Melissa Gilbert reacted with visible relief and joy Tuesday after her husband, actor-director Timothy Busfield, was released from custody while awaiting trial on child sex abuse charges.
Busfield, 68, was freed following a detention hearing in Albuquerque, where a judge ruled that prosecutors had failed to show he posed an unmanageable danger to the public if released under strict conditions. He had surrendered to police last week after an arrest warrant charged him with two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse, tied to alleged incidents on the set of the Fox series The Cleaning Lady.
Following the ruling, Busfield’s civil attorney Larry Stein told People that his client “feels wonderful” about the decision and was eager to reunite with his wife. Stein said Gilbert was “very, very excited” by the outcome.
Gilbert, 61, best known for her role as Laura Ingalls on Little House on the Prairie, has been married to Busfield since 2013. She was present in the courtroom for Tuesday’s hearing, seated alongside her mother, Barbara Cowan, 89, her son Michael Boxleitner, and Busfield’s brother, Buck.
State District Court Judge David Murphy acknowledged that the accusations against Busfield involve crimes that are inherently dangerous and concern children. Still, he said prosecutors did not establish that no release conditions could protect public safety.
“There’s no evidence of a pattern of criminal conduct,” Murphy said from the bench. “There are no similar allegations involving children in his past. Rather, this defendant self-surrendered and submitted himself to this court’s jurisdiction.”
After the judge ordered Busfield released, Gilbert was seen tearfully whispering, “Thank you, God,” according to People. Her representative had previously issued a statement affirming that Gilbert “stands with and supports her husband.”
Gilbert also submitted a letter to the court defending Busfield and denying that she had ever witnessed inappropriate behavior. In the letter, later quoted by Fox News Digital, she described him as “my love, my rock, my partner in business and life,” adding that his humor and warmth were central to their family. “This is the strangest letter I’ve ever had to write,” she said, pleading with the court to “take care of my sweet husband.”
Busfield, known for roles including the baseball drama Field of Dreams, has denied all allegations, calling them lies in a video released before he turned himself in. His attorneys argue the claims emerged only after the alleged victims lost their roles on The Cleaning Lady, suggesting a financial or retaliatory motive. They have pointed to what they describe as a history of fraud by the children’s parents and cited a Warner Bros. investigation they say found the allegations unfounded.
Prosecutors had sought to keep Busfield jailed pending trial, citing additional allegations that he groped a 16-year-old girl during an audition several years ago at Sacramento’s B Street Theatre, which Busfield founded. According to court filings obtained by Deadline, the girl’s father reported that Busfield kissed her and touched her under her clothing. Busfield’s legal team disputes that account.
As part of his release, Busfield must comply with a long list of conditions. He is barred from possessing firearms, consuming alcohol or illegal drugs, contacting alleged victims or witnesses, or having unsupervised contact with minors. He must appear at all future court dates, remain under the supervision of New Mexico Pretrial Services, and keep the court informed of his address.
The case remains pending, with Busfield’s trial still ahead. For now, Gilbert has made clear where she stands, publicly and emotionally, as her husband prepares for the next legal battle.
