The “Little House on the Prairie” star defended Busfield in her first TV interview about his arrest, which she called “the most traumatizing experience of our lives.”

Melissa Gilbert says child abuse allegations against Timothy Busfield ruined couple’s future: ‘It’s done. He’s canceled’

The "Little House on the Prairie" star defended Busfield in her first TV interview about his arrest, which she called "the most traumatizing experience of our lives."

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Raechal Shewfelt

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April 6, 2026 10:14 a.m. ET

Larry Stein and Melissa Gilbert on 'GMA'. Credit:

*Little House on the Prairie *actress Melissa Gilbert staunchly defended husband Timothy Busfield against child sex abuse charges in her first televised interview since news of the scandal broke in January, with the star telling* **Good Morning America* that the "traumatic" experience has ruined the couple's life together.

Gilbert's pre-taped interview aired Monday on the ABC morning show, with the actress addressing the claims against her husband (whom she married in 2013) at length during a conversation with George Stephanopoulos and Busfield's attorney, Larry Stein.

“It’s time," Gilbert said of her decision to speak out on the issue, which saw an Albuquerque, N.M., grand jury indict Busfield on four counts of criminal sexual contact with a minor, with Busfield's trial set for 2027. "We’ve been hearing and reading too much untruth. And we felt that the time was right to speak out. Also, honestly, I wasn’t capable until now. It’s been a very traumatic time."

When asked later in the interview what the experience has been like for them as a couple, Gilbert called the ordeal "hell."

"This has been the most traumatizing experience of our lives. 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," Gilbert said. "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. 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."

She added that she doesn't believe the allegations "for a second," and trusts that Busfield will be exonerated in court.

George Stephanopoulos, Larry Stein, Melissa Gilbert on 'GMA'.

Melissa Gilbert defends Timothy Busfield amid child sex abuse case: 'Our life as we knew it is done'

Timothy Busfield's child sex abuse case sets trial date

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"I know this man in my bones. No one knows him better than I do. I know literally everything about him,” she said. “He is nothing if not completely honest with me. I trust him with my children's lives, with my grandchildren's lives, my nieces and nephews. Hh’s an honorable, caring, generous human being."

Gilbert projected that justice, to her, would involve an "exoneration," an "apology," and "freedom from this cloud."

On Feb. 6, Busfield was indicted by the grand jury after two child actors that he worked with on the TV series *The Cleaning Lady* alleged that he touched them inappropriately; per a warrant, one accused the actor of having rubbed his genitals and touched his buttocks on the set of the Fox drama, on which Busfield worked as a producer, director, and actor between 2022 and 2025.

Melissa Gilbert and Timothy Busfield in 2023.

Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty

Busfield pleaded not guilty to all charges, with *GMA* playing during the interview a video clip (initially obtained by TMZ) in which the director said of the allegations: "I’m going to confront these lies. They’re horrible. They’re all lies. I did not do anything to those little boys."

Stein said that, when the boys were fired from the TV show, "they assumed Tim was responsible for it, the truth is he was not,” with ABC adding that it reached out to the boys' parents, but didn’t hear back. The network also aired a statement from prosecutor Sam Bregman for the Bernalillo County District Attorney's office, who said “a neutral grand jury indicted the defendant” and that the office follows an “ethical duty to only proceed on cases where a good faith basis exists to prosecute."

Busfield is known for his work in TV series such as *Thirtysomething*, *The West Wing*, and *Designated Survivor*. His movie credits include *Quiz Show *(1994), *Field of Dreams* (1989), *Revenge of the Nerds *(1984), and *Sneakers* (1992).

Gilbert, who's also known for her appearances on *When Calls the Heart*, married Busfield in 2013.

Watch a portion of Gilbert's interview with GMA in the video above.

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