Melissa Gilbert is speaking publicly for the first time since her husband, Timothy Busfield, was arrested on child sexual abuse charges, describing the experience as “the most traumatizing” period of their lives and insisting that he is innocent.
In an interview with George Stephanopoulos scheduled to air on April 6 on Good Morning America, and previewed by People, Gilbert said the allegations and Busfield’s arrest have completely changed their lives.
“Hell. This has been the most traumatizing experience of our lives,” Gilbert said in a preview released ahead of the broadcast.
Gilbert told Stephanopoulos that the fallout has already permanently altered Busfield’s future, regardless of the case’s outcome.
“Our life as we knew it is done,” 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. Even if he’s exonerated, he will always be that guy.”
She continued to defend Busfield’s character, calling him “the last person in the world who would hurt a child.” Gilbert added, “Believe me, if I thought for a second that Tim Busfield hurt a child, he’d have a lot more to worry about than prison.”
According to Gilbert’s representative, she and Busfield’s attorney, Stanton “Larry” Stein, agreed to the interview because they believe public discussion of the case has been shaped by “distraction, selective information, and clickbait.”
Investigators allege the incidents occurred in October 2022 and September 2023, when the boys were child actors on the series.
Busfield surrendered to authorities on January 13 and was briefly held in New Mexico before being released a week later under strict conditions. He is barred from contacting the alleged victims or their families, may not possess firearms, and cannot have unsupervised contact with children while awaiting trial.
Gilbert was visibly emotional during Busfield’s January 20 detention hearing.. Before that hearing, Gilbert was among 75 people who submitted letters of support to the court. In her letter, she described Busfield as “my love, my rock, my partner in business and life” and asked the judge to “please, please, take care of my sweet husband.”
Since then, the legal case has expanded. On February 6, a Bernalillo County grand jury indicted Busfield on four felony counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor under 13. He entered a not guilty plea days later. Additional allegations have also surfaced involving a teenage girl from the early 2000s, though Busfield has not been charged in connection with those claims.
Busfield’s attorneys have maintained that the prosecution’s case is weak and have said he intends to challenge every allegation in court. His trial is currently scheduled to begin in May 2027.
If you suspect child sexual abuse or trafficking, help is available. Contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453), available 24/7 and confidential in more than 170 languages. Reports involving child exploitation or trafficking can also be made to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s CyberTipline at 1-800-THE-LOST or online at cybertipline.org.
