'Thirtysomething' star Timothy Busfield's Hollywood career survived previous sexual misconduct allegations

For decades, Timothy Busfield has made a name for himself with critically acclaimed roles both on and off camera. Behind the glitz and glamour of his Hollywood lifestyle, however, the 68-year-old actor and director — who was remanded Wednesday and held without bail on multiple counts of child sex abuse — has seemingly escaped a handful of career-damaging allegations throughout the years. Yet, his road to success has never derailed. 

Born into a family that prioritized the arts, Busfield was destined for onscreen and onstage greatness from the start. The Michigan-born entertainer first gained widespread recognition in the early 1980s with a breakout role in "Revenge of the Nerds" and the 1987 sequel, "Trapper John M.D." It wasn't until he landed the role of Elliott Weston on the ABC drama series "Thirtysomething" in 1987 that his career took a major turn. 

"At the time, you could find a great dramatic role on television, but you'd be on a doctor show, or you're a spy," Busfield said in a September 2017 interview with The Hollywood Reporter. "Finally, here was a great dramatic role that felt personal. Our show wasn't the first to try doing something about family, but the others didn't do it as well."

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Busfield, who earned three Emmy nominations and won the 1991 Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, began his behind-the-camera work on the series. 

From there, Busfield went on to star in films such as "Sneakers" in 1992, "Quiz Show" in 1994 and "Little Big League" that same year. 

While his career seemed to be skyrocketing at the time, Busfield was hit with a sexual assault allegation from a 17-year-old extra who worked on "Little Big League" in 1994. 

According to a report by The Deseret News, Busfield claimed a Minneapolis law firm had "made up" the story and sued the firm for defamation. 

U.S. District Judge James Ideman, who dismissed the case in April 1996, ordered the Emmy-winning actor to pay nearly $150,000 to the Minneapolis law firm of Messerli & Kramer, the outlet wrote at the time. 

Busfield reportedly settled a lawsuit with the alleged victim for an undisclosed amount.

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The actor went on to work on a series of films and television shows, including his memorable role as White House correspondent Danny Concannon on "The West Wing"— which he appeared in over the course of the series from its debut in 1999 through its finale in 2006. He also had a recurring role in "Designated Survivor" from 2018 to 2019.

In addition to acting, Busfield worked behind the scenes as a television director, directing episodes of hit series such as "This Is Us," "The Night Shift," "FBI," "The Cleaning Lady" and "Chicago Med."

In 2012, Busfield faced another sexual misconduct allegation. 

In a warrant issued on Jan. 9, 2026, for Busfield's arrest in the current child sex abuse case, the affidavit cited an incident in 2012, in which a woman had accused Busfield of groping her while in a movie theater. 

The affidavit details "a 28-year-old woman alleged that Busfield fondled her under her clothes at a movie theater in Los Angeles." 

Busfield said the touching was consensual, and prosecutors declined to pursue a case due to "slim evidence."

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In a motion filed by the Bernalillo County District Attorney's Office on Tuesday and obtained by Fox News Digital, Busfield was hit with another sexual abuse allegation. 

Colin Swift, the father of an alleged victim, reported to law enforcement on Jan. 13, 2026, that Busfield had allegedly sexually abused Swift's daughter "several years ago" in Sacramento, Calif., when she was 16 years old.

According to the motion, Busfield "begged the family to not report to law enforcement if he received therapy."

On Jan. 9, an arrest warrant was issued for the director and Emmy Award-winning actor, and obtained by Fox News Digital.

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The police investigation into the allegations against Busfield began on Nov. 1, 2024, after a doctor at the University of New Mexico Hospital alerted officers about a case of alleged sexual abuse.

According to an arrest warrant obtained by Fox News Digital, two 11-year-old twins allege that the director, whom they were told to call Uncle Tim on the set of "The Cleaning Lady," had touched them inappropriately. One twin claimed an incident had occurred while alone with Busfield in a bedroom on set, alleging he had been touched over his clothes on his genitals and bottom. The warrant further states that hospital professionals later informed the parents that the children showed signs of being "groomed."

"The health and safety of our cast and crew is always our top priority, especially the safety of minors on our productions," a representative from Warner Bros. Television told Fox News Digital in a statement. "We take all allegations of misconduct very seriously and have systems in place to promptly and thoroughly investigate, and when needed, take appropriate action. We are aware of the current charges against Mr. Busfield and have been and will continue to cooperate with law enforcement."

A makeup artist told investigators that everyone on set knew to avoid Busfield "because he was creepy."

Busfield surrendered Tuesday to local authorities on child sex abuse charges. He was held without bail at the time of his arrest on two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse.

The director has denied all the allegations against him.

In the state's expedited motion for pretrial detention, prosecutors argued that Busfield "poses an ongoing and serious danger to children and the community."

They noted that his conduct reflected a "calculated pattern of grooming, lack of boundaries, and exploitation of professional authority to gain access to minors."

"The defendant has demonstrated: willingness to exploit positions of trust; ability to offend in professional environments designed to appear safe, minimization and denial of conduct, access to children through his profession, a pattern of inappropriate conduct spanning decades," documents stated.

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"Witnesses in this investigation expressed fear of retaliation and career harm for reporting the Defendant's conduct, further underscoring his ability to intimidate and silence others."

During a press conference on Thursday, Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman addressed the media with the latest on the case. 

Busfield is currently charged with two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor, child under 13, and one count of child abuse. Under New Mexico law, each count of criminal sexual contact carries up to six years of incarceration, and child abuse carries up to three years, Bregman stated. 

If convicted, Busfield could face up to 15 years in prison.

Busfield is expected to appear in court on Jan. 20th to determine whether he will remain in custody or be released pending trial.

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Busfield's wife, "Little House on the Prairie" actress Melissa Gilbert, will continue to support her husband and will address the public at the appropriate time, according to her representative.

"Melissa Gilbert is not making public statements at this time. Any purported ‘statements’ circulating online — including AI-generated deepfakes of her ‘breaking her silence’ — should not be treated as coming from her," her representative told Fox News Digital. 

"She is honoring the request of Tim’s lawyers not to speak publicly while the legal process unfolds. During this period, her focus is on supporting and caring for their very large family, as they navigate this moment. Melissa stands with and supports her husband and will address the public at an appropriate time. We ask that their privacy be respected."

Fox News Digital's Tracy Wright contributed to this report.