Melissa Gilbert gives first interview on TV about Timothy Busfield charges

Melissa Gilbertis ready to talk about the indictment of her husband,Timothy Busfield, on child sex-crimes charges.

The"Little House on the Prairie" actress, 61, sat down with"Good Morning America" host George Stephanopoulosto discuss herhusband's arrestin January and everything that has followed, which she called "the most traumatizing experience of our lives."

"Our life, as we knew it, is done," she told Stephanopoulos in an interview that aired April 6. "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."

Gilbert described Busfield as the "last person in the world who would hurt a child" and said that "if I thought for a second that Tim Busfield hurt a child, he'd have a lot more to worry about than prison." She also told Stephanopoulos she has never doubted her husband's innocence.

Actor and director Timothy Busfield is be eligible for release from a New Mexico jail as he faces charges of child sex abuse, a judge ruled on Tuesday, Jan. 20, during a pretrial hearing in New Mexico.

The ruling was made during Busfield's first in-person appearance in a New Mexico courtroom. A tearful Melissa Gilbert, who was seated behind her husband in the gallery, quietly celebrated the judge's decision.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> During the Tuesday, Jan. 20, pretrial detention hearing, Judge David A. Murphy ruled there was no probable cause to show that "The West Wing" alum must remain behind bars due to a public safety risk. Murphy denied state prosecutors' motion and allowed the 68-year-old to be released of his own recognizance after spending a week in jail.

Busfield's wife attended and sat in the courtroom.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Timothy Busfield greets defense attorney Christopher Allen Dodd, right, before his hearing.

Busfield was charged with two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse on Jan. 9, according to a criminal complaint obtained by USA TODAY. A warrant for his arrest was issued that day.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Busfield walked into the courtroom wearing an orange prison uniform and socks with open-toed slippers.

He put on brown-rimmed glasses to read over documents with his lawyers in the minutes leading up to the judge's arrival.

Busfield was charged with two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse on Jan. 9, according to a criminal complaint obtained by USA TODAY. A warrant for his arrest was issued that day.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Gilbert previously submitted a letter in support of her actor husband and in it, called him "my love, my rock, my partner in business and life."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Busfield takes notes during the hearing.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Busfield and his defense attorney Christopher Allen Dodd.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Busfield reviews documents with his defense attorneys Amber Fayerberg and Christopher Allen Dodd.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Defense attorney Amber Fayerberg talks with the director.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Busfield looks on before his Tuesday hearing.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Busfield's wife attends his hearing.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Defense attorney Amber Fayerberg, Timothy Busfield and defense attorney Christopher Allen Dodd listen as Bernalillo Country Deputy District Attorney Savannah Brandenburg-Koch, left, presents arguments.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Alan Caudillo, director of photography for the television show "The Cleaning Lady," was called to the witness stand by defense attorney Christopher Allen Dodd (not pictured) during the Timothy Busfield hearing in the Second District Judicial Court at the Bernalillo County Courthouse on Jan. 20, 2026.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Defense attorney Christopher Allen Dodd presents during the Timothy Busfield hearing.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> An attendee wipes away tears after director and actor Timothy Busfield arrived for a hearing in the Second District Judicial Court at the Bernalillo County Courthouse on Jan. 20, 2026.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> An exterior view shows the Bernalillo County Courthouse ahead of director and actor Timothy Busfield's pre-trial detention hearing on Jan. 20, 2026, in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

Melissa Gilbert supports Timothy Busfield in court amid child sex abuse charges

Actor and directorTimothy Busfieldis be eligible for release from a New Mexico jail ashe faces charges of child sex abuse, a judge ruled on Tuesday, Jan. 20, during a pretrial hearing in New Mexico.The ruling was made during Busfield's first in-person appearance in a New Mexico courtroom. A tearfulMelissa Gilbert, who was seated behind her husband in the gallery, quietly celebrated the judge's decision.

"I know this man in my bones. No one knows him better than I do. I know literally everything about him," she said, adding that he is "an honorable, caring, generous human being" and she is "100% confident he will be exonerated."

Busfield was charged on Jan. 9 with child sex abuse and was arrested soon after in connection with allegations of abusing minors on the set of Fox's "The Cleaning Lady." A New Mexico grand jury indicted him on Feb. 6 onfour counts of criminal sexual contact of a child.

When asked what justice will look like in the case, Gilbert told Stephanopoulos it would include "exoneration, an apology," and "freedom from this cloud."

Gilbert previously withheld from speaking about her husband's case to honor the request of his legal team, she said in a Jan. 13 statement toPeopleandUs Weekly, where a representative said Gilbert stands with Busfield and would address the public at the appropriate time. She said on "GMA" she decided to speak out now because "we've been hearing and reading too much untruth." She also said she was not "capable" of doing so beforehand because "it's been a very traumatic time."

Though Busfield did not participate in the interview, Gilbert said that "when the time is right," he will "tell the truth of all of these past allegations."

Melissa Gilbert called Timothy Busfield 'my rock, my partner in business and life'

Gilbert has stood by her husband throughout the case. In January, she wrote one of more than 70 letters of support for the "West Wing" actor, in which she called him "my love, my rock, my partner in business and life."

"I began this letter with logic, but now the feelings have taken over. I can’t help it. I only want this extraordinary man safe and whole," she wrote to a judge of the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court. "So, I will close by asking you to please, please, take care of my sweet husband. As he is my protector, I am his, but I cannot protect him now and I think that, more than anything else, is what is truly breaking my heart."

Advertisement

Gilbert and Busfield met in the 1980s and frequently crossed paths for decades before pursuing a relationship in 2012 and getting married in 2013.

Melissa Gilbert became part of our cultural history at age 8 when she took on the role of Laura Ingalls in the television adaptation of "The Little House on the Prairie".

Since then, the actress has continued to make waves as a performer and entrepreneur. See her life in the spotlight, beginning here at "The Little House on the Prairie" 50th anniversary cast reunion and festival in Simi Valley, California on March 23, 2024.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Gilbert launched the Modern Prairie app over three years ago with Nicole Haase. Modern Prairie sells housewares and patchwork jeans and offers quilting and cooking lessons. But t he main hope, Gilbert told USA TODAY, is to create community.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Gilbert attends the "Nymphes D'Or - Golden Nymphs" Nominees Party during the 62nd Monte Carlo TV Festival on June 19, 2023, in Monte-Carlo, Monaco.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Gilbert and her husband Timothy Busfield attend "The Butcher Boy" opening night at Irish Repertory Theatre on Aug. 1, 2022 in New York City.

In January 2026, Gilbert announced that she planned to support Busfield, amid alleged child sex abuse claims against him. The couple married in 2013.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Gilbert and Busfield attend the 62nd Monte Carlo TV Festival on June 20, 2023 in Monte Carlo, Monaco.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Gilbert and Busfield attend the "Nymphes D'Or - Golden Nymphs" Award Ceremony during the 62nd Monte Carlo TV Festival on June 20, 2023, in Monte-Carlo, Monaco.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Gilbert attends "Medea" Opening Night at BAM Harvey Theater on Jan. 30, 2020, in New York City.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Gilbert visits a Barnes & Noble on Jan. 21, 2014, in New York City.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Gilbert and partner Maks Chmerkovskiy in a 2012 episode of ABC's "Dancing with the Stars."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> From left, Andie MacDowell, Mark Harmon and Gilbert arrive at the 10th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards Nominations at the Pacific Design Center, Jan. 15, 2004, in Hollywood, California.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Gilbert and Bruce Boxleitner attend the 56th Annual DGA Awards on Feb. 7, 2004, in Beverly Hills, California. The pair were married from 1995 until 2011.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Gilbert poses backstage during the 10th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium on Feb. 22, 2004, in Los Angeles.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Steve Blanchard and Gilbert perform at a rehearsal for the National Tour of "Little House on the Prairie The Musical" at The New 42nd Street Studios on Sept. 2, 2009, in New York City.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Gilbert promotes a Hallmark Channel movie at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Pasadena, California.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Gilbert arrives at the Award Of Excellence Star presentation for the Screen Actors Guild on Hollywood Boulevard Oct. 25, 2007.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Benjamin Bratt and Gilbert attend the Screen Actors Guild "Latino Legacy in Hollywood" tribute at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel on Jan. 31, 2003.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Gilbert and Bai Ling attend Julian Lennon's birthday party at Blowfish May 13, 2004, in West Hollywood, California.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Gilbert stands next to her grandmother Julia Crane as she speaks to reporters during a press conference on March 9, 2002, at the SAG Headquarters in Los Angeles.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Gilbert's sister, Sara, presents her with a Vision Award at the 31st Annual Vision Awards on June 27, 2004, in Beverly Hills, California.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Gilbert and Martin Sheen mingle at dinner during the 55th Annual Directors Guild Awards at the Century Plaza Hotel on March 1, 2003, in Los Angeles.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Gilbert and her son arrive at the premiere for "Rugrats Go Wild" at the Cinerama Dome on June 1, 2003, in Los Angeles.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Gilbert attends the 9th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium on March 9, 2003, in Los Angeles.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Gilbert and Morgan Fairchild attend a news conference at SAG headquarters June 4, 2003, in Los Angeles.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> William H. Macy and Gilbert attend the International Film Festival and Forum on July 27, 2003, in Hollywood, California.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Gilbert and AFTRA President John Connolly attend a press conference for SAG and AFTRA members announcing "I Am Voting YES" for union consolidation June 12, 2003, in Los Angeles.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Gilbert and Connolly, along with other SAG and AFTRA members, join striking UFCW Picket Lines supporting the striking grocery workers outside the Pavilions Market on Dec. 4, 2003, in Burbank, California.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Gilbert poses backstage during the 8th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium March 10, 2002, in Los Angeles.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Gilbert attends the Hollywood Reporters' Annual Women In Entertainment: Power 100 Breakfast on Dec. 3, 2002.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Gilbert arrives at the Nineteenth Annual Golden Boot Awards Aug. 11, 2001, in Beverly Hills, California.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Gilbert and family attend the 70th Anniversary Hollywood Christmas Parade Nov. 25, 2001, in Los Angeles..

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Gilbert and her 5-year-old son Michael pose with Santa Claus on Nov. 28, 2000, in Los Angeles.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Gilbert and Boxlightner pose as they arrive at the Golden Boot Awards in Beverly Hills on Aug. 5, 2000.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Gilbert talks with Leeza Gibbons on the "Leeza" show about the premature birth of her son, Michael, in April of 1996.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Gilbert starred in an NBC Miniseries "Zoya" in 1995 as a young girl born into Russian royalty and then orphaned in the revolution of 1917 and raised by her grandmother.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Cicely Tyson and Gilbert in "Sweet Justice" in 1994.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

See Melissa Gilbert, from 'Little House' to 'Dancing with the 'Stars'

Melissa Gilbertbecame part of our cultural history at age 8 when she took on the role of Laura Ingalls in the television adaptation of "The Little House on the Prairie".Since then, the actress has continued to make waves as a performer and entrepreneur. See her life in the spotlight, beginning here at "The Little House on the Prairie" 50th anniversary cast reunion and festival in Simi Valley, California on March 23, 2024.

What is Timothy Busfield accused of?

Between late 2022 and early 2024,Busfield allegedly abusedtwo young actors, who were 7 and 8 at the time, as they worked on "The Cleaning Lady," according to prosecutors.The actor, who also served as director on the show, has denied any wrongdoing.

Busfieldhas called the allegations an act of retaliation after the boys were recast on the show. In several court appearances, the actor has appeared in an orange prison uniform, as Gilbert watched from the courtroom.

One child alleged that Busfield touched his genitals several times; both said Busfield touched them inappropriately and instructed them to call him "Uncle Tim."

"Little House on the Prairie" actor Melissa Gilbert announced that she will support her husband, "West Wing" actor Timothy Busfield, amid alleged child sex abuse claims against him, in a statement provided to People magazine and Us Weekly. The couple married in 2013.

See them in pictures together through the years, beginning here at the opening night party for "Medea" at the BAM Harvey Theater on Jan. 30, 2020, in New York City.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Gilbert and Busfield attend the 62nd Monte Carlo TV Festival on June 20, 2023, in Monte-Carlo, Monaco.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Melissa Gilbert and Timothy Busfield attend the Nymphes D'Or award ceremony during the 62nd Monte Carlo TV Festival on June 20, 2023, in Monte-Carlo, Monaco.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Gilbert and Busfield attend "The Butcher Boy" opening night at Irish Repertory Theatre on Aug. 1, 2022, in New York City.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

See actors Timothy Busfield and Melissa Gilbert together in photos

"Little House on the Prairie" actor Melissa Gilbertannounced that she will support her husband, "West Wing" actor Timothy Busfield, amidalleged child sex abuse claimsagainst him, in a statement provided toPeople magazineandUs Weekly. The couple married in 2013.See them in pictures together through the years, beginning here at the opening night party for "Medea" at the BAM Harvey Theater on Jan. 30, 2020, in New York City.

According to the criminal complaint, the children's mother reported the incidents to Child Protective Services. One child has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety, and feared retaliation from Busfield if the alleged abuse was disclosed, the complaint alleges. In 2024, University of New Mexico Hospital staff members requested an investigation because it appeared the boys were being groomed.

According to the affidavit, Busfield acknowledged to police in a phone interview that the set was a "playful environment" and that he had probably tickled the boys. Production assistants told Albuquerque police that Busfield was sometimes touchy or unprofessional.

Four women came forward with new allegations against Timothy Busfield

During a motion for pretrial detention on Jan. 14, Colin Swift, the father of an alleged victim, said he told law enforcement the day prior that Busfield sexually abused his daughter "several years ago" in California.

Since Busfield's arrest, at least four women have told police that the Emmy Award-winning actor and director groped their breasts and genitals and forced himself on them, dating from 1993 to 2000. One said she was a 16-year-old community theater intern when Busfield allegedly pushed his hand into her pants and his tongue into her mouth.

The women shared their stories with an Albuquerque police detective in January, according to six video interviews with the women that USA TODAY obtained from the Second Judicial District Court in New Mexico under a public records request.

A trial date has been set for May 2027 in New Mexico for the child sex-abuse charges.

Contributing: Laura Trujillo and Brendan Morrow, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Melissa Gilbert speaks out about husband Timothy Busfield allegations