Actress Melissa Gilbert has taken the drastic step following shocking allegations against her husband, Timothy Busfield.
The director and Emmy Award-winning actor is facing a child sex abuse charge.
Inside the accusations
Melissa Gilbert is standing firm with her husband, Timothy Busfield, after the West Wing actor turned himself in to New Mexico authorities facing child sex abuse allegations.
The Little House on the Prairie star says her priority now is supporting her husband and looking after their “very large” family following Busfield’s surrender on Tuesday to Albuquerque police. He is accused of unlawful sexual conduct with 11-year-old twin boys while directing the 2024 series The Cleaning Lady.
At the same time, it appears Gilbert decided to shut down one of her most important channels for connecting with fans. According to People, the 61-year-old actress deleted her social media account after the police issued an arrest warrant accusing her 68-year-old husband of unlawful sexual conduct with two boys.
Anyone attempting to visit her profile now sees the message: “Profile isn’t available. The link may be broken, or the profile may have been removed.”
Turned himself in
Busfield, known for his Emmy-winning work as an actor and director, turned himself in four days after the warrant was issued. He is now in custody at the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center, facing two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse.
The Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office intends to seek pretrial detention, and a judge will determine whether he will remain in custody until trial.
In a video obtained by TMZ shortly before surrendering, Busfield addressed the allegations directly:
“Hi everybody, it’s Tim. I’m sure most of you know, that are watching this, that I was ordered to come to Albuquerque – I’m here now. I got the call Friday night, I had to get a lawyer. Saturday I got in the car, drove 2,000 miles to Albuquerque. I’m gonna confront these lies. They’re horrible.”
“They’re all lies and I did not do anything to those little boys and I’m gonna fight it. I’m gonna fight it with a great team, and I’m gonna be exonerated, I know I am, because this is all so wrong and all lies.”
“So hang in there and hopefully I’m out real soon and back to work. I love everybody for supporting me, thank you.”
Married since 2013
Gilbert and Busfield have been married since 2013, and her representative has confirmed she is standing by her husband.
A statement said, “During this period, her focus is on supporting and caring for their very large family, as they navigate this moment. Melissa stands with and supports her husband and will address the public at an appropriate time. We ask that their privacy be respected.”
Weeks before her husband, Timothy Busfield, faced an arrest warrant for two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse, Melissa Gilbert spoke out about child sexual abuse on social media.
In a November Instagram post, the former Screen Actors Guild president responded to Megyn Kelly’s claim that convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein wasn’t a pedophile because he targeted “barely legal” minors, “like 15-year-olds.” Gilbert reflected on her own experience acting at 15, when she was expected to “fall in love with” and kiss an older man on-screen.
Doctor alerted police
In her post, she praised the people who made her feel safe on set and warned Kelly to “be careful with your words.”
The investigation into Busfield began in November 2024, after a doctor at the University of New Mexico Hospital alerted police to suspected sexual abuse.
According to the police warrant obtained by PEOPLE, the alleged victims met Busfield on the set of the FOX series The Cleaning Lady, where he worked as a director. One of the minors reported that the incidents began when he was just seven.
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