[Warning: Potentially Triggering Content]
Timothy Busfield is facing some very disturbing allegations! And shockingly, you will find his wife sticking by him through it all!
The Albuquerque Police Department issued an arrest warrant for The West Wing star on January 9. According to the warrant obtained by People, Busfield allegedly engaged in unlawful sexual conduct with two boys — 11-year-old twins — whose identities are being withheld from the public. One of the minors claimed the incidents began when he was only 7 years old. Awful.
An investigation was launched on November 1, 2024, after a doctor at the University of New Mexico Hospital informed police about alleged sexual abuse. Speaking with Officer Marvin Kirk Brown, who issued the arrest warrant, the parents said the kids met the 68-year-old actor on the set of the FOX series The Cleaning Lady when he joined as a director in Season 2, which aired back in 2022. After Busfield started to work on the show, he allegedly “grew closer” to the boys. The warrant claimed:
“It was reported that Timothy would tell his children to call him ‘Uncle Tim.’”
Related: Families Of Idaho Murder Victims SUE Bryan Kohberger’s School Following His Sentencing
Their parents told the officer “that they both discovered that there were allegations against Timothy of sexual assault against both women and minors.” And when the father found out that “there had been multiple rumors that Timothy had been ‘handsy’ with women,” the mom asked her sons, per the warrant:
“Who were eleven years old at the time, if anyone had ever touched them in a manner that made them feel uncomfortable. The children allegedly responded by asking, ‘You mean like Uncle Tim?’”
The warrant went on to reveal that the parents were then advised by an attorney to take the kids to UNMH. While there, they claimed professionals suggested the boys “were groomed.” Officer Brown said that the children did not report any sexual contact, other than claiming that Busfield “would tickle them on the stomach and legs.” However, it did not meet their acceptance criteria at the time. By October 3, 2025, the mom filed a police report and told Child Protective Services that “her children both disclosed that there was sexual abuse by Timothy from around November 2022 to Spring 2024.” But, as the warrant stated, she was told nothing could be done since physical abuse did not occur.
WTF…
The mother informed police that on September 2, 2025, and September 22, 2025, one of the boys told his counselor that Busfield inappropriately touched him. When one of the victims was 10, his therapist even diagnosed him with moderate post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety following claims of “inappropriate touching.” The therapist claimed the kid started “having nightmares about the director touching him and waking up scared,” and claimed Busfield “had touched and rubbed his penis 3 or 4 times and appeared to be ashamed,” per the warrant. OMG. He also allegedly suffered from bed-wetting and other behavioral issues. These poor kids! It’s awful!
However, Busfield is claiming this is all a revenge plot! What! According to the warrant, Busfield told cops that the parents were upset that their sons were replaced with a younger actor. And shortly after the change, he received a call from Warner Bros. informing him they were investigating a complaint. Per the warrant, Busfield claimed an actress on the show told him the mom “wanted revenge.”
But when asked by police if he ever picked up or tickled the boys, Busfield replied that it was “highly likely that he would have” because he wanted “a playful environment.” He then stated, per the warrant, that “it’s not allowed at all,” adding:
“There is no, there’s no protocol. I mean, I’m always around people, right? It would be, you know, in front of the parents. There would never be a weird moment about it. I don’t really remember picking those boys up. I remember picking up the boy who followed them. I’d pick him up, and he’d be giggling, and that would sort of get him ready to act.”
Busfield claimed he and his wife, Melissa Gilbert, had a relationship with the boys and their parents “outside of work,” to the point where they bought them “Christmas gifts and were together on several social functions.”
Officer Brown said in the warrant that after speaking with several people from the production, “I believe Timothy had the opportunity to be alone with SL while he was lying in the bed on the TV set.” After receiving the results of Warner Bros.’ internal investigation, it was documented that someone “claimed to have witnessed the incident in the Hair and Make-Up trailer, executive producer/director Tim Busfield entered and kissed a minor male on the face as the minor was getting a haircut” in December 2024. The officer continued:
“In my training and experience, pedophiles often infiltrate families under a trusted role, like Timothy, who, as a producer, exploited the hectic film sets to tickle and touch SL on his penis and buttocks, masking it as play. He would invite the family to off-set gatherings, with his wife buying Christmas gifts to foster closeness, making SL feel special and dependent— classic grooming to erode boundaries, isolate the victim, and silence suspicions by blending abuse into normalcy. This dual tactic, charming parents while secretly violating the child, builds a web of complicity that is hard to unravel, delaying detection, as families trust the abuser’s facade.”
Days after police issued the warrant, Busfield surrendered himself. Gilbert Gallegos, Director of Communications for Albuquerque Police Department, said in a statement on Tuesday:
“Timothy Busfield has turned himself in at the Metro Detention Center. He will be booked on his warrant.”
The same day, Bernalillo District Attorney Sam Bregman announced that Busfield was charged with two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor (child under 13) and one count of child abuse. Ch-ch-check out his mugshot (below):
Before that, though, the filmmaker filmed a video of himself obtained by TMZ. Insisting he “did not do anything wrong,” he said:
“Hi everybody, it’s Tim. I’m sure most of you know, that are watching this, that I was ordered to come to Albuquerque – I’m here now. I got the call Friday night, I had to get a lawyer. Saturday I got in the car, drove 2,000 miles to Albuquerque. I’m gonna confront these lies. They’re horrible. They’re all lies and I did not do anything to those little boys and 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 work. I love everybody for supporting me, thank you.”
A representative at Warner Bros. Television told People after the charges:
“The health and safety of our cast and crew is always our top priority, especially the safety of minors on our productions. We take all allegations of misconduct very seriously and have systems in place to promptly and thoroughly investigate, and when needed, take appropriate action. [We] have been and will continue to cooperate with law enforcement.”
As for his wife? What does she have to say about this massive controversy? It sounds like she is standing by her husband! Melissa, who is best known for starring on Little House on the Prairie, deleted her Instagram when news of the allegations broke, so you won’t find her making statements there. Instead, her rep, Ame Van Iden, told People on Tuesday:
“Melissa Gilbert is not making public statements at this time. Any purported ‘statements’ circulating online — including AI-generated deepfakes of her ‘breaking her silence’ — should not be treated as coming from her. She is honoring the request of Tim’s lawyers not to speak publicly while the legal process unfolds. During this period, her focus is on supporting and caring for their very large family, as they navigate this moment. Melissa stands with and supports her husband and will address the public at an appropriate time. We ask that their privacy be respected.”
That is a bit shocking to hear, given the serious accusations against Busfield. Melissa co-founded the lifestyle brand Modern Prairie with Nicole Haase in 2022. The company also issued a statement that read:
“Modern Prairie is aware of recent media reports regarding serious allegations involving a family member of our brand muse, Melissa Gilbert. These allegations do not involve Modern Prairie, our operations nor our community. Modern Prairie unequivocally condemns abuse in all forms and remains committed to values of safety, integrity, and respect. Our focus remains on supporting our community and continuing our work with care, responsibility, and intention.”
Melissa’s upcoming “Ask Melissa Anything” virtual Q&A for her company on Friday was canceled due to “an unexpected scheduling change.” That “scheduling change” obviously involves the case against Busfield, whom she is now busy supporting.
What are your reactions to the horrifying allegations, Perezcious readers? Let us know in the comments.
If you have sincere cause to suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org.
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence and would like to learn more about resources, consider checking out https://www.rainn.org/resources.
[Image via Andres Otero/MEGA/WENN]
The post Timothy Busfield's Wife Is Standing By Him After He Surrenders On Child Sex Abuse Charges! WTF! appeared first on Perez Hilton.