Fox News Flash top entertainment headlines Jan. 12
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Days after authorities in New Mexico issued an arrest warrant for "Thirtysomething" alum Timothy Busfield on child sex abuse charges, the 68-year-old actor has turned himself into police.
"Timothy Busfield has turned himself in at the Metro Detention Center," Gilbert Gallegos, director of communications for the Albuquerque Police Department, told Fox News Digital. "He will be booked on his warrant."
In a video, obtained by TMZ, Busfield denied the accusations against him.
"Hi everybody, it's Tim. I'm sure most of you know, that are watching this, that I was ordered to come to Albuquerque – I'm here now," he said. "I got the call Friday night, I had to get a lawyer. Saturday I got in the car, drove 2,000 miles to Albuquerque. I'm gonna confront these lies. They're horrible."
"They're all lies and I did not do anything to those little boys and I'm gonna fight it," he continued. "I'm gonna fight it with a great team, and I'm gonna be exonerated, I know I am, because this is all so wrong and all lies."
On Jan. 9, an arrest warrant for Timothy Busfield was issued for child abuse charges. (Noam Galai/Getty Images)
"So hang in there, and hopefully I'm out real soon and back to work," he concluded. "I love everybody for supporting me, thank you."
On Monday, the U.S. Marshals stepped in, taking over efforts to locate and apprehend the actor.
"Albuquerque Police Department is working with the U.S. Marshal Service to get Mr. Busfield into custody," APD spokesperson Gilbert Gallegos told Fox News Digital on Tuesday of the DOJ’s primary agency for fugitive investigations.
Melissa Gilbert's rep told Fox News Digital that the actress will continue to support her husband. (Photo by Bruce Glikas/Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic)
On Jan. 9, an arrest warrant for the director and Emmy Award-winning actor, obtained by Fox News Digital, was issued.
An investigator with the Albuquerque Police Department filed a criminal complaint in support of the charge, which says a child reported that Busfield touched him inappropriately.
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The alleged acts — which allegedly happened when the child was 7 years old — occurred on the set of "The Cleaning Lady," a TV series Busfield directed and acted in. Busfield allegedly touched the child three or four times, and again, another five or six times when the child was 8.
An investigation into the allegations against Busfield began in November 2024. (Steven Ferdman/Getty Images)
"The health and safety of our cast and crew is always our top priority, especially the safety of minors on our productions," a representative from Warner Bros. Television told Fox News Digital in a statement. "We take all allegations of misconduct very seriously and have systems in place to promptly and thoroughly investigate, and when needed, take appropriate action. We are aware of the current charges against Mr. Busfield and have been and will continue to cooperate with law enforcement."
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The police investigation into the allegations against Busfield began on Nov. 1, 2024, after a doctor at the University of New Mexico Hospital alerted officers about a case of alleged sexual abuse.
Melissa Gilbert and Timothy Busfield married in 2013. (Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)
Busfield's wife, "Little House on the Prairie" actress Melissa Gilbert, reportedly deleted her Instagram account after the arrest warrant was issued.
Gilbert's representative told Fox News Digital that the actress will continue to support her husband and will address the public at the appropriate time.
"Melissa Gilbert is not making public statements at this time. Any purported ‘statements’ circulating online — including AI-generated deepfakes of her ‘breaking her silence’ — should not be treated as coming from her," her representative said. "She is honoring the request of Tim’s lawyers not to speak publicly while the legal process unfolds. During this period, her focus is on supporting and caring for their very large family, as they navigate this moment. Melissa stands with and supports her husband and will address the public at an appropriate time. We ask that their privacy be respected."
Gilbert and Busfield married in 2013.
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