Actor/director Timothy Busfield says he’s the real victim in his child sex abuse case, claiming an actress told him the criminal accusations are part of a revenge plot.
As you know, Busfield — best known for his roles on “West Wing” and “Thirtysomething” — was charged in a criminal complaint filed this week in New Mexico with abusing 2 underage boys who were working with him on a TV show.
Prosecutors accuse Busfield of inappropriately touching the boys while he was directing them on the set of “The Cleaning Lady” in 2022. At the time, prosecutors say, the child actors were 7 and 8, and their parents reported the alleged crimes to the Albuquerque police two years later.
During a police interview, Busfield told detectives the show’s lead actress, Elodie Yung, said the mom of the 2 boys “wanted revenge, and I’m going to get my revenge on Tim Busfield for not bringing her kids back for the final season,” according to the charging documents.
In addition, Busfield confirmed he was hired to direct an episode of season 2 of “The Cleaning Lady” … saying the 2 boys were replaced at some point by a younger boy who had auditioned. Busfield said this angered the parents of the 2 boys who were fired, and he subsequently received a phone call from Warner Brothers execs about a complaint filed against him by the kids.
Warner Bros, which produced the show, farmed out the investigation to an outside firm, although it’s unclear what the results were.
Busfield’s wife, actress Melissa Gilbert, was also on the call with investigators … and the couple told cops they had a previous “relationship” with the 2 boys and their family outside of work. They also admitted to giving the boys Christmas gifts and attending social functions with them.
