Gilbert defends busfield, faces shattered future
Melissa Gilbert’s unwavering support for her husband, actor Timothy Busfield, has emerged amidst escalating child sexual abuse charges, delivered in a preview of an interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos. But her declaration of faith comes at a steep price: the apparent dismantling of their shared life as they knew it, a reality she candidly admitted is “done.”
A marriage on the brink
Gilbert’s words, aired ahead of Monday’s Good Morning America segment, paint a picture of devastation. She insists that Busfield, indicted in February on four counts of criminal sexual contact of a child, is “the last person in the world who would hurt a child.” The former Little House on the Prairie star’s assertion, however, rings hollow against a backdrop of increasingly serious allegations and a pattern of troubling behavior stretching back decades.
The initial charges stem from accusations made by a seven- and eight-year-old boy—twin brothers—who claim Busfield inappropriately touched them while he worked on The Cleaning Lady. But Albuquerque authorities aren't dealing with an isolated incident. Prosecutors have unearthed a troubling history of alleged misconduct, beginning with a 1994 claim from a 17-year-old extra on Little Big League who alleged Busfield assaulted her after serving her alcohol. That case settled privately, though Busfield was ordered to pay $150,000 in legal costs after contesting the allegations.
A separate accusation surfaced in 2012 when a 28-year-old woman alleged Busfield fondled her at a Los Angeles movie theater—a claim he dismissed as consensual without leading to legal action. Then there’s the allegation from Sacramento’s B Street Theatre, where a 16-year-old girl claimed Busfield groped her during an audition, a matter resolved through therapy and a family agreement not to involve police. These incidents, now being scrutinized with renewed intensity, raise serious questions about Busfield’s character and Gilbert’s unwavering loyalty.
“This has been the most traumatizing experience of our lives – our life as we knew it is done,” Gilbert told Stephanopoulos. “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.” The statement suggests a near-total collapse of their future together, even if Busfield is eventually cleared of the current charges—a scenario Gilbert acknowledges is unlikely to restore their former life. She added, “He’s canceled and this will never… even if he’s exonerated, he will always be that guy.”
Busfield, who has pleaded not guilty to the charges, vehemently denies the allegations, dismissing them as “all lies” in a statement released to TMZ. But Gilbert’s decision to speak out, after initially advising silence, underscores the gravity of the situation and the depth of her personal turmoil. The trial, tentatively scheduled for May 2027, promises to be a protracted and intensely public ordeal, one that will likely leave an indelible mark on both Busfield and Gilbert, regardless of the verdict.