The West Wing star Timothy Busfield is being digitally removed from a forthcoming rom-com movie starring Penn Badgley and Meghann Fahy following allegations of abuse.
Busfield found fame playing Arnold Poindexter in the Revenge of the Nerds movies in the mid-1980s. The actor enjoyed further success as a lead in the hit ABC drama Thirtysomething, followed by a recurring role on The West Wing.
He has also landed film roles in the likes of Field of Dreams, Sneakers, and Quiz Show, and more recently focused on TV directing.
But Busfield is being removed from a forthcoming Amazon-MGM rom-com in which he appears, due to allegations from the set of a TV series he helmed in 2022.
Why is Timothy Busfield being removed from You Deserve Each Other?
Timothy Busfield is being digitally removed from rom-com You Deserve Each Other due to accusations that he groped a seven-year-old boy on the set of TV series The Cleaning Lady.
Based on Sarah Hogle’s novel of the same name, You Deserve Each Other is directed by Marc Silverstein and Abby Kohn, and stars Penn Badgley and Meghann Fahy as a couple who have fallen out of love with each other on the eve of their marriage.
The film is the second project to be affected by the allegations, with a January 22 episode of Law & Order: SVU pulled from NBC’s schedule because it featured the actor.
Sexual abuse allegations explained
On January 9, 2026, a warrant for Timothy Busfield’s arrest was issued on two counts of sexual abuse involving a minor.
According to Variety, “The investigation stems from twin boys who appeared on TV series The Cleaning Lady in 2022,” when Busfield was directing.
On January 13, he turned himself into authorities in Alburquerque, while denying the accusations, stating (as per Deadline): “I did not do anything to those little boys.” His opposition filing also featured letters of support from friends and co-stars that extol his virtues.
Busfield has a court hearing today – Tuesday, 20 January – where he will face two counts of criminal contact with a child (which carry a maximum sentence of six years each), and one count of child abuse (which carries a maximum of three years).
Mind-boggling crossplay mod lets Minecraft and Hytale fans play together