Timothy Busfield Surrenders on Child Sex Abuse Charges, Insists He’s ‘Gonna Be Exonerated’

AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File

Actor and director Timothy Busfield surrendered to New Mexico authorities Tuesday after a warrant was issued for his arrest for allegedly sexually abusing two boys on the set of a television show he directed, releasing a short video statement saying he would be “exonerated” and vowing to “confront these lies.”

Busfield, 68, rose to fame with roles on beloved shows like Thirtysomething and The West Wing; his directorial credits include dozens of television programs. He has been married to actress Melissa Gilbert since 2013 and has three children from two previous marriages.

On Jan. 9, the Albuquerque Police Department issued a warrant for Busfield, listing three counts: two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor, and one count of child abuse. The charges stemmed from allegations that he had abused two twin brothers, now aged 11, on the set of the Fox television series The Cleaning Lady, which he joined as director in 2022.

According to the police affidavit, one of the boys said the abuse began when he was 7 years old, and the other said it started for him when he was 8. Both described multiple incidents where they say Busfield sexually abused them for several years.

On Monday, it was reported that the APD had been unable to locate Busfield to arrest him and had partnered with the U.S. Marshals Service to help find him.

Tuesday, Busfield turned himself in, reported TMZ, shortly after he recorded a video at his attorney’s office.

“Hi everybody, it’s Tim,” Busfield said. “I’m sure most of you know, that are watching this, that I was ordered to come to Albuquerque.”

“I’m here now,” he continued, gesturing to the city view behind him through the law office window.

According to Busfield, he “got the call Friday night,” “had to get a lawyer,” and then on Saturday, he “got in a car and drove 2,000 miles to Albuquerque.”

It should perhaps be noted that an APD spokesperson confirmed to People magazine on Monday that the police department had called in the U.S. Marshals to help locate Busfield and that he had not yet been “located, detained, or arrested” at that point, so if Busfield were driving to Albuquerque over the weekend, he did not inform the authorities of his whereabouts or intention to turn himself in.

“I’m going to confront these lies,” Busfield continued. “They’re horrible. They’re all lies, and I did not do anything to those little boys. And I’m — I’m gonna fight it. I’m gonna fight it with a great team, and I’m gonna be exonerated. I know I am, because this is all so wrong, and all lies.”

“So hang in there and hopefully I’m out real soon and back to working,” he concluded. “I love everybody for supporting me. Thank you.”

Larry Stein, an attorney who represents Busfield on civil matters, told TMZ that he believed that the allegations were motivated by revenge, citing information from the criminal complaint that described an actress on set who claimed the boys’ mother told her she would get “revenge” after her sons were cut and replaced with another actor during the show’s final season. Stein also cited the “independent investigation” that Warner Bros. conducted, including interviewing about 12 people, that found no evidence to support the allegations.

Shortly after publication, TMZ updated its article with a statement from Christina McGovern, an attorney from the outside law firm who worked on that investigation:

I conducted an independent and thorough investigation of all allegations known to the Studio at the time. Warner Bros. gave me full discretion as to my investigation. Based on what was alleged, and all evidence gathered, including multiple witness statements, I found no corroborating evidence that Mr. Busfield engaged in inappropriate conduct or that he was ever alone with the twins on set.

Watch the video above, via TMZ.

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