'I'm Going to Fight It': Timothy Busfield Denies Child Abuse Claims Calling Allegations 'All Lies'
Timothy Busfield vowed to fight child abuse charges as his legal team challenged the evidence in court filings.
Jan. 18 2026, Published 4:15 p.m. ET
Timothy Busfield, 68, strongly denied allegations of child sexual abuse after being arrested in New Mexico on January 13, RadarOnline.com can report.
The Emmy-winning actor and director faces two counts of criminal sexual contact with a minor and one count of child abuse related to incidents on the set of The Cleaning Lady.
'All Lies'
Timothy Busfield denied allegations of child sexual abuse following his arrest in New Mexico.
From jail, Busfield addressed the accusations in a video from TMZ, saying, "I'm going to confront these lies. They're horrible. They're all lies, and I did not do anything to those little boys," he said.
"I'm going to fight it," he continued. "I'm going to fight it with a great team, and I'm going to be exonerated. I know I am because this is all so wrong and all lies."
His attorney, Larry Stein, also released a statement, per Us Weekly: "Tim Busfield denies the allegations in the criminal complaint and maintains they are completely false."
"As a voluntary step, he submitted to an independent polygraph examination regarding those allegations and passed," he added.
'My Love, My Rock'
Busfield rejected the claims against him and vowed to contest the charges through the legal process.
Busfield's wife, Melissa Gilbert, also submitted a heartfelt letter urging the judge to keep him safe while awaiting trial.
"The reality is that Tim Busfield is my love, my rock, my partner in business and life," she said her husband in the legal document, according to People.
"He is my comfort and my council. His joy, humor, and quick wit bring sparkle to my life. Tim is, quite simply, the beating heart of our wild and wonderful extended family," she went on.
She also said that Busfield has "the strongest moral compass of any human I have ever known. He has dedicated his spiritual self to always being of service to others. He starts every day with kindness and compassion."
'Favorite Director Ever'
His attorneys argued the accusations were unsupported by reliable evidence in court filings.
Gilbert continued, saying that on "every single set where Tim is working," "multiple people" have told her he is "their favorite director ever."
"Actually, people say that to me in restaurants, on red carpets, and in grocery stores too," she revealed.
"His former students tell me he was their favorite teacher ever. I cannot tell you how it has warmed my heart over and over again to hear people, from so many different walks of life, tell me they encountered my husband in some way and he is their favorite. He is my favorite," Gilbert added.
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Busfield addressed the allegations from jail.
On January 16, Busfield's legal team filed a new motion opposing the state's request for pretrial detention.
In court documents obtained by Us Weekly, his attorneys criticized the motion as being "based on a story that has already collapsed under independent scrutiny."
"The state offers no reliable proof," the legal documents read before claiming that what exists are "only allegations advanced by witnesses with documented histories of fraud and financial exploitation."
Busfield also claimed the accusations are "contradicted by a comprehensive studio investigation" as well as "refuted by witnesses and objective risk assessments," according to his attorneys' filing.
