Julia Roberts’ Sister-In-Law Reveals The Timothy Busfield Encounter She Never Forgot

More than 30 years after an encounter she says changed the way she viewed a fellow actor, Eliza Roberts is speaking publicly for the first time. 

The actress and producer said she stayed silent for decades to shield her family from unwanted attention. 

However, after Timothy Busfield was indicted on child sex crime charges and publicly denied the allegations against him, Eliza said she could no longer remain quiet.

For years, Eliza says she had no interest in publicly discussing what she alleges happened between her and Timothy Busfield in 1989. 

Although she described the incident in a sworn deposition three decades ago, she deliberately stayed away from media interviews because she did not want the attention that came with accusing a well-known actor.

That changed after the actor was indicted on four counts of criminal sexual contact with a child in New Mexico. The charges stem from allegations involving underage male actors on the set of “The Cleaning Lady.” 

Speaking to the Daily Mail, Eliza said hearing Busfield dismiss the accusations against him convinced her that remaining silent was no longer the right decision.

“The reason I decided it’s time is because he is calling people liars who are telling the truth,” she said.

According to the “Twist of Fate” actress, the account she was now sharing publicly was the same one she recently gave detectives investigating the current criminal case.

Her allegations are not new. In 1994, Eliza gave a sworn deposition after Busfield was sued by a 17-year-old actor who accused him of sexual harassment during the production of “Little Big League.” That lawsuit was ultimately settled outside of court, and Busfield denied wrongdoing.

Busfield Conversation Allegedly Changed Without Warning

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Eliza Roberts says her encounter with Timothy Busfield began as an ordinary chance meeting. She recalled visiting the Children’s Book and Music Center in Santa Monica to buy books for her children when she unexpectedly ran into the 69-year-old.

“I stopped in there to get some books for my kids, and Tim was there, and it was nice to run into each other,” she shared.

The two spent time catching up, discussing their careers, children and family life. She described the conversation as pleasant before she says it unexpectedly shifted into deeply uncomfortable territory.

According to the casting director, Busfield allegedly began complimenting her before turning the discussion toward her marriage and sexual topics. Eliza decided to leave, believing the interaction had ended.

Instead, she claims Busfield followed her into the parking lot. She initially assumed he wanted to continue their conversation or say goodbye. What happened next, she says, caught her completely off guard.

“It was almost like a different person, and I was confused because I just didn’t understand where that came from,” the director recalled. “And he was in a world of his own. He looked like he was in the throes of a very intense moment that he was having that was all kind of at my expense.”

Her 1994 deposition alleges Busfield made graphic sexual remarks, including describing intimate acts he wanted to perform and criticizing the sexual aspect of his marriage to his then-wife.

Timothy Busfield Deposition Led To An Emotional Confrontation Years Later

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Years after giving her deposition, Eliza Roberts says Busfield contacted her directly. “He said, ‘Eliza, how could you do this to me? We’re friends,’” she recalled.

Rather than backing away from her testimony, Eliza explained that she challenged him over what she believed had happened.

In her words, “Yes, I thought we were friends, but do you remember what you did to me? It’s the same thing you did to her! She’s your kid’s age! What are you doing? You’re calling her a liar. Do you know how awful that is?”

According to the 73-year-old movie star, Busfield never apologized. Instead, he ended the conversation, and they never spoke again.

Her husband, actor Eric Roberts, said he stood behind her decision to testify because the allegations brought by the teenage actor reminded her of her own experience.

“She provided her statement because she saw what happened to her was happening to someone else,” he said.

Eric added that his wife was especially upset because, in his view, Busfield had accused the teenager of inventing the allegations.

“She was p-ssed off because [Busfield] had been accusing the girl of fabricating what happened to her,” he told the Daily Mail.

Reflecting on the broader allegations that have emerged over the years, Eric added, “We’re talking a period of over 40 years of these kinds of things happening. Shame on us.”

Busfield Allegations Resurfaced During An Unexpected Restaurant Encounter

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Although Eliza tried to move forward after the alleged incident, she says the emotional impact never completely disappeared.

She recalled dining with her mother and sister at one of her favorite Italian restaurants in the early 2000s when Timothy Busfield unexpectedly walked inside with friends.

“He walked in with some friends into the restaurant and I burst into tears,” she said. The reaction surprised her because she considered herself resilient, yet seeing Busfield immediately brought back memories she thought she had left behind. 

Eliza told her family that she had recently reported him after another young woman alleged similar behavior. 

Looking back on that moment, she said, “It’s really hard. I was like, ‘Oh, that was real. That really happened because, look, it just happened again.’”

Timothy Busfield Says Career Is Over As He Maintains His Innocence

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As Eliza Roberts says Busfield’s public denials prompted her to revisit an alleged encounter from decades ago, the actor has continued insisting the accusations against him have destroyed both his career and personal life. 

During testimony before a New Mexico grand jury, he argued that the criminal case had effectively ended his time in Hollywood long before any verdict is reached. 

“My career is done. I’m canceled. I’ll never, I don’t, I’ll never work again just based on people’s fear that I would do this again and, and even if it wasn’t true, I’m done,” he said in the testimonial obtained by USA Today.

Busfield added that he had already lost television jobs, been digitally replaced in a film, and dropped by his talent agency. 

The director also claimed the fallout had affected his entire family, telling jurors, “My children, grandchildren, everybody in my life is done because of these false allegations for money and for revenge.”