On January 9, 2026, the Albuquerque police issued an arrest warrant for actor and director Timothy Busfield. They said he sexually abused two 11-year-old twin boys on the set of Fox’s The Cleaning Lady. The 68-year-old Emmy winner, who is best known for The West Wing and Field of Dreams, is charged with two counts of criminal sexual contact with a minor and one count of child abuse.
One victim said that Busfield touched his penis inappropriately three to four times when he was seven and five to six times when he was eight while they were filming from 2022 to 2024. The child, who had PTSD and anxiety, said she had nightmares about the events and was afraid to be around Busfield on set. Parents said that Busfield told the boys to call him “Uncle Tim” and that he got close to them while directing.
In 2024, authorities learned about the accusations after a hospital report led to an investigation. However, the initial review by the child crimes unit did not go ahead. Busfield told the police that it was “highly likely” that he tickled or touched the boys, saying that parents were there. Warner Bros. looked into a different anonymous SAG-AFTRA complaint from 2024 about Busfield kissing and tickling kids.
Busfield won four Emmys for Thirtysomething and The West Wing. He also directed episodes of Without a Trace and Las Vegas and was in Field of Dreams. As of January 10, 2026, neither Busfield’s representatives nor Fox had answered requests for comments. He is still free until he is arrested.
