Melissa Gilbert Calls Timothy Busfield's Child Sex Abuse Arrest the 'Most Traumatizing Experience' as She Defends Disgraced Husband — 'Our Life as We Knew It Is Done'
Melissa Gilbert's husband, Timothy Busfield, was charged with having criminal sexual contact with a child.
April 2 2026, Published 2:50 p.m. ET
Melissa Gilbert reflected on the future implications of her husband Timothy Busfield's child sex abuse allegations as she insisted on his innocence, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
In a sneak peek for an upcoming interview with ABC's George Stephanopolous, the Little House on the Prairie alum, 61, said her life has been "hell" and called her husband's arrest "the most traumatizing" experience of their lives.
'Grieving What We Had'
Melissa Gilbert has been married to Timothy Busfield since 2013.
"Our life as we knew it is done. We are grieving what we had — all of our plans, all of our dreams, all of our ideas, all of our projects," she continued. "For Tim, it's done. He's canceled."
Gilbert claimed that whether the actor-turned-director is found guilty or fully "exonerated," it won't matter and he will "always be that guy" in the public eye.
As Radar previously reported, since his arrest, Gilbert's personal life has been in turmoil and Busfield is allegedly going broke as he racks up legal bills fighting the shocking allegations.
But the former child star proved that she is still standing by her husband in her upcoming interview.
'Last Person in the World Who Would Hurt a Child'
Melissa Gilbert said she didn't think for a 'second' her husband would 'hurt a child.'
"[He’s] the last person in the world who would hurt a child," she told Stephanopoulos in the clip. "And 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."
Gilbert lawyer told People that she agreed to take part in the bombshell sit-down because "it was time to sit down to clarify the facts of the case, which seem to have become lost to distraction, selective information and click bait."
The interview is scheduled to air on Monday, April 6, on Good Morning America.
The Allegations Against Timothy Busfield
Timothy Busfield could face years in prison if convicted on child sex abuse charges.
On January 9, a warrant was issued for Busfield's arrest in connections with allegations that he groomed twin boys while working on the set of The Cleaning Lady. He was accused of picking them up on occasion, touching them in "private areas" and tickling them between 2022 and 2024.
Busfield has been charged with four counts of criminal sexual contact with a child.
The Thirtysomething actor denied all allegations of abuse. He later underwent an independent polygraph test and "passed," according to his lawyer, Larry Stein.
Letters of Support
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Melissa Gilbert and other family members wrote characters letters to a judge after Timothy Busfield's arrest.
Shortly after his arrest, Gilbert penned a distraught letter to the judge begging him to keep Busfield safe behind bars.
"This is the strangest letter I’ve ever had to write. I only want this extraordinary man safe and whole," she wrote at the time. "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, I am relying on [you] to protect him for me."
Other members of the family – including Gilbert's son Michael Boxleitner, and her mother, Barbara Gilbert Cowan – also wrote words for support for Busfield.
The West Wing star was released from jail in New Mexico on January 20, and his trial is set to begin on May 10.
If found guilty, he could face 15 years behind bars.
