Actor and director Timothy Busfield is facing two counts of sexual abuse involving a minor in New Mexico after an arrest warrant was issued on Friday.
The investigation involves twin boys who were actors on the TV series “The Cleaning Lady” in 2022, on which Busfield was director. One of the boys told an investigator last fall that Busfield touched his “private areas” when he was seven years old, and again when he was eight, while they were on set.
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According to an Albuquerque police affidavit, the boy said he was “very afraid of Tim and was relieved when he was off set.”
The “Field of Dreams” and “Thirtysomething” 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 had picked them up and tickled them.
“Timothy said it was highly likely that he would have,” the affidavit states.
Busfield then said that the boys’ parents would be around, and it would not be “weird.” He later said he did not recall picking those boys up.
“I don’t remember those boys,” he said. “No, I don’t. I don’t actually, I don’t remember it, if it happened. I don’t remember overtly tickling the boys ever, but it wouldn’t be uncommon for me.”
The 2nd Judicial District Attorney’s office declined to comment.
According to the affidavit, Warner Bros. conducted an investigation in 2025 after SAG-AFTRA received an anonymous complaint about a separate incident in December 2024.
The complaint alleged that Busfield had kissed a boy on the face in the hair and makeup trailer, and that he would tickle and caress the heads of the boys. Warner Bros. contracted with an outside investigator who was not able to substantiate that claim.
Albuquerque Police Det. Marvin Brown alleged in the affidavit that Warner Bros. “made it very difficult to obtain information for this case.” The detective obtained a search warrant to get a copy of the investigative report, but it was not turned over until three months later, he wrote.
When the detective reached out to other child actors on the show to ensure their safety, he was advised by Warner Bros. that he would have to go through its lawyers to talk to employees, the affidavit states.
Warner Bros. did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
When Busfield joined the series, he “grew closer to the boys,” the affidavit states, continuing, “It was reported that Timothy would tell his children to call him ‘Uncle Tim.’”
A police officer first spoke with the parents and the boys in 2024, after police received a report from their doctor. At the time, the boys did not disclose any sexual contact to the officer, and the police declined to pursue charges.
However, in September 2025, one of the children reported to his counselor and later to his pediatrician that Busfield had “touched him on his penis and bottom.”
The other brother said “he did not like being touched, but did not say anything because he did not want to get in trouble,” according to the complaint.
In his interview with the police, Busfield said he had heard from Elodie Yung, the lead actress on the show, that the boys’ mother “wanted revenge” because her sons were not brought back for the final season.
Yung declined to speak to the police, saying she “does not want to be involved in the investigation,” the affidavit states.
The arrest warrant was issued by a judge on Friday afternoon. Busfield’s legal representative did not respond to request for comment.
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