Timothy Busfield Hit With Another Career Fallout Amid Child Sex Abuse Case

Timothy Busfield's career is getting tainted by the day, no thanks to his ongoing sexual abuse case.

The actor has recently been recast on another hit TV show, as most industry projects want no affiliation with the alleged child sex abuser. The case kicked off after he was accused of abusing two minor boys on set, which he strongly denies.

As industry members, producers, and fans turn their backs against Timothy Busfield, one person who continues to stand by his side, stressing his innocence, is his wife of over a decade, Melissa Gilbert. She continues to show full support for her husband, both online via social media and in real time at the courts.

As the child sex abuse charges continue to make waves, Busfield finds himself losing career deals. Joining the list of his recent role changes is his character on an episode of "Law and Order: Special Victims Unit," replacing him would now be actor David Zayas, as per Deadline. 

Busfield has not been a part of the long-running series from the beginning, but was to appear as a guest star on an episode titled "Corrosive," which is set to air on the 26th of this month. NBC also previously pulled an episode featuring the actor after a warrant was issued for his arrest. 

In the episode, a murder attempt on a judge's life is connected to an anonymous video shared to the SVU tip line. Rollins, played by Kelli Giddish, then tries to help a victim come to terms with their abuse.

The decision to take Busfield off the project, replacing him with Zayas, declares a stance highlighting the core values of the long-running show,  which stresses the pursuit of justice for survivors of sexually based offenses.

The two youngsters, reportedly 7 or 8 years old at the time, accused the TV star of sexually abusing them on the set of Fox's New Mexico-filmed series "The Cleaning Lady" in 2022.

The Daily Mail reports that Busfield was arrested by the Albuquerque police on January 9 and detained until January 20. While in prison, he insisted the allegations were false. His next court date was scheduled for February 4.

Busfield had a hearing last week where his legal counsel, Amber Fayerberg, claimed that the parents of the minors who laid out the accusations were out for revenge, as their claims came only after their boys had lost their roles on the show. She referred to them as "scammers," calling them out confidently.

Fayerberg stated that the LaSalle/Rodis family has already gotten their revenge, as her client's name and good image have been tarnished. His talent agency dropped him, and the allegations spread like wildfire.

In the same regard, she requests that the court restore his liberty and that he no longer be detained. The presiding judge granted his attorneys' request on the basis that the actor's freedom poses no form of public risk.

The judge also noted that Busfield holds a clean criminal record. He said that he will characterize the weight of the evidence presented against the defendant as neutral at that time.

Busfield's wife was overwhelmed with emotion after it was announced that he would be going home during the four-hour-long court hearing.

Busfield's fallout in the industry extends to an upcoming Amazon rom-com project. The movie titled "You Deserve Each Other," also starring Meghann Fahy and Penn Badgley, has now been edited, wiping out Busfield's parts.

The 68-year-old was announced in July last year to play the role of Fahy's father, and now that has been washed down the drain in light of his sexual abuse case.

His character is confirmed to be entirely out of the film, and although filming has ended, there is no set release date for the show to air.

As The Blast reported, Busfield is not only losing character roles but was also officially dropped from Innovative Artists, his long-time talent agency, days after the scandal came to light.

Busfield and Gilbert have been married since 2013, and she is supporting him through this rough patch. The "Little House on the Prairie" star showed up to his last court hearing, filled with emotion, hoping for his release.

Before the hearing, Gilbert put in her two cents along with some of Busfield's former co-stars. They wrote letters of support for him, and she wrote a declaration pleading with the judge to protect her husband while in custody.

"I know Tim better and more intimately than anything in his life ever has; he has the strongest moral compass of any human I have ever known," her statement read.

The Blast reported that she also posted on Instagram through her Modern Prairie production company, where she addressed her husband's arrest and thanked fans who have been a beacon of support for their family. 

The mom of two also recounted some positives she drew from the situation and lessons she had learned, which included prioritizing taking things slow and maintaining privacy.

While the actor directed his energy toward discrediting the narrative put forward by his accusers and airing their dirty laundry to establish a motive, Warner Bros. stepped up to carry out its own investigations.

The company conducted an internal review of the complaints via a private investigator. They also extended grace to Busfield, contacting him directly regarding the allegations to aid the investigation.

It was reported that the investigator, Christina McGovern, returned with no ill words about the director. McGovern stated in the findings that  there was "no corroborating evidence that Mr. Busfield engaged in inappropriate conduct or that he was ever alone with the twins on set."

The company affirmed that it holds the safety of its cast and crew in the highest regard and is willing to cooperate with the authorities in due time.