Actor Timothy Busfield Removed from Amazon Film Amid Abuse Charges

Timothy Busfield, the Emmy-winning actor from shows like The West Wing and Thirtysomething, will no longer appear in the upcoming Amazon MGM movie You Deserve Each Other. Producers decided to edit him out after child sex abuse charges filed against him in New Mexico. The charges stem from claims he touched two young boys on the set of the TV series The Cleaning Lady while directing there. Busfield turned himself in on January 14, 2026, and a judge ordered him held without bond. This marks the second project hit by the allegations.

Background

Busfield built a long career in TV and film. He won an Emmy in 1991 for his role in Thirtysomething. Viewers also know him from Field of Dreams and a long run on The West Wing. Over the years, he moved into directing. That work took him to the set of The Cleaning Lady, a Fox drama filmed in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The trouble started on that set. Two 11-year-old twin boys, who worked as extras, told police Busfield touched them in private areas. One boy said it happened when he was 7, alone with Busfield in a bedroom on set. He claimed the touching was over his clothes, on his genitals and bottom. The other twin said the same thing happened to him, but gave fewer details. He said he stayed quiet at first because he did not want to get in trouble.

Police got word of this in November 2024. A doctor at the University of New Mexico Hospital reported possible abuse after seeing the boys. Hospital staff noted signs the children had been groomed. Grooming means an adult builds trust with a child to abuse them later. The boys called Busfield Uncle Tim on set.

Albuquerque police issued an arrest warrant on January 9, 2026. It listed two counts of criminal sexual contact with a minor under 13 and one count of child abuse. Each sexual contact charge carries up to six years in prison. The child abuse charge adds up to three more years. If convicted on all, Busfield could get 15 years behind bars.

This is not the first time such claims have surfaced about Busfield. Back in 2012, a woman said he groped her under her clothes in a Los Angeles movie theater. She was 28 at the time. Busfield called it consensual. Prosecutors dropped the case for lack of evidence.

Key Details

Busfield surrendered to authorities on January 14, 2026, in Bernalillo County. He went to court that day. A judge kept him in jail without bail. Prosecutors pushed hard for this. They said Busfield shows a pattern of bad behavior. Documents point to his use of trust and power on sets to reach kids. They called him a danger to children and the community.

New Claims Surface

Just days later, more accusations came up. On January 13, 2026, Colin Swift told police Busfield abused his daughter years ago in Sacramento, California. She was 16 then. Swift said Busfield touched and kissed her at an audition. According to court papers, Busfield begged the family not to go to police if he got therapy.

Busfield fights back hard. Before turning himself in, he released a video. In it, he called the charges lies. His lawyers filed papers asking for his release. They say a Warner Bros. probe into the boys' claims found no truth to them. The studio looked into it when the boys lost their roles. His team points to money motives. The boys' parents have a past of fraud, the filings claim.

The lawyers also note Busfield passed a polygraph test. New Mexico lets these tests in court sometimes, if a judge agrees. They added letters from people who know him well. These vouch for his good character.

A detention hearing comes on January 20, 2026. That is when a judge will decide if Busfield stays locked up or goes free until trial.

"I stand with and support my husband."

• Melissa Gilbert, Busfield's wife

Gilbert, known from Little House on the Prairie, made that statement through her representative.

What This Means

The charges have real fallout for Busfield's work. Amazon MGM moved fast on You Deserve Each Other. The film was set for release soon. Now, editors must remove all his scenes. That could delay things or raise costs. It is the second hit. Another project dropped him too, though details stay thin.

Hollywood watches close. Child protection on sets has grown stricter since the #MeToo wave. Studios now act quick on claims, even before court rulings. Prosecutors paint Busfield as part of a long pattern. From the 2012 case to now, they see repeated boundary issues. His access to kids through directing makes it worse, they argue.

Busfield's side stresses holes in the stories. Why the long delay in reporting? Did the boys' tales stay the same over time? The Warner Bros. report backs him, they say. Independent witnesses agree, per court files.

For the accusers, the case moves forward. Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman spoke to reporters on January 15, 2026. He outlined the charges and possible sentences. The office wants pretrial detention to keep the community safe.

Busfield's marriage holds steady so far. Gilbert's support stands out amid the storm. His fans from decades of TV roles wait for answers. The court date on January 20 could shift everything. Release might let him work again. Staying in jail keeps him sidelined.

The film world feels ripples too. Directors and actors on sets with kids face more checks now. Cases like this push for better rules. Parents of child performers stay alert. They watch how studios and courts handle claims.

Busfield keeps denying it all. His team builds a defense on investigations and tests. The truth will come out in court, over time. For now, one movie loses a key player, and a career hangs in balance.