EXCLUSIVE: Timothy Busfield Investigators Turn to Blind Item Reports Dating Back to 2012 as Evidence in Sexual Misconduct Case

Investigators have collected ancient blind items as evidence against Timothy Busfield, RadarOnline.com can reveal.

Throughout his career, Busfield became a source of speculation as rumors swirled accusing him of on-set misconduct across multiple productions. However, he was not formally charged with criminal conduct until 2026, when he was accused of inappropriately touching two child actors on the set of The Cleaning Lady.

Tabloids and blogs picked up on the earlier claims dating back decades, releasing a series of blind items insinuating Busfield was the culprit of various incidents. Radar obtained the select posts police have deemed evidence in the case, including one involving Jennifer Love Hewitt, with celebrity gossipers indicating his alleged behavior has been an open secret in the industry.

A blind item from 2018 claimed to come from a "former A+ list tweener," who was not directly identified. The post, however, was tagged The Fosters and Timothy Busfield.

The blind item post provided quotes purportedly directly from the source, who said, "The network brass at this huge family of networks is complicit in allowing predators to continue to work for their company, many times after they are exposed. On my last series, I personally witnessed the producers and show runners fondle, kiss, hug, and even force male actors to sit on their lap. One of the kids on the show was just 12 years old. What I saw shocked me to my core and honestly wouldn't be surprised if my decision not to play the game had something to do with me being fired."

The former tween star described the environment as "the most uncomfortable, unprofessional, sadistic, agenda-driven set." He further claimed the showrunners and studio heads "seemingly conditioned everyone on the set to become accustomed to this inappropriate behavior."

The star compared his prior experiences in the industry when he was a teen actor. He admitted that during The Fosters, he was not a teen star, merely witnessing alleged behavior toward his younger co-stars. However, his prior experience on a TV set, when he was underage, primed him to recognize "grooming of young talent and physical contact between older men and young actors" at his next job.

In addition to misconduct with children, he claimed the show's director was "using drugs" with two adult castmates while on set. "They made me promise to stay quiet. And it was definitely one of the worst experiences of my life," he added.

Fears of blacklisting were rampant among the crew, he claimed. The star alleged, "No working professional wants to risk losing their source of income." He added, "Tutors who speak out on set are fired. The people who are responsible for looking out for the welfare of minors on set are very complicit in allowing the behavior to continue."

Another blind item, dated July 4, 2012, tagged Hewitt and Busfield directly. The post claimed when the actors starred in the 1994 ABC drama series The Byrds of Paradise, Busfield was kept away from Hewitt out of fear he might act inappropriately toward her.

The poster, Ent Lawyer, described Hewitt at the time as "still a teen but very developed for her age." They further claimed, "Apparently our actress never noticed what was going on, but other members of the crew did and would not let the actor anywhere near the actress. They caught him always looking at her and making comments about her and were really scared he would try something if he managed to get her alone."

Busfield allegedly "would try to do everything he could to spend time with the actress alone." The crew's alleged efforts to keep him away were described as a "24-hour-a-day operation."

In 2017, the same poster doubled down on their claims, penning on X, "I had a Timothy Busfield reveal years ago. Everyone knows. No one does anything."

In another post titled "Not Another Chance," an industry insider seemed to reference the prior Hewitt allegations, expressing concerns about giving Busfield another opportunity in the industry.

After recapping the allegations, the 2019 blind item said, "It appears he is going to get a chance at network television with a show which will have numerous child actors and actresses on set on a daily basis.

"I hope the producers think this through carefully and realize they don’t need him in front of or behind the camera."

Hewitt has not made public comment about the longstanding claims.

Police also collected posts from X dating back to 2017 in which one person claimed Busfield "has a documented record of sexually abusing minors and women."

The person, named Dana, claimed to be a victim of Busfield, adding, "So thankful to finally be heard."

Particularly, they were upset by Melissa Glibert's engagement to Busfield, claiming in another post identified by police, "Melissa is aware of every one of (the accusations against Busfield). She's known from before she said I do. He was my predator."

While not every post from the account was identified as evidence in the case, the same account made frequent allegations against Busfield, claiming they attempted to report his behavior.

In response to a since-deleted critic, the individual said, "How would there be evidence? Shall I post his 'dumbfounded' emails which he bombarded me with after the incident? To whom should I go to right this wrong which he has done to me and others?"

Investigators collected copies of news reports as evidence, too, including one from the Orlando Sentinel from 1994. The story referenced a lawsuit levied against Busfield at the time by an extra on the movie Little Big League. The accuser claimed she was 17 when Busfield allegedly sexually assaulted her.

In response, Busfield denied the allegations and filed a countersuit against the woman's lawyers, accusing them of extortion and defamation.

During a grand jury hearing for his recent charges, Busfield testified about the prior lawsuit. He insisted the prior case was extortion, claiming he settled the case "for pennies to the what they asked for" and allegedly accepted a "gag order."

As per audio obtained by Radar, he told the grand jury, "It did not interrupt my career, and it did not stop people from putting me in a position of power, and it has never been a thing."

Following the grand jury hearing, Busfield was indicted on four felony counts of criminal sexual contact with a child under 13 in New Mexico. He pleaded not guilty and denied all allegations against him.

Busfield asked the judge to dismiss the case, claiming there was a lack of evidence. The judge is set to make a decision by October 16.