Melissa Gilbert has spoken out in defense of her husband Timothy Busfield in her first interview since he was charged, after allegations of sexual abuse were made against him.
Busfield, 68, has been accused by Albuquerque police of engaging in unlawful sexual conduct involving two 11-year-old boys.
Authorities allege he met the two children while working on the series The Cleaning Lady.
A grand jury in Bernalillo County later indicted the actor on four counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor under 13, with each count classified as a third-degree felony.
The charges relate to incidents alleged to have occurred between 2022 and 2023.
Busfield has pleaded not guilty, and his trial is currently scheduled to begin in May 2027.
Gilbert has previously signaled publicly that she stands by her husband, and she reaffirmed that position in an interview with ABC News.
When asked about the impact of the situation and what it has been like for them, she responded: “Hell.”
She added: “This has been the most traumatizing experience of our lives.”
Gilbert also said she believes Busfield is innocent, stating: “[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.”
A representative for Gilbert also told PEOPLE that she and Busfield’s attorney, Larry Stein, chose to speak with Good Morning America host George Stephanopoulos because they ‘decided it was time to sit down to clarify the facts of the case, which seem to have become lost to distraction, selective information and clickbait.’
In a preview clip posted on YouTube ahead of the complete interview being released on April 6, Gilbert described the strain the case has placed on their day-to-day life.
“Our life as we knew it is done,” she said. “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.”
Earlier in the proceedings, Gilbert submitted a letter to the judge ahead of a court hearing in January, voicing her support and describing Busfield as ‘my love, my rock, my partner in business and life’.