An arrest warrant was issued Friday (January 9) for “West Wing” actor Timothy Busfield.
Albuquerque, New Mexico, news station KOAT was the first to report that Busfield is facing arrest for allegations of child sexual abuse. The charges were brought by the parents of two boys who appeared on the Busfield-directed television series, “The Cleaning Lady.”
According to court documents obtained by the outlet, an investigation began in November 2024 after the boys’ mother took them to a local hospital. Statements made to hospital staff by the boys led to a call to authorities. Staff told officers that they suspected that the young actors had been “groomed” by Busfield.
The documents state that the children did not disclose inappropriate touching while at the hospital, but told interviewers later that they had been “touched inappropriately” by Busfield while on set.
Warner Bros., the production company behind “The Cleaning Lady,” conducted its own investigation and was unable to corroborate the claims.
Melissa Gilbert Responds
Melissa Gilbert, the actress who starred as Laura Ingalls Wilder in “Little House on the Prairie,” has been married to Busfield since 2013. Gilbert reacted to the claims against her husband by deleting all of her social media accounts.
Officer Marvin Kirk Brown, who issued the warrant to Busfield, alleged in the document that Gilbert purchased Christmas gifts for the two young actors, saying that such actions are often taken “to foster closeness, making [the victims] feel special and dependent.”
Brown added, “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.”
No accusations have been made against Gilbert, and as of press time, Busfield has not been taken into custody and has not addressed the allegations.