Timothy Busfield‘s role in Penn Badgley and Meghann Fahy‘s upcoming rom-com has been affected following his arrest on charges of child sex abuse.
Multiple outlets confirmed that Busfield, 68, is being edited out of the movie You Deserve Each Other in the wake of his legal troubles. This comes after NBC shelved an episode of Law & Order: SVU, which featured Busfield in a guest star role as a judge.
News broke earlier this month that an arrest warrant was issued for Busfield with charges including two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and child abuse. The warrant, obtained by Us Weekly, accuses Busfield of inappropriate behavior toward a child actor on the set of Fox’s The Cleaning Lady after directing several episodes.
According to legal documents, the child was 7 years old when he worked with Busfield on the since-canceled series. Busfield allegedly touched the child several times, and the young actor was “very afraid of Tim and was relieved when he was off set.”
Penn Badgley and Meghann Fahy will bring Sarah Hogle’s bestselling romance novel You Deserve Each Other to life on the big screen. Hogle’s debut novel, You Deserve Each Other, was published in April 2020. The lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers romance follows Naomi Westfield and Nicholas “Nick” Rose in the lead-up to their wedding. The catch? Neither wants to […]
The boy was “afraid to tell anyone because Tim was the director, and he feared Tim would get mad at him,” according to the filed paperwork.
The Albuquerque Police Department spoke with Busfield in November 2025 as part of their investigation into the claims. At the time, Busfield denied having any “physical contact” with the boy — or his twin brother, who also worked on The Cleaning Lady.
“Timothy said it was a playful environment,” the warrant noted.
Busfield went on to tell authorities that he and his wife, actress Melissa Gilbert, “did have a relationship” with the kids and their family. He claimed that their bond “outside of work” meant physical contact would have been “in front of the parents” and “there would never be a weird moment about it.”
“I don’t really remember picking those boys up,” he told the authorities. “I don’t remember those boys. 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.”
Actor and director Timothy Busfield is facing charges of sexual abuse involving a minor after he was accused of misconduct with a child actor on the set of The Cleaning Lady. Busfield — who executive-produced 14 episodes of the Fox series and directed six, as well as a one-episode appearance as an immigration officer — […]
Busfield ultimately turned himself in to the authorities but has continued to maintain his innocence.
“I’m going to confront these lies. They’re horrible. They’re all lies, and I did not do anything to those little boys,” Busfield claimed in a video shared with TMZ earlier this month. “I’m going to fight it. 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.”
Busfield appeared in a New Mexico court on Wednesday, January 14, where he was seen wearing an orange jumpsuit. He did not enter a plea. According to the Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office, Busfield could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted.
If you or someone you know is experiencing child abuse, call or text Child Help Hotline at 1-800-422-4453.
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2026-01-20 15:09:34