The parents of the two children accusing Timothy Busfield of sexual abuse are involved in an unrelated ongoing lawsuit over alleged injuries the dad suffered, Us Weekly can exclusively report.
On August 12, 2024, Ronald Rodis and Angele LaSalle filed a lawsuit against Southwest Executive Suites and various other defendants.
In the filing, the married couple said they rented a property in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Property records obtained by Us show the property in question is a two-bedroom, three-bathroom, 1,988-square-foot condo.
Rodis said he signed a short-term lease to rent the home from January 19, 2021, to February 20, 2021. He said he paid $4,300 per month in rent, a security deposit of $2,150 and a clean-out fee of $175.
The suit said Rodis was having dinner with LaSalle on February 11, 2021, along with their two sons at the condo.
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“They were all seated on dining chairs placed by defendants at the dining table,” the complaint said. “The dining table was a rectangular table and Rodis was seated on the north side of the table facing the south window with his back towards the living room area.”
Rodis said his two children were playing in the living room and one of the boys called out to Rodis. “In response, Rodis turned his upper body and his head to his right and backward, looking over his right shoulder, leaning onto the backrest of the dining chair,” the paperwork alleged.
“As he did, the dining chair collapsed, and Rodis fell backwards onto the tile floor. As a natural reaction, Rodis, who is right hand dominant, attempted to break his fall by extending his right arm out and backward.”
Rodis claimed he hit the floor “with all his weight bearing on his extended right arm.”
“At impact, Rodis also hit his tailbone and the right side of his head on the tile floor upon falling. Rodis was stunned and dazed and immediately went into a state of shock,” the suit alleged.
Rodis said LaSalle and their two children witnessed what happened and immediately came to his aid. He said they were in distress as he lay on the floor agonizing in pain. Rodis said he also spit out a chipped tooth after the incident and “felt sharp and excruciating pain in his right arm and shoulder, in his tailbone and lower back, and on his head and jaw.”
The lawsuit accuses the defendants of being negligent and not maintaining the property properly. The duo demanded unspecified damages.
In August 2025, Executive Suites filed a response to the lawsuit and denied all allegations of wrongdoing. The case is ongoing.
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Busfield surrendered to police on January 13 and was charged with two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse.
The case was brought after the parents of 11-year-old male twins, who worked with Busfield on the FOX series The Cleaning Lady in 2022, accused him of abuse. The investigation was launched in November 2024 after a doctor called police. Per a warrant, the parents claimed the kids said, “You mean like Uncle Tim?” when asked if anyone had ever touched them in a manner that made them feel uncomfortable.
Busfield adamantly denied the claims. The actor’s lawyer said his client passed a lie detector test and accused the parents of being out for revenge after the twins were cut from the final seasons of The Cleaning Lady.
“I conducted an independent and thorough investigation of all allegations known to the Studio at the time. Warner Bros. gave me full discretion as to my investigation. Based on what was alleged, and all evidence gathered, including multiple witness statements, I found no corroborating evidence that Mr. Busfield engaged in inappropriate conduct or that he was ever alone with the twins on set,” lawyer Christina McGovern told TMZ.
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On Tuesday, January 20, Busfield was released from jail until trial. The actor’s wife, Melissa Gilbert, has stood by his side since the scandal erupted and even wrote a letter to the judge praising his character.
In court documents, obtained by People, Busfield attacked the twins’ parents, claiming they had “disturbing” histories of alleged fraud.
The actor’s lawyer wrote, “The State offers no reliable proof — only allegations advanced by witnesses with documented histories of fraud and financial exploitation, contradicted by a comprehensive studio investigation, and refuted by witnesses and objective risk assessments.”
“Their allegations emerged only after the loss of the twins’ role — and only after consultation with civil counsel — creating an obvious financial and retaliatory motive,” the attorney continued.
“That motive must be evaluated against the couple’s well-documented history of fraud and dishonesty,” the filing states.
Busfield’s lawyer accused LaSalle of having “multiple civil judgments entered against her for fraudulent and dishonest behavior.”
