Larisha Paul
Contact Larisha Paul on X View all posts by Larisha Paul April 6, 2026
Melissa Gilbert attends a hearing for Timothy Busfield on Jan. 20, 2026. Sam Wasson/Getty Images Melissa Gilbert wants “freedom” from her husband Timothy Busfield‘s child sex abuse case. In a recent interview with George Stephanopoulos on Good Morning America, Gilbert said she is “100 percent confident he will be exonerated,” but noted that “there is a practical side to this, and we do have to be prepared for all scenarios.”
Busfield has been formally charged with four counts of criminal sexual contact of a child. The 68-year-old was arrested in January on accusations related to twin child actors he worked with on the Fox television series The Cleaning Lady. He denies the accusations, calling them “horrible lies.” He pleaded not guilty to all four counts in February.
The four counts of criminal sexual contact of a child correspond to Busfield’s alleged conduct with only one of the boys, according to the two-page indictment obtained by Rolling Stone. The counts appear to relate to two separate incidents, one that occurred between Oct. 19, 2022 and Sept. 10, 2023, and a second that occurred between Sept. 11, 2023 and May 30, 2024.
