boys, then later said he had tickled them to energize them for filming.
Busfield told the grand jury that any physical contact was not sexual or inappropriate. He said the boys’ father encouraged them to hug him and said he may have tickled them under the ribs during photos, according to USA Today.
Brown testified that he believed the boys’ allegations were not coached. Warner Bros. conducted an internal investigation that did not substantiate the claims. The studio submitted 87 letters supporting Busfield when a judge weighed whether he could be released after his arrest, and he was released in January.
Busfield’s lawyers asked the court on June 18 to dismiss the indictment, arguing that prosecutors failed to present a fair case to the grand jury and did not explain the law properly. A judge is set to consider that request on Aug. 25. A trial could begin next May.
This story draws on original reporting from Rolling Stone.