Julia Roberts' Sister-in-Law Exposes Timothy Busfield as a Graphic Sexual Predator in Bombshell Court Files

The long-standing tensions within Julia Roberts' family have taken a dark and public turn. Newly surfaced legal testimony offers a candid look into the private friction that has long haunted the Oscar winner's inner circle. These unsettling accounts suggest the Hollywood star's domestic life was far more fractured than the public ever realised.

According to a deposition obtained by the Daily Mail, Julia Roberts' sister-in-law characterised Timothy Busfield as a 'creep' during a formal court statement. She alleged he 'harassed and humiliated' her sexually, comparing his actions to those of a rapist who 'compulsively' and 'indiscriminately' preys on women.

Eliza Roberts stepped forward to give her statement in 1994, a time when Busfield was already under fire for his conduct. As the Daily Mail can exclusively reveal through these court papers, her testimony arrived just as a 17-year-old girl accused the actor of sexual harassment on the Little Big League set. Busfield, however, has always stood by his denial of those claims.

Crude Propositions and Personal Insults

The stinging deposition reveals Roberts' account of an interaction with Busfield, a man she says she hardly knew at the time. Five years after the alleged event, she described how he made crude sexual propositions and claimed he would be 'so great in bed' for her. The filing further notes that he insulted his wife's sexual performance in an attempt to solicit Roberts.

At the time of the alleged encounter, the actor—now married to Melissa Gilbert—was still in his first marriage. Court records obtained by the Daily Mail show that Roberts joined a group of six other women who submitted formal testimonies to back the Minnesota teen's story. These newly surfaced papers provide a comprehensive look at the statements coordinated in support of the original allegations.

A Pattern of Persistent Pursuit

Among the six individuals who came forward, three were part of the Little Big League crew during its 1993 autumn shoot in Minneapolis. Their accounts were supplemented by two local women who described unnerving encounters at bars. They testified that Busfield's approach was not only persistent but aggressively sexual and deeply unsettling.

The veteran actor is once again facing public scrutiny, this time over claims of misconduct involving two young boys during the production of the Fox series in New Mexico. Following his surrender to authorities in Albuquerque on 9 January, Busfield spent eleven days in jail before his release. Despite his firm stance that the allegations are fabricated, he is due back in court this week, on 4 February, to face the charges.

Deep-Rooted Family Ties

The latest claims against Busfield have cast a long shadow back to earlier grievances, with sources telling the Daily Mail that the news prompted Roberts to come forward. Her place in the industry is deeply rooted: she is the wife of Eric Roberts, the acclaimed actor and Julia's brother, and the stepmother of American Horror Story star Emma Roberts.

In a deposition from 1994, Roberts—who was 41 at the time—told legal counsel that she felt compelled to speak after seeing a newspaper article about Busfield. She described her disbelief upon reading that a teenager had accused him of 'lewd and harassing behaviour,' telling attorneys that the report was shocking because it described exactly what had happened to her.

Regret Over Previous Silence

Roberts was speaking of a case where a teenager accused Busfield of inviting her to his trailer during production, offering her drinks and making propositions. During her deposition, Roberts expressed disappointment in herself for failing to pursue the matter more forcefully after her alleged interaction with the actor years earlier.

The potential for a media frenzy weighed heavily on her decision to stay quiet, as she admitted a fear that such scandals could 'mushroom and get very big.' Roberts explained that she was protective of her domestic life, stating a desire to avoid anything that might pull her 'away from my kids and my husband and my own work.'

Standing in Solidarity with Other Women

Initially, Roberts admitted to lawyers that she viewed her experience with Busfield as 'an isolated incident.' However, the news report shifted her perspective, sparking a sense of indignation when she saw other accusers being dismissed as 'liars.' She felt compelled to speak out, concluding that the actor's patterns of behaviour had become a burden for others to bear and that his denials should no longer be accepted at face value.

The actress and casting director recalled a chance encounter at a children's bookshop in Santa Monica. Having met Busfield only briefly during previous castings, she found him approachable, as they initially bonded over their children. However, Roberts testified that the conversation took an abrupt turn; the 'concerned father-type' persona quickly vanished as he began discussing intimate topics like passion and divorce before directing personal compliments toward her.

An Unsettling Confrontation

The testimony details Roberts' attempt to end the conversation as it became inappropriately intimate. After thanking him for his interest and attempting to leave, she made her way to her car. The relief of being alone was short-lived, however, as she turned to pull out of her parking space and discovered him peering through the glass, having followed her from the shop.

The details of the 1994 deposition are notably explicit. Roberts testified that Busfield's language became 'very graphic', alleging he made crude inquiries about her sexual preferences and expressed a desire to perform specific sexual acts. She recalled feeling 'shocked' and 'very upset' by the persistence of his advances, noting that he even followed her several blocks to a car wash to continue the harassment.

Roberts explained that she chose to come forward to support other victims who were being dismissed as 'liars'. Comparing his alleged behaviour to the 'compulsion' of a predator, she argued that Busfield should not be believed because his actions had become 'other peoples' problem.' This conviction was so strong that she and her husband, Eric, later blocked Busfield from being cast in a film alongside him, with Eliza stating, 'The second I saw his name I said, "Eric, that's the guy who harassed me."'

A History of Quiet Settlements

The 1994 case was eventually settled out of court in July 1995 for an undisclosed sum. However, other disturbing claims have since come to light:

• 2001: A 16-year-old in Sacramento accused him of groping her. Court papers suggest Busfield begged the family not to involve the police in exchange for his seeking therapy.
• 2012: Another woman alleged he groped her in a cinema, though Busfield maintained this was consensual.

The Modern Legal Fallout

The current charges in New Mexico involving two young boys have devastated Busfield's career. His lawyer, Amber Fayerberg, argued in court that the actor has already been 'cancelled' and his 'life is ruined', suggesting the accusers' parents are 'scammers' seeking revenge.

On 20 January 2026, Judge David A. Murphy granted Busfield bail, noting the evidence was 'neutral' and that his lack of a criminal record worked in his favour. While his current lawyer, Larry Stein, dismisses the 25-year-old allegations as 'unproven and irrelevant', Eliza Roberts remains resolute. In a fresh statement to the Daily Mail, she affirmed: 'I stand by everything I said then... it was true then, and it is true now.'