Warning: This article contains discussion of child abuse which some readers may find distressing.
Melissa Gilbert says she is “100 percent confident” that her husband, director Timothy Busfield, will be cleared following allegations that he abused two 11-year-old boys while working on The Cleaning Lady.
Busfield, 68, was accused by Albuquerque police in January of engaging in unlawful sexual conduct.
He was subsequently indicted by a Bernalillo County grand jury on four counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor under 13.
Busfield has denied the allegations. Now, Gilbert — who married Busfield in 2013 — has addressed the situation publicly in her first interview since the charges were filed, speaking to Good Morning America and host George Stephanapolous.
The interview aired on April 6, and Gilbert, 61, made it clear she is standing by her husband when asked how she is responding to the claims.
“I am 100 percent confident he will be exonerated,” she said.
“But I will tell you that there is a practical side to this, and we do have to be prepared for all scenarios.”
When asked what she believes “justice” should look like in this situation, the Little House on the Prairie actor answered: “Exoneration. An apology. Freedom from this cloud.”
Earlier in the case, Gilbert submitted a letter to the judge ahead of a January court hearing, describing Busfield as “my love, my rock, my partner in business and life.”
Busfield has pleaded not guilty to all four third-degree felony counts. In the interview, Gilbert said her confidence comes from knowing him intimately, adding that he is “the last person in the world who would hurt a child.”
She told Stephanapolous : “No one knows him better than I do.”
“Our marriage has, you know, we’ve had a lot of ups and downs. We’ve been through struggles, we’ve had our own issues to deal with and we worked through everything,” she added.
“He’s nothing if not completely honest with me. I trust him with my children’s lives, with my grandchildren’s lives, my nieces and nephews. He is an honorable, caring, generous human being.”
Gilbert explained that she decided to speak publicly after what she described as seeing “too much untruth” circulating.
She said. “And we felt that the time was right to speak out. Also, I wasn’t capable until now. It’s been a very traumatic time.”
Busfield has also been accused of assaulting a 16-year-old girl, with the girl’s father speaking about the alleged incident.
Gilbert said the accusations have fundamentally altered their lives and future plans.
“Our life as we knew it is done,” Gilbert went on to say. “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.”
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues or want to speak to someone in confidence regarding the welfare of a child, the Childhelp USA National Child Abuse Hotline (1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453) operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and receives calls from throughout the United States, Canada, US Virgin Islands, Guam and Puerto Rico.