Why Was Timothy Busfield Arrested?
Actor and director Timothy Busfield, who’s married to Little House on the Prairie star Melissa Gilbert, had a warrant issued for his arrest in January following an investigation into abuse allegations.
Authorities said at the time that Busfield was facing two charges of “criminal sexual contact of a minor and child abuse related to alleged misconduct involving child actors” while working on the drama series The Cleaning Lady.
Busfield eventually turned himself in and was arrested. On February 6, a New Mexico grand jury indicted Busfield on four counts of criminal sexual contact of a child.
“As with all criminal proceedings, Mr. Busfield is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. This case will proceed through the judicial process and is expected to move forward to trial,” Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman said in a statement posted on Facebook.
“As with all criminal proceedings, Mr. Busfield is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. This case will proceed through the judicial process and is expected to move forward to trial,” Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman said in a statement posted on Facebook.
Busfield’s attorney, Larry Stein, issued a statement to TMZ following the indictment, saying:
“The indictment was not unexpected. As the saying goes, a grand jury will indict a ham sandwich. What is deeply concerning is that the District Attorney is choosing to proceed on a case that is fundamentally unsound and cannot be proven at trial.”
PEOPLE reports that Busfield waived his arraignment and court appearances for all pretrial proceedings. That request was granted by a judge.
Busfield was released from custody on January 20, subject to certain conditions, to await his trial, scheduled for May 2027.
Melissa Gilbert Returns To Instagram After 4-Month Hiatus
Melissa Gilbert, who married Busfield in 2013, has stood by her husband and professed her belief in his innocence.
She granted an interview to Good Morning America in April, during which she described the period after Busfield’s arrest as “the most traumatizing experience of our lives.”
Gilbert continued to say:
“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. For Tim, it’s done. He’s canceled. Even if he’s exonerated, he will always be that guy. [He’s] the last person in the world who would hurt a child. 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 took a break from social media after Busfield’s arrest. USA Today reports that she deactivated her Instagram account and didn’t post on the platform for four months.
Then, on Wednesday (May 13), Gilbert shared her first Instagram post following her husband’s arrest and indictment. The post did not reference his case or her personal life. Rather, it was a post promoting an upcoming Instagram Live for her brand Modern Prairie.
Gilbert reposted an original post from Modern Prairie, which includes a photo of crocheted dolls representing her and the brand’s co-founder, Nicole Haase. Gilbert added a brief note ahead of the post’s original caption, writing, “That [sic] right. I’m back. See you Friday! xo, MGB.”
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Although this was Gilbert’s first post to her personal Instagram since January, she has appeared in dozens of videos on the Modern Prairie account over the past few months.
On February 16, ten days after Busfield’s indictment, Melissa Gilbert announced her return to work as the Chief Creative Officer for Modern Prairie.
“Coming back to work does not change my commitment or my resolve to the journey that lies ahead for my family,” she said. “That remains steadfast, that remains my heart. But it is important for me to step back into this work.”
She added, “I am so proud to walk forward with you. So let’s get back at it, together.”
Check below to watch the entire video about Gilbert’s return to work at Modern Prairie.
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