Update January 21, 2026, 5:00 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional reporting about Busfield’s court hearing.
A New Mexico judge ruled Tuesday that actor Timothy Busfield can be released on his own recognizance pending trial following his arrest last week on child sex abuse charges.
The decision came during an hours-long detention hearing, with Judge David Murphy citing Busfield’s lack of criminal history, compliance with the court order for his arrest, and the evidence in the case thus far.
The Case
The West Wing star, who is married to actress Melissa Gilbert, turned himself in to New Mexico authorities last Tuesday, days after a warrant was issued for his arrest. He is accused of engaging in unlawful sexual conduct with 11-year-old twin boys while directing the Fox show The Cleaning Lady in 2024. Court documents allege the abuse began in 2022 when the boys were 7 years old.
Busfield faces two counts of criminal misconduct against a minor — one for each child — according to a warrant issued on January 9 by the Albuquerque Police Department. U.S. Marshals joined in the hunt for the actor, who has been unaccounted for, last Tuesday, forcibly entering his home in upstate New York.
By that time, Busfield had made his way to New Mexico to surrender. In a video message his attorney shared with TMZ, the actor and director claimed he was innocent and said he had been MIA because he “had to get a lawyer” and “[get] in a car and drove 2,000 miles to Albuquerque.”
In a statement, Busfield’s legal team said their client “denies the allegations in the criminal complaint and maintains they are completely false.” They also said he voluntarily “submitted to an independent polygraph examination regarding those allegations” and passed it.
New Details
The bail hearing offered a look into how Busfield’s attorneys plan to defend him, and it included explosive claims about the parents of the children at the center of the case. They argued the parents have “extraordinarily checkered” pasts that suggest they are motivated by money and revenge.
In a court filing submitted last Friday, Busfield’s lawyers claimed the mother and father have “disturbing” histories of alleged fraud, scamming, and more. The father is described as “a former attorney who was convicted of federal conspiracy and wire fraud and was later disbarred following that prosecution for a multi-million-dollar scheme in which he used his law license to deceive vulnerable victims for profit.” He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
The children’s mother, meanwhile, is accused of having had multiple civil judgments entered against her related to fraudulent behavior.
Legal Analysis
Over the last two weeks, Megyn has been breaking down the accusations, the actor’s behavior, what is known about the alleged victims, and where the case goes from here. Keep scrolling for complete coverage and analysis.
Details About Alleged Victims’ Parents Raise New Questions
January 21, 2026: Megyn, Dave Aronberg, and Mike Davis, react to explosive new details about the parents of Busfield’s alleged victims, the way these questions complicate the case, how new audio of the alleged victims could affect the charges, and more.
The Growing List of Allegations
January 16, 2026: Maureen Callahan, host of MK Media’s The Nerve, joins Megyn to discuss troubling updates in the abuse allegations against Busfield, why the case reflects a broader pattern of disgusting misconduct in Hollywood, and more.
AI Tool Detects Deception in Busfield’s Comments Before Arrest
January 14, 2026: Megyn and Emily Jashinsky, host of MK Media’s After Party, react to the actor finally turning himself in, the AI tool that detected deception in Busfield’s video posted before the arrest, and more.
Breaking Down the Police Affidavit
January 12, 2026: Megyn and MK True Crime contributors Mark Geragos and Matt Murphy discuss the disturbing charges against Busfield, relevant past accusations, references to Gilbert in the affidavit, and more.
Megyn Unloads on ‘Hypocritical’ Melissa Gilbert
January 12, 2026: Megyn discusses Gilbert’s hypocrisy in attacking her over Jeffrey Epstein while knowing what her husband is being accused of, the way the media protected her, how foolish the press looks now, and more.
You can check out Megyn’s full analysis on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you like to listen. And don’t forget that you can catch The Megyn Kelly Show live on SiriusXM’s The Megyn Kelly Channel (channel 111) weekdays from 12pm to 2pm ET.