Actor Timothy Busfield, known for his role in The West Wing, was barred from a California theater over 20 years ago following accusations of molesting a teenage girl.
Busfield, now 68, recently faced charges in New Mexico for allegedly sexually assaulting twin boys on the set of the TV series The Cleaning Lady between 2022 and 2024.
In a separate pretrial detention motion filed last Wednesday, additional allegations surfaced, accusing Busfield of abusing a 16-year-old girl during an audition in Sacramento.
The girl alleged that during her audition at B Street Theatre about 25 years ago, Busfield “kissed her and put his hands down her pants and touched her privates.”
Upon learning of these allegations, B Street Theatre conducted an investigation and subsequently prohibited the Emmy Award-winning actor from any future collaborations, a spokesperson confirmed to People.
Following the alleged incident, court documents reveal that Busfield’s wife, actress Melissa Gilbert, pleaded with the victim’s family to avoid involving law enforcement if he sought therapy.
The detention motion further claimed that the alleged victim’s father, who was a therapist himself, ‘thought at the time that was the best thing to do.’
Busfield denies all the allegations against him and has vowed to fight the charges he faces. His lawyer Larry Stein has also dismissed the allegations involving the teenage girl as being unrelated to the New Mexico case.
Timothy Busfield (pictured in court Wednesday) has been charged in New Mexico with two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse
Timothy Busfield was banned from B Street Theater in Sacramento in 2001 after he was accused of molesting a 16-year-old girl. Busfield (right) is pictured with his brother Buck (left) at the theatre many years ago
Busfield has ‘not had any role’ at B Street Theater since 2001, a spokesperson said Thursday in a statement to the Daily Mail.
‘He is not involved in our current operations, staff, leadership, or programming,’ the statement continued. ‘Although he is listed as an emeritus board member, he has not participated in theatre governance or attended a board meeting since that time.’
The statement doubled down on the company’s commitment to providing a ‘safe, creative, and inclusive environment for artists, students, families, and audiences.’
B Street’s statement added that the company was keeping ‘everyone affected by abuse or exploitation’ in in thoughts.
Citing the active investigation in New Mexico, the theater declined to provide further details about the allegations.
Stein has seemingly denied the accusations at B Street. He told People: ‘The allegations were never challenged, they were never proved, and they’re 25 years old.
‘And there doesn’t seem to be any connection between these allegations regarding women 25 years ago and the allegations regarding these young boys.’
The Daily Mail has also approached Stein for comment.
The father of the 16-year-old girl who was allegedly molested by Busfield in California claims the actor’s wife Melissa Gilbert ‘begged the family to not report to law enforcement if he received therapy’. Gilbert and Busfield are pictured together in fall of 2025
Busfield has ‘not had any role’ at B Street Theater since 2001. Busfield’s lawyer Larry Stein has dismissed the allegations involving the teenage girl in Sacramento as being unrelated to the New Mexico case (File photo of The Sofia at B Street Theater)
Albuquerque police issued a warrant for Busfield’s arrest last week on two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse.
A criminal complaint alleges the acts occurred on the set of the series The Cleaning Lady, which was filmed in the city.
He surrendered to police in Albuquerque, New Mexico on Tuesday, just four days after authorities issued a warrant for his arrest on alleged sex abuse charges.
The actor was dubbed a ‘fugitive’ during those four days, but Stein says Busfield was driving across the country to hand himself in while being ‘hunted’, because he had been banned from flying.
Stein told KOAT that his client was forced to drive to Albuquerque from upstate New York because the warrant prohibited him from flying.
They requested that a New Mexico judge pull the warrant so Busfield could board a plane, but Stein said the request was denied.
‘As soon as he got here in Albuquerque, his local criminal lawyer walked him into the courthouse and he surrendered,’ the attorney added.
At least 10 heavily armed officers from the US Marshals Fugitive Task Force raided his Highland Lake, NY home on Tuesday in an attempt to arrest him.
But by the time agents arrived at the secluded property, the actor, charged with two counts of child sex abuse, had already turned himself in to cops in New Mexico.
Busfield (pictured in his jail booking photo) denies all the allegations against him and has vowed to fight the charges he faces
Busfield was ordered held without bond at his first court appearance Wednesday.
Prosecutors are seeking to keep Busfield in custody pending trial. Whether he remains in jail will be the subject of a detention hearing that will be scheduled within the next five business days.
They filed a motion early Wednesday pointing to what they described as a documented pattern of sexual misconduct, abuse of authority and grooming behavior by Busfield over two decades.
They also alleged that witnesses have expressed fear regarding retaliation and professional harm.
Busfield’s 61-year-old wife also refused to comment on child sex abuse charges filed against her husband when reached by the Daily Mail on Tuesday.
