{"id":2361242,"date":"2026-04-06T17:44:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-06T17:44:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2361242"},"modified":"2026-04-06T17:44:00","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T17:44:00","slug":"melissa-gilbert-researched-timothy-busfields-past-sexual-assault-allegations-before-marrying-him-heard-his-side","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/melissa-gilbert-researched-timothy-busfields-past-sexual-assault-allegations-before-marrying-him-heard-his-side\/","title":{"rendered":"Melissa Gilbert researched Timothy Busfield&#8217;s past sexual assault allegations before marrying him: &#8216;Heard his side&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div data-article-body=\"true\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Actress <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/person\/melissa-gilbert\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Melissa Gilbert;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;Melissa Gilbert&quot;}\" class=\"link \">Melissa Gilbert<\/a> has revealed that she previously investigated past sexual assault allegations against husband <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/person\/timothy-busfield\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Timothy Busfield;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;Timothy Busfield&quot;}\" class=\"link \">Timothy Busfield<\/a> \u2014 who&#8217;s <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/melissa-gilbert-gma-interview-child-abuse-allegations-timothy-busfield-ruined-future-11942782\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:currently awaiting trial on counts of child abuse;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;currently awaiting trial on counts of child abuse&quot;}\" class=\"link \">currently awaiting trial on counts of child abuse<\/a> \u2014 before marrying him in 2013.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">In a pre-taped interview with <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/good-morning-america\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Good Morning America;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;Good Morning America&quot;}\" class=\"link \"><em>Good Morning America<\/em><\/a>&#8216;s George Stephanopoulos that ran Monday morning on the ABC talk show, Gilbert defended both current allegations against him and prior accusations of sexual assault from 1994 and 2012.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;I need to make something abundantly clear. These allegations have been out in the ether for a very long time,&#8221; the <em>Little House on the Prairie<\/em> star said.<br \/>&#8220;When Tim and I got together, the internet existed. I didn&#8217;t go into my relationship with him blind. I am neither na\u00efve, nor am I complicit.&#8221;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-0 size-full\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-3 right-3 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed bottom-0 left-0 right-0 top-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p><i>George Stephanopoulos, Larry Stein, Melissa Gilbert on &#8216;GMA&#8217;<br \/>Credit: ABC<\/i><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Of allegations against Busfield that reportedly stemmed from the production of the 1994 movie <em>Little Big League <\/em>and the 2012 accusation, Gilbert said she &#8220;talked to him about it&#8221; and &#8220;asked him questions about it.&#8221; <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20260115204545\/https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/california\/story\/2026-01-14\/timothy-busfield-new-sex-abuse-accusation-actor-appears-in-court\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Per the Los Angeles Times;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;Per the Los Angeles Times&quot;}\" class=\"link \">Per the <em>Los Angeles Times<\/em><\/a>, prosecutors declined to file charges for the 2012 incident \u2014\u00a0in which Busfield was accused of battery after a woman said he sexually assaulted her in a Los Angeles movie theater \u2014\u00a0due to &#8220;slim evidence.&#8221; Busfield called the incident &#8220;consensual&#8221; per a warrant.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;I heard his side of the story, which no one has ever heard, which is the truth,&#8221; Gilbert told <em>GMA<\/em>. &#8220;When the time is right, and that is not now, Tim will tell the truth of all of these past allegations when he needs to.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">When reached for comment, Busfield&#8217;s attorney, Larry Stein \u2014 who appeared alongside Gilbert during the ABC interview \u2014\u00a0tells <em>Entertainment Weekly, <\/em>&#8220;The judge who released him at the detention hearing found that there was no connection between allegations that are 30 years old with adult women, and the allegations regarding prepubescent boys&#8221; that led to the most recent charges against the actor.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><strong><em>Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/ew-dispatch-newsletter-11812417\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:EW Dispatch newsletter;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;EW Dispatch newsletter&quot;}\" class=\"link \"><strong><em>EW Dispatch newsletter<\/em><\/strong><\/a><strong><em>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;He&#8217;s taken a lie detector test and proven that he&#8217;s innocent which will be admitted to the jury if the case goes forward. I can&#8217;t waste my time or the public&#8217;s time on unproven, irrelevant allegations,&#8221; Stein continues, adding that &#8220;the psychologist who tested [Busfield] found that he had no interest in prepubescent boys.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Stein&#8217;s comment to EW and Gilbert&#8217;s statements on <em>GMA<\/em> come after Stephanopoulos inquired about past accusations against Busfield, which Stein previously described to EW as &#8220;<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/timothy-busfield-rep-slams-unproven-allegation-he-sexually-assaulted-costar-in-the-90s-11922331\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:totally irrelevant to the current case;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;totally irrelevant to the current case&quot;}\" class=\"link \">totally irrelevant to the current case<\/a>.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">On Feb. 6, Busfield was indicted by an Albuquerque, N.M., grand jury on four counts of criminal sexual contact with a minor, with Busfield&#8217;s trial set for 2027. The allegations came after two child actors that Busfield worked with on the TV series\u00a0<em>The Cleaning Lady<\/em>\u00a0alleged that he touched them inappropriately; per a warrant, one accused the actor of having rubbed his genitals and touched his buttocks on the set of the Fox drama, on which Busfield worked as a producer, director, and actor between 2022 and 2025.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;We\u2019ve been hearing and reading too much untruth. And we felt that the time was right to speak out. Also, honestly, I wasn\u2019t capable until now. It\u2019s been a very traumatic time,&#8221; Gilbert said of the allegations. When asked later in the discussion what the experience has been like for her and Busfield as a couple, Gilbert called the ordeal &#8220;hell.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;This has been the most traumatizing experience of our lives. Our life as we knew it is done. We are grieving what we had. All of our plans, all of our dreams, all of our ideas, all of our projects,&#8221; she added. &#8220;For Tim, it&#8217;s done. He&#8217;s canceled. Even if he&#8217;s exonerated, he will always be that guy. The last person in the world who would hurt a child. Believe me, if I thought for a second that Tim Busfield hurt a child, he&#8217;d have a lot more to worry about than prison.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Read the original article on <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/melissa-gilbert-researched-timothy-busfield-past-sexual-assault-allegations-11943349\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Entertainment Weekly;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;Entertainment Weekly&quot;}\" class=\"link \">Entertainment Weekly<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.yahoo.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Actress Melissa Gilbert has revealed that she previously investigated past sexual assault allegations against husband Timothy Busfield \u2014 who&#8217;s currently awaiting trial on counts of child abuse \u2014 before marrying him in 2013. In a pre-taped interview with Good Morning America&#8216;s George Stephanopoulos that ran Monday morning on the ABC talk show, Gilbert defended both [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2361243,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25172],"tags":[367269,458632,330120,359445],"class_list":["post-2361242","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment","tag-george-stephanopoulos","tag-larry-stein","tag-melissa-gilbert","tag-timothy-busfield"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Melissa-Gilbert-researched-Timothy-Busfields-past-sexual-assault-allegations-before.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2361242","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2361242"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2361242\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2361244,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2361242\/revisions\/2361244"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2361243"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2361242"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2361242"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2361242"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}