After it was announced that an arrest warrant had been issued by the Albuquerque Police Department for Timothy Busfield due to child abuse allegations, observers have begun to see his defense strategy materialize. A court filing submitted on behalf of the actor revealed that some well-known figures have gone on the record supporting him.
Several Celebrities Wrote Letters to the Court Advocating for Timothy Busfield
Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images
On January 16th, 2026, Deadline released a document that was filed with the Second Judicial District Court of the State of New Mexico on Timothy Busfield’s behalf. That document outlined the defense’s arguments for why Busfield shouldn’t be forced to stay behind bars before and during his trial on child abuse charges. A CBC article about the pretrial legal filings states that prosecutors have argued that Busfield should remain in custody due to an alleged pattern of exhibiting grooming behavior, abusing his authority, and committing sexual misconduct. In contrast, the document outlines 75 letters, submitted on the defendant’s behalf, which the legal filing describes as a whole this way:
“The Court is presented with an exceptional body of affirmative evidence directly bearing on the Rule 5-409 inquiry: seventy-five letters from colleagues, educators, parents, neighbors, and family who have known Mr. Busfield for years — and in many instances for decades. See Defendant’s Exhibit W (Community Letters of Support). These submissions are not generalized testimonials. They recount specific, first-hand observations of how Mr. Busfield conducts himself around children, how he operates within tightly regulated film-set environments, and how he responds to rules, supervision, and professional boundaries. This collective evidence bears directly on the questions before the Court: whether Mr. Busfield poses a future danger and whether any conditions of release could reasonably mitigate risk.”
In addition to releasing the document, Deadline published an article that, in part, detailed the letters that were written for Busfield. The outlet states that at least three of Busfield’s former Thirtysomething co-stars, Ken Olin, Peter Horton, and Patricia Wettig Olin, wrote letters expressing that they believe Busfield would never harm a child. The outlet quoted what Ken Olin wrote, which can be read below, and wrote that Horton and Patricia Wettig Olin “offered similar sentiments.”
“Timothy is my friend, so no doubt I’m biased. But I know him well, through many years and many changing life circumstances, and he has always been a man who cares about other people – old and young. And I know in the very bottom of my heart that Timothy would never do anything to cruelly exploit or harm anyone, let alone a child.”
Three other public figures each wrote a letter to the court, which Deadline described as “extolling Busfield’s virtues.” Those people are Patty Duke’s son MacKenzie Astin, Glory director Edward Zwick, and Busfield’s wife, actress Melissa Gilbert. The exact nature of what those three wrote about is unknown, but Gilbert previously released a statement in which she expressed that she was continuing to “support” Busfield. Deadline also reported that more actors wrote letters, but they didn’t reveal any other names.
Timothy Busfield is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available 24 hours a day through RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673.
