Timothy Busfield Tells Grand Jury He's Been "Canceled" Following Child Sex Abuse Indictment

Emmy-winning actor Timothy Busfield, known for standout roles in "The West Wing," "Thirtysomething," and "Revenge of the Nerds," testified before an Albuquerque grand jury that his career has effectively ended in the wake of child sex abuse charges against him, insisting throughout roughly two hours of testimony that he is innocent.

According to the court transcript, Busfield described the professional fallout from the allegations in stark terms, telling jurors he believes he'll never work in the industry again regardless of the case's outcome, simply because of the stigma now attached to his name. He said he's already lost television roles and been digitally removed from at least one film project, and that his talent agency dropped him as a client. He framed his testimony not as an appeal for sympathy, but as an attempt to set the record straight.

The grand jury indicted Busfield, 69, back in February on four counts of criminal sexual contact of a child. Prosecutors allege the misconduct occurred on the set of "The Cleaning Lady," where Busfield is accused of inappropriately touching one of two twin boys who worked as child actors on the show. The specific allegations include unwanted tickling and a claim that Busfield touched one boy's genitals over his clothing while in a secluded area of the set. Only one of the two boys is named in the indictment. Busfield has not been convicted of any crime and, like all defendants, is entitled to a presumption of innocence unless a jury finds otherwise.

In his grand jury testimony, Busfield pushed back forcefully against the accusations, telling jurors he was never alone with either boy and that crew members, including a cinematographer and members of the hair and makeup department, were consistently present nearby.

He explicitly denied any inappropriate physical or sexual conduct toward either child. Busfield also offered his own theory for why the allegations surfaced, alleging that the boys' parents fabricated the claims out of revenge after their sons were cut from the show, a decision he said cost the family roughly $30,000 per episode in lost income. He referred to the parents as "criminals," a characterization tied to unrelated past arrests they had faced.

Busfield's wife, actress Melissa Gilbert, addressed the case publicly in April on "Good Morning America," expressing confidence that her husband would ultimately be cleared while acknowledging the couple needed to prepare for multiple possible outcomes.

The path to Busfield's arrest included some inconsistencies in the boys' accounts over time. In late 2024, hospital staff at the University of New Mexico raised concerns about possible grooming after the boys' mother brought them in over abuse claims, though doctors found no physical evidence and the boys themselves denied being abused when questioned by police at that time.

Months later, however, the boys told therapists a different story, alleging abuse had occurred, testimony that ultimately led to Busfield's arrest.

Albuquerque police detective Marvin Brown testified before the grand jury about interviews conducted with ten witnesses, three of whom said they'd observed the boys without direct supervision at times. Brown also told jurors that Busfield initially denied touching the boys at all before later acknowledging he had tickled them to keep their energy up between takes.

Busfield himself told jurors any physical contact was limited to tickling during photos or hugs initiated at a parent's request, and he denied ever touching either boy inappropriately. Despite the defense's account, Brown testified he found the boys' allegations credible and did not believe they had been coached.

A separate internal investigation by Warner Bros. was unable to substantiate the claims, and the studio submitted 87 letters supporting Busfield when a judge weighed his release from custody following his arrest; he was released in January.

In June, Busfield's legal team filed a motion to dismiss the indictment entirely, arguing prosecutors presented a biased case to grand jurors and mischaracterized the relevant law.

A judge is set to consider that motion on August 25, with a trial currently anticipated to begin next May if the case proceeds.