Actor and director Timothy Busfield is facing two counts of sexual abuse of a minor in New Mexico after a warrant was issued for his arrest on Friday.
The investigation involves twin boys who starred in the 2022 TV series “Cleaning Women,” which Busfield directed. One of the boys told investigators last fall that Busfield touched his “private areas” on set when he was 7 and 8 years old.
The boy said he was “very scared of Tim, but felt relieved once he left,” according to an Albuquerque police affidavit.
The “West Wing,” “Field of Dreams” and “Thirty Something” actor directed six episodes of “The Cleaning Lady,” which aired on Fox from 2022 to 2025.
According to the affidavit, Busfield spoke to police by phone in November. He was asked if he had “any physical contact” with the boys and if he picked them up and tickled them.
“Timothy stated that it was very likely that this would happen,” the affidavit states.
Ms Busfield said the boys’ parents would also be there and it was not “strange”. He later said he had no recollection of picking up those boys.
“I don’t remember those boys,” he said. “No, not at all. If it actually happened, I don’t remember it. I don’t remember tickling the boys overtly, but it’s not unusual for me.”
The Second Judicial District Attorney’s Office declined to comment.
According to the affidavit, Warner Bros. conducted the investigation in 2025 after SAG-AFTRA received an anonymous complaint about a separate incident in December 2024.
The complaint alleges that Busfield kissed the boys’ faces and tickled and caressed the boys’ heads in hair and makeup trailers. Warner Bros. contracted an outside investigator but was unable to substantiate the allegations.
Albuquerque Police Department Marvin Brown claimed in an affidavit that Warner Bros. “made it extremely difficult to obtain information regarding this case.” Detectives obtained a search warrant to obtain a copy of the investigation report, but it was not turned over until three months later, he wrote.
Detectives contacted other child actors who appeared on the show to ensure their safety, and were advised by Warner Bros. that they needed to go through an attorney and speak with an employee, according to the affidavit.
Warner Bros. did not respond to a request for comment.
The affidavit states that Busfield’s participation in the series “brought him closer to the boys,” and continues, “Timothy reportedly told the children to call him ‘Uncle Tim.'”
Police first interviewed the parents and the boys in 2024 after receiving a report from a doctor. At the time, the boys did not disclose any sexual contact to police, and police declined to press charges.
However, in September 2025, one of the children reported to a counselor and then to their pediatrician that Busfield “touched his penis and buttocks.”
According to the complaint, the other brother said, “I didn’t like being touched, but I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want to get in trouble.”
In an interview with police, Busfield said he heard from the show’s lead actress, Elodie Yung, that the boys’ mother “wanted revenge” because her sons were not brought back until the final season.
The affidavit states that Yong refused to meet with police, saying he did not want to be involved in the investigation.
An arrest warrant was issued by a judge Friday afternoon. Mr. Busfield’s legal representatives did not respond to requests for comment.
