Melissa Gilbert Shares Updates on Husband Timothy Busfield’s Exoneration and Their Changed Life
Melissa Gilbert Expresses Confidence in Husband’s Exoneration Amid Charges
Melissa Gilbert, in a recent interview with Good Morning America, expressed unwavering confidence that her husband, Timothy Busfield, will be exonerated from serious charges, including four counts of criminal sexual contact with a minor. This statement comes as Gilbert spoke out publicly for the first time since Busfield was charged.
“This has been the most traumatizing experience of our lives,” Gilbert told co-anchor George Stephanopoulos. “Our life as we knew it is done. We are grieving what we had, all of our plans, all of our dreams.” She emphasized the emotional toll on Busfield, stating, “For Tim, it’s done. He’s canceled. Even if he’s exonerated, he will always be that guy. The last person in the world who would hurt a child.”
During the interview, Gilbert was accompanied by Busfield’s attorney, Larry Stein, who defended the actor against the allegations, which originated from the set of the Fox/Warner Bros series The Cleaning Lady. Busfield has pleaded not guilty to all the counts.
Stephanopoulos raised concerns regarding past allegations against Busfield, referencing two women who accused him of sexual assault in 1994 and 2012, one of which Busfield settled. Gilbert responded firmly, stating, “I need to make something really abundantly clear. These allegations have been out in the ether for a very long time.”
When asked about her awareness of these earlier accusations, Gilbert clarified, “I didn’t go into my relationship with him blind. I am neither naive, nor am I complicit. I talked to him about it. I asked him questions about it.” She added that Busfield has a narrative regarding those past allegations that will be shared when the time is deemed appropriate.
ABC News reported that the parents of the twin child actors involved did not respond to requests for comments. According to GMA, Busfield’s legal team alleged that the parents sought revenge after blaming him for the recasting of their sons. Stein noted that both boys initially denied any inappropriate contact during a therapeutic inquiry.
However, Stephanopoulos pointed out that one boy later claimed he had been touched inappropriately. Stein countered, asserting that this assertion followed a conversation between the boy and his father regarding nightmares, where the boy expressed reluctance to disappoint his father.
The prosecution has argued that the allegations of inappropriate touching were first brought to light by a therapist, asserting that a neutral grand jury chose to indict Busfield based on the evidence presented. The prosecutor stated, “This office follows her ethical duty to only proceed on cases where a good faith basis exists to prosecute.”
