“Criminal”: Timothy Busfield’s Lawyer Blasts Abuse Claims as Melissa Gilbert’s ABC Tell-All Airs!

Timothy Busfield’s chief attorney unleashed a scathing attack on the parents of the child actors from The Cleaning Lady, who have accused the Emmy-winning actor of sexual abuse.

“George’s efforts to shed light on some crucial details in this matter are truly appreciated,” Larry Stein commented to Deadline after he and Busfield’s wife, Melissa Gilbert, were interviewed by George Stephanopoulos on Good Morning America earlier today.

Stein continued, “We’re hopeful that the rest of tonight’s Nightline segment will reveal the true nature of these parents, highlighting their criminal backgrounds: one served over three years in prison and was disbarred for swindling 1,500 people out of $6,000,000, while the other has been convicted for check fraud and auto theft.”

ABC News has chosen not to disclose the contents of the extended interview segments that will be shown later tonight.

Sources indicate that the Nightline interview will not focus extensively on the criminal histories of SL-R and VL-R’s parents, Angele Lasalle and Ronald Rodis. Stein’s pointed remarks and suggestions of extortion have previously surfaced in legal documents related to this distressing case.

During the GMA interview, Stephanopoulos noted that Busfield’s legal team has consistently argued that the parents of the twin boys harbored a vendetta against the thirtysomething star and seasoned director after their sons were replaced on the Élodie Yung-led series.

On Little House on the Prairie, Gilbert remarked to Stephanopoulos, “This ordeal has been utterly devastating. Our previous life is shattered. We mourn our former existence, our future plans, our dreams, our ideas, our projects. For Tim, it’s over. He’s been ostracized. Even with exoneration, his reputation will forever be tarnished. He’s the last person who would harm a child.”

The parents of the boys are listed among the many witnesses by the office of Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman, who is campaigning for governor of New Mexico. The list also includes several others who allege sexual abuse or harassment by Busfield over the years.

On January 9, Busfield faced charges of criminal sexual contact with a minor and child abuse related to alleged incidents with the two boys on the New Mexico set of the Fox/Warner Bros TV series. Busfield directed multiple episodes of The Cleaning Lady throughout its four-season run from 2022 to 2025.

After surrendering to authorities and being detained, Busfield was held without bond at the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center. He made a brief virtual appearance in Judge Felicia Blea-Rivera’s court on January 14. That same day, as exclusively reported by Deadline, Busfield was dropped by his long-time agency, Innovative Artists.

On January 20, despite the defense branding the boys’ parents as “swindlers” in court, Judge David Murphy declined the DA’s request to keep Busfield incarcerated, ordering his release instead.

While Judge Murphy did not impose travel restrictions on Busfield, he did mandate that the accused have no unsupervised contact with any minors involved in the case, avoid any interaction with the alleged victims or their families, and refrain from discussing the case with any witnesses. Gilbert, alongside Stein, was present in the courtroom to support her husband on that day.

The next significant date in the Busfield case, which resulted in an indictment on February 6, will be a pre-trial conference scheduled for April 22. A trial is set for May 2027, as determined earlier this year.