Melissa Gilbert has publicly supported her husband, Timothy Busfield, after he was arrested and charged with four counts of criminal sexual contact with a child under 13. The allegations relate to incidents that allegedly occurred between October 2022 and September 2023 while Busfield worked as a director on the Fox series The Cleaning Lady.
In an interview with George Stephanopoulos on Good Morning America, Gilbert, 61, insisted she knows everything about Busfield and that he is innocent. She said she discussed previous allegations from 1994 and 2012 with him before their marriage in 2013 and is “100% confident he will be exonerated.” Gilbert added: “If I thought for a second that Tim Busfield hurt a child, he'd have a lot more to worry about than prison.”
Busfield, 68, denies all allegations and has vowed to fight the charges. His attorney, Larry Stein, called the case “fundamentally unsound” and suggested the prosecution is driven by factors other than the facts. Busfield’s legal team has argued that the alleged victims’ parents made the accusations after the boys lost their roles on the show.
Gilbert described the ongoing legal battle as “the most traumatizing experience of our lives” and said their plans and dreams have been shattered. She submitted a letter to the judge on Busfield’s behalf, denying any inappropriate behaviour. Busfield was released from custody in January after a week in detention.
