Melissa Gilbert stood by her husband, actor Timothy Busfield, on Tuesday, attending his crucial pretrial hearing in Albuquerque to determine whether he will be granted bail ahead of his trial on serious child abuse allegations. The Little House on the Prairie star, 61, arrived at the Bernalillo County Courthouse nearly an hour before proceedings were scheduled to begin, presenting a solemn and glum-faced demeanour as she entered the building flanked by a substantial legal team.
A Sombre Court Appearance
Gilbert maintained a notably low profile in the lead-up to the hearing, having remained publicly silent about her third husband's legal predicament since Busfield, 68, voluntarily surrendered to Albuquerque police last week. For her court appearance, the mother-of-two wore an outfit that subtly nodded to her most famous role, choosing a prairie-inspired ensemble consisting of a paisley dress, a velvet blazer, and tan suede boots.
The primary purpose of Tuesday's hearing was for the presiding judge to evaluate whether Busfield should be released on bail and, if so, under what specific conditions. Following this determination, the formal charges against the veteran actor were to be announced, leading to his arraignment on three separate counts.
Contested Allegations and Defence Submissions
In a significant development reported earlier, Busfield's legal team submitted audio recordings to the New Mexico court on Monday. These recordings allegedly feature police interviews from November 2024 with the two child actors central to the case. According to defence filings, the audio captures the twin boys, identified in court documents only as VL and SL, explicitly denying that Busfield ever touched their genitals.
In the contested audio, when questioned by an officer about understanding appropriate physical boundaries, one boy reportedly stated, 'Yeah, but he doesn't touch those parts.' The second boy similarly responded, 'No, he's never touched me... never.' Busfield's attorneys have characterised this as an 'unequivocal denial' of the core allegations.
Gilbert's Personal Plea to the Court
Breaking her public silence in a legal context, Melissa Gilbert submitted a heartfelt letter to Judge David Murphy last Friday, passionately advocating for her husband's release. In the correspondence, the thrice-married actress described Busfield as her 'love, my rock, my partner in business and life.'
She elaborated, 'Tim has the strongest moral compass of any human I have ever known. He has dedicated his spiritual self to always being of service to others. He starts every day with kindness and compassion.' Gilbert concluded her emotional appeal by writing, 'I am relying on you to protect him for me,' expressing profound distress at her inability to shield him herself.
Intimate Details and Ongoing Incarceration
In an awkward revelation for the couple, court papers filed ahead of the bail hearing included details from a sex offender risk evaluation. The documents noted that Busfield reported having a 'satisfying sex life' with his current wife, Gilbert, who confirmed the statement. The evaluation added that at their ages, they 'simply enjoy one another's company and cuddling more often than engaging in sexual intercourse.'
Since his arrest, Timothy Busfield has been held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Albuquerque, confined to the facility's Restrictive Housing Unit (RHU). This specially secured section is typically reserved for inmates requiring additional protection. The West Wing star faces multiple counts of criminal sexual contact with a minor, plus one charge of child abuse.
Case Background and Prosecution Stance
The allegations against Busfield first became public on January 9th, when Albuquerque Police issued an arrest warrant. The accusations stem from an incident alleged to have occurred in 2022 during the filming of the FOX drama series The Cleaning Lady. According to the warrant, the twin 11-year-old boys initially did not report inappropriate touching to police.
However, in October 2025, their mother informed Child Protective Services that one child had told a therapist Busfield touched his 'genitalia' and 'bottom' while in a bedroom on set. Following the warrant's issuance, Busfield disappeared for several days before driving approximately 2,000 miles from his upstate New York cabin to surrender in New Mexico on January 13th.
Prosecutors have filed a motion seeking to detain Busfield until his trial, citing the severity of the charges. Their filing also references an unrelated, alleged sex abuse incident involving a young girl who met the actor at his B Street Theater in Sacramento. Melissa Gilbert is listed as a potential witness for the defence as they argue for his pretrial release.
Busfield has consistently denied all charges. In a video statement sent to TMZ while en route to surrender, he expressed being 'devastated' by the allegations. If convicted on all counts, he could face a custodial sentence of up to 15 years.
