Director and actor Timothy Busfield and defense attorney Christopher Allen Dodd (R) attend a hearing in the Second District Judicial Court at the Bernalillo County Courthouse on January 20, 2026 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Sam Wasson/Getty Images Share on Facebook Share on X Google Preferred Share to Flipboard Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Send an Email Print the Article Post a Comment Logo text New Mexico prosecutors have made headlines with allegations of child sexual abuse against actor and director Timothy Busfield. But he's not the only one defending himself. They've also accused Warner Bros. Television of botching an earlier internal company investigation into the actor and impeding their own criminal probe. Busfield is battling charges he inappropriately touched child actors while he directed the Fox series The Cleaning Lady, produced by WB TV. According to state officials, the studio's third-party probe - prompted by an anonymous tip to the SAG-AFTRA hotline - was mishandled: Key witnesses weren't interviewed and no one involved with it ever publicly reported the allegations. Moreover, prosecutors say, it's hindered law enforcement's own inquiry, particularly by slow walking the handover of documentation. Related Stories News Timothy Busfield to Be Released While Awaiting Trial Movies Timothy Busfield Edited Out of Amazon MGM Rom-Com 'You Deserve Each Other' Amid Child Sex Abuse Allegations "The delayed and limited cooperation by Warner Bros. in responding to a search warrant further underscores the institutional barriers that have historically enabled this type of misconduct to continue," a Jan. 14 filing in the case stated. Whatever the ultimate verdict in the Busfield case, the episode provides a rare window into the challenges and risks of the so-called third-party investigation, a common yet largely misunderstood practice for major Hollywood firms facing explosive allegations, public or otherwise. Especially in the wake of the #MeToo movement, it's become almost second nature for companies to commission outside investigators to probe some of their most sensitive issues. Meanwhile, for many law firms, including those routinely entrusted with Hollywood's business, this corporate detective work is a popular and lucrative practice area. But as the Busfield case illustrates, even though an outside investigator may seem independent, their findings can be treated with skepticism by critics who often believe these probes are empty exercises in fact-finding whose fundamental purpose is shielding the companies paying for them - and they are not wrong. "These investigations are typically being done to insulate the company from potential liability," says Douglas Wigdor, a litigator who has handled prominent sexual harassment and abuse cases, like Cassie Ventura's civil suit against Sean Combs. Warner Bros. declined to comment. The law firm that conducted the third-party investigation on behalf of Warners, Solomon Law, did not return a request for comment. The motivations for companies to hire an outside investigator vary. One common reason is that those accused of misconduct - for instance, a C-suite executive - rank higher in the organization than the human resources or legal personnel who might otherwise tackle the inquiry. A company simply might not have the resources or the time to conduct an investigation themselves. Or they may prefer an outside investigator for reasons of perception or subject matter and skills (nobody inside the firm may be an expert on, say, insider trading). There are also legal issues at play: If the matter ends up in litigation, the company can demonstrate through its investigation that it did its due diligence. Take Cravath, Swaine & Moore's investigation a few years ago into Chris Cuomo's time at CNN, a probe that preceded Cuomo being fired. Cuomo subsequently retained lawyer Bryan Freedman to file a $125 million wrongful termination suit that landed in arbitration. And once companies are on notice of alleged sexual assault, they're obligated to take reasonable steps to prevent further misconduct in order to avail themselves of certain defenses in civil cases. Court documents and statements issued by New Mexico prosecutors show WB's report on Busfield found no misconduct and undermined allegations that he engaged in sexual abuse. According to an affidavit, WB's law firm suggested that allegations were a form of vengeance by the boys' mother against Busfield after their roles were recast for the fourth season. Among the main findings in the studio-commissioned report: Elodie Yung, the series' lead actress, said "she was shocked" when the accusers' mother told her "that she would get revenge against Tim Busfield." This aligns with what Busfield told law enforcement when he was interviewed. The finding, in part, turned on WB's assessment of the credibility of the victims' parents. It's been u