'I Was a Child': Melissa Gilbert Spoke Out About Child Abuse in a Since-Deleted Post Weeks Ahead of Husband Tim Busfield's Arrest Warrant
Weeks before controversy, Gilbert shared a shocking post on child abuse, later deleting it.
Jan. 11 2026, Published 3:45 p.m. ET
Little House on the Prairie alum Melissa Gilbert spoke out about child sex abuse on Instagram weeks before her husband, Timothy Busfield, was accused of similar crimes.
The post has now gained attention in the wake of Busfield's arrest warrant, RadarOnline.com can report.
'I Was a Child'
Melissa Gilbert shared a powerful Instagram post on condemning child exploitation and reflecting on her time as a teen star.
Gilbert's post, published in mid‑November, reflected on her own experiences as a teen actress, shared a throwback photo and called out exploitative behavior on set.
She highlighted a storyline in which her character was scripted to fall in love with an older love interest, played by Dean Butler, noting the eight-year age gap.
The actress wrote, according to TMZ: "Through the lens of today, this is shocking. I have no words other than to say, 'I WAS A CHILD.' 'I WAS FIFTEEN.' And I was the good news."
Gilbert, 61, also praised her support system, adding: "Thank God my mom and Michael and so many others were there to make sure I was safe. Can you imagine if I hadn't had them all?"
The actress didn't shy away from calling out public figures, as she also criticized Megyn Kelly for her comments suggesting Jeffrey Epstein "was into the barely legal type," which seemed to debate his status as a pedophile.
Deleted Instagram
The Little House on the Prairie alum said she was just 15 years old when her character was paired with a much older love interest on the show.
The post resurfaced this week as Gilbert quietly deleted her Instagram account, further fueling online speculation.
As of Sunday, January 11, Gilbert's Instagram page cannot be viewed, and prior posts show error messages.
Social media users who click her account now see: "Profile isn't available. The link may be broken, or the profile may have been removed."
Timothy Busfield's Arrest Warrant
Gilbert called the storyline “shocking” in hindsight, stressing, 'I WAS A CHILD,' while praising those who protected her on set.
All of this comes in the wake of her husband, Busfield, 68, facing serious allegations of child sexual abuse.
The actor has an arrest warrant issued in Albuquerque, New Mexico, for two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one open count of child abuse, according to RadarOnline.com.
The charges stem from incidents that reportedly occurred while he was directing the Fox crime drama The Cleaning Lady.
Investigators say that one child told police Busfield touched them inappropriately when they were seven years old, with alleged incidents happening five or six times starting in November 2022.
The children were treated at the University of New Mexico Hospital, where staff first raised concerns that minors may have been groomed on set.
Busfield Allegedly 'Tickled' Children
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The post has since been deleted, and as of January 11, Gilbert’s Instagram page is no longer viewable.
Although the children initially did not accuse Busfield of sexual contact, the affidavit notes that both said he would tickle them on their stomachs and legs, and they expressed discomfort with the behavior. Authorities say these details contributed to the full investigation that led to the arrest warrant.
Representatives for Busfield and Gilbert have not publicly commented, and it is unclear if Busfield has been taken into custody.
