Timothy Busfield has been dropped by his talent agency, Innovative Artists, following his arrest on child sex abuse charges.
A rep for the company confirmed to Deadline on Wednesday, January 14, that Busfield, 68, is no longer with IA but declined to comment further. The actor and director had been with the agency for several years with a “fair-sized” team, according to the outlet.
The move by IA came on the same day that Busfield appeared in court for the first time in his child sex abuse case, opting not to enter a plea. He will remain in custody before returning to court in less than a week.
A warrant for Busfield’s arrest was issued by authorities in New Mexico on Friday, January 9, after a child actor accused him of touching him inappropriately on the set of Fox’s The Cleaning Lady. (Busfield directed and produced several episodes of the series, which aired from 2022 to 2025.)
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According to the Albuquerque Police Department affidavit, viewed by Us Weekly on Friday, the child alleged that Busfield first touched his “private areas” when he was 7 years old. Busfield allegedly touched him again in a separate incident when the child was 8 years old.
The boy was “very afraid of Tim and was relieved when he was off set,” the document revealed. He also stated that he “was afraid to tell anyone because Tim was the director, and he feared Tim would get mad at him.”
The affidavit also revealed that Busfield was interviewed by police, telling them that it was “highly likely” that he had physical contact with the child actor and his twin brother, who also worked on the set. However, he denied that there was anything “weird” about the interactions.
“I don’t remember those boys,” he said, per the affidavit. “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.”
Busfield turned himself in to authorities in Albuquerque on Tuesday, January 13. Prior to surrendering, the West Wing alum broke his silence in a video obtained by TMZ.
“I did not do anything to those little boys,” he said. “And I’m gonna fight it. I’m gonna fight it with a great team, and I’m gonna be exonerated. I know I am, ‘cause this is all so wrong and so lies.”
Busfield’s attorney Larry Stein said in a statement to NBC News after his arrest, “He didn’t do anything wrong. These accusations are false as the investigator from the independent law firm found.” Stein also claimed that there was a “revenge factor” to the criminal complaint, as the mother of the boys allegedly “vowed to get revenge after her sons were cut from the final season of the show.”
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Following his arrest, Busfield was accused of sexual abuse by “another victim’s father,” Colin Swift, according to a pretrial detention motion filed on Wednesday. Swift claimed that Busfield inappropriately touched his teen daughter.
“While auditioning for [Busfield] at B Street Theatre, the 16-year-old reported that [Busfield] kissed her and put his hands down her pants and touched her privates,” the motion stated, adding that Busfield allegedly “begged the family to not report to law enforcement if he received therapy.” Swift, who is a “therapist himself,” thought this was “the best thing to do” at the time.
“The allegations were never challenged, they were never proved, and they’re 25 years old,” Stein said in a statement to People. “And there doesn’t seem to be any connection between these allegations regarding women 25 years ago and the allegations regarding these young boys.”
