NBC has removed an upcoming episode of Law & Order: SVU from its schedule following sexual abuse allegations against guest star Timothy Busfield. The episode, titled "Corrosive," was set to air this Thursday but has been replaced by another new installment. Busfield faces charges related to incidents on the set of The Cleaning Lady in 2022.
An episode of Law & Order: SVU titled "Corrosive," scheduled to air on Thursday at 9 p.m. on NBC, has been pulled from the lineup, TVLine has confirmed. The decision comes as actor Timothy Busfield, who was set to guest-star, faces two counts of sexual abuse involving a minor. An arrest warrant for Busfield was issued on Friday.
The allegations stem from 2022, when Busfield was directing episodes of the Fox drama The Cleaning Lady. Twin boys, who were actors on the show aged seven and eight, claim Busfield touched them inappropriately on multiple occasions on set. Busfield, a veteran actor known for winning an Emmy for thirtysomething and roles in The West Wing and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, has not commented publicly on the charges.
In response to the warrant, producers Warner Bros. TV stated: "The health and safety of our cast and crew is always our top priority, especially the safety of minors on our productions. 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."
The pulled episode has been replaced by another new SVU installment, "Fidelis Ad Mortem," originally slated for January 22. This replacement episode, airing January 22 at 9/8c on NBC, focuses on the relationship between Sgt. Amanda Rollins (Kelli Giddish) and ADA Dominic "Sonny" Carisi Jr. (Peter Scanavino), known as "Rollisi." Giddish described it as starting with "a wonderful date night" that "doesn't end great," while Scanavino noted it begins "very lovely" before taking a "dramatic" turn. The hour also brings back Henry Mesner (Ethan Cutkosky), a character previously institutionalized after criminal acts including stalking Rollins and assaulting Carisi.
Rollins and Carisi, former NYPD partners, married in Season 24. Giddish exited the series then but returned as a regular for Season 27, with the episode highlighting their partnership: "You get to see how much they mean to each other," Giddish said.
