‘Grieving’ Melissa Gilbert defends husband Timothy Busfield in first interview since child sex abuse allegations
Melissa Gilbert described her life with husband Timothy Busfield as “irreversibly changed” during her first public interview since he was charged with child sexual abuse. The actress, 61, opened up about the impact of the legal case on her and her family while defending her husband.
On “Good Morning America,” host George Stephanopoulos asked Gilbert how she had been coping. She responded bluntly: “Hell. This has been the most traumatizing experience of our lives.”
Busfield, 68, was arrested in January in Albuquerque following allegations that he engaged in unlawful sexual conduct with two 11-year-old boys he met while directing the Fox series “The Cleaning Lady.” A Bernalillo County grand jury later indicted him on four counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor under 13, all third-degree felonies tied to alleged incidents in 2022 and 2023. He has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial, scheduled for May 2027.
Gilbert said their life together has been shattered. “Our life as we knew it is done. We are grieving all that we had—our plans, dreams, projects. For Tim, it’s over. Even if he is cleared, he will always carry this label.”
Despite the charges, Gilbert strongly defended Busfield’s character. “He is the last person in the world who would harm a child,” she said. “If I thought he did, there would be far more consequences than prison.”
A spokesperson for Gilbert told People that she and Busfield’s lawyer, Larry Stein, agreed to speak with Stephanopoulos to “clarify the facts, which have been lost amid distractions, selective reporting, and clickbait.”
Busfield turned himself in on January 13 and was released about a week later under strict pretrial conditions. He is prohibited from contacting the alleged victims or their families, from being alone with minors, and from possessing weapons or using drugs or alcohol while under court supervision.
Throughout the case, Gilbert has stood by him. Ahead of his January hearing, she wrote a letter to the judge describing him as “my love, my rock, my partner in business and life,” and expressed her confidence in knowing him more deeply than anyone else ever could. She urged the court to keep him safe, saying that not being able to protect him herself “is what is truly breaking my heart.”
Gilbert was also seen in tears during the hearing when the judge granted Busfield’s release. The couple, married since 2013, share five children from previous relationships.
Busfield’s attorney has criticized the prosecution, calling the case “fundamentally unsound” and highlighting what he described as serious flaws in the evidence, while pledging to vigorously defend his client at trial.
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