Melissa Gilbert has publicly defended her husband, actor Timothy Busfield, in her first interview since prosecutors in New Mexico charged him with child sexual abuse. The former Little House on the Prairie star told ABC's George Stephanopoulos that Busfield is “the last person in the world who would hurt a child”.
Busfield, 68, faces four counts of criminal sexual contact of a child following a grand jury indictment in Albuquerque. Court documents allege he inappropriately touched a boy over clothing when the child was seven and again at age eight, on the set of the TV drama The Cleaning Lady, where he worked as a director and actor. The boy's twin brother also reported an alleged touching.
In her interview, scheduled to air on Good Morning America, Gilbert described the ordeal as “the most traumatizing experience of our lives”. She said: “We are grieving what we had. All of our plans, all of our dreams, all of our ideas, all of our projects … for Tim, it's done. He's canceled and this will never – even if he's exonerated, he will always be that guy.”
Busfield, an Emmy winner for Thirtysomething and known for roles in The West Wing and Field of Dreams, has pleaded not guilty and dismissed the accusations as “all lies” in a video shared with TMZ. His trial is tentatively scheduled for May 2027, and he remains out of custody while awaiting proceedings.
Prosecutors have also cited a history of alleged sexual misconduct. Court filings detail an incident involving a 16-year-old girl at Sacramento's B Street Theatre, which Busfield co-founded, resolved with therapy and no police involvement. In 1994, a 17-year-old extra on Little Big League claimed Busfield assaulted her after being served alcohol; he settled the matter privately but was ordered to pay $150,000 in costs after arguing the claim was fabricated. A 28-year-old woman also alleged in 2012 that Busfield fondled her in a Los Angeles cinema, though no charges were brought.
Gilbert, 61, previously said she supported her husband but had been advised not to speak publicly while the allegations were unresolved. Asked by Stephanopoulos why she was now speaking out, she replied: “It's time.”
