An arrest warrant has been issued in New Mexico for Timothy Busfield, the Emmy-winning actor and director, in connection with a child sexual abuse charge. The warrant, signed by a judge, alleges two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor.
According to a criminal complaint filed by an Albuquerque police investigator, a child reported that Busfield touched him inappropriately on the set of The Cleaning Lady, a television series Busfield directed and acted in. The first incident allegedly occurred when the child was seven, and Busfield touched him three or four times. On another occasion, when the child was eight, Busfield allegedly touched him five or six times.
The child's mother reported the abuse to New Mexico's child protective services, saying it occurred between November 2022 and spring 2024. The complaint states the child has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety. A social worker documented the child saying he had nightmares about Busfield and woke up scared. The child reportedly did not tell anyone because he feared Busfield, as director, would become angry.
The investigation began in November 2024 after a doctor at the University of New Mexico hospital contacted authorities. The Cleaning Lady aired for four seasons on Fox and ended in 2025, starring Elodie Yung. Warner Bros, which produced the show, conducted its own investigation into the allegations but was unable to corroborate them, according to the complaint.
Busfield is known for roles in The West Wing, Field of Dreams and Thirtysomething, for which he won an Emmy in 1991. He is married to actress Melissa Gilbert. Neither Busfield's attorney nor his agent responded to requests for comment, and Gilbert had evidently deleted her Instagram account as of Sunday.
