Actress Melissa Gilbert has chosen to stand by her husband, Timothy Busfield, amid serious child sex abuse allegations.
Busfield, an Emmy Award–winning actor, turned himself in to police in Albuquerque, New Mexico, four days after a warrant was issued for his arrest. He is currently in custody at the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center. The 68-year-old West Wing star faces two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse, related to allegations involving 11-year-old twin boys during the production of the 2024 series The Cleaning Lady.
The Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office plans to seek pretrial detention, and a judge will determine whether Busfield will remain in custody until trial.
Before surrendering, Busfield released a video obtained by TMZ in which he denied the allegations, calling them “lies” and stating that he plans to fight the charges and prove his innocence. He also claimed the accusations stemmed from a dispute with the mother of the alleged victims, whom he said was seeking revenge after her children were not cast in the final season of the now-canceled Fox crime series, where Busfield served as an executive producer and director.
Melissa Gilbert, who married Busfield in 2013, deleted her social media accounts shortly after the arrest warrant was issued, according to People. A representative for the actress confirmed that she is standing by her husband but will not make public statements at this time.
The statement clarified that any alleged online comments attributed to Gilbert, including AI-generated content, are not authentic. It added that she is respecting her husband’s legal team’s request to remain silent while the legal process unfolds and is focusing on supporting their family. Gilbert plans to address the public at an appropriate time and has asked for privacy.
Weeks before Busfield’s arrest, Gilbert had posted on Instagram about child sexual abuse in response to comments made by Megyn Kelly regarding Jeffrey Epstein. Gilbert referenced her own experience as a minor working in the entertainment industry and emphasized the importance of protecting children, urging caution in public discourse on such sensitive topics.
