Melissa Gilbert’s Remarks on Child Gender Amid Her Husband’s Arrest Warrant

Melissa Gilbert spoke about child sexual abuse on social media weeks before her husband, Timothy Busfieldwas facing an arrest warrant.

Albuquerque police say the 68-year-old actor and director sexually assaulted two 11-year-old twins, with one saying the abuse began when they were seven.

The investigations date back to 2024 after a UNMH doctor raised concerns. The boys, child actors in “The Cleaning Lady,” were reportedly cared for by Melissa Gilbert’s husband.

Melissa Gilbert spoke out about child sexual abuse weeks before husband Timothy Busfield’s arrest warrant

Melissa Gilbert addressed the issue of child sexual abuse in a social media post just weeks before her husband, Timothy Busfield, faced an arrest warrant related to allegations involving minors.

An arrest warrant issued by the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) and obtained by People Magazine on Friday, Jan. 9, he alleges Busfield, 68, had unlawful sexual contact with two 11-year-old twins.

Authorities say one of the juveniles said the alleged incidents began when he was 7 years old. Busfield faces two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse.

A few weeks earlier, Gilbert, 61, shared a Nov. 15 Instagram post featuring a photo of herself reflecting on her time on “Little House on the Prairie,” where she worked opposite an older on-screen love interest played by Dean Butler, who was several years older than her.

Melissa Gilbert reflected on her childhood on-screen romantic experiences and advocated for child safety

Writing the post at the time, Gilbert said she hesitated before posting, but ultimately felt compelled to speak out after seeing other women sharing similar experiences online using hashtags such as #IWasFifteen and #IWasACild.

Curious, she searched for images of herself from that age and was troubled by what she found.

Looking back, Gilbert said she felt sick realizing that the same young girl photographed vacationing in Hawaii with her family also had to “fall in love” and kiss a man on film who was several years older than her.

She added: “Given today’s goal, it’s shocking. I have no other words than to say, ‘I WAS A CHILD.’ “I was fifteen.” And I was the good news.”

Gilbert expressed gratitude to her mother, Michael Landon Sr., and others who kept her safe, noting, “Can you imagine if I didn’t have them all? I’m so lucky (in a way). A lot of other young women aren’t.”

Timothy Busfield faces arrest warrant for alleged sexual abuse of child actor twins

Several weeks later, on Friday, January 9, New Mexico authorities issued an arrest warrant for Gilbert’s husband, Timothy Busfield, according to documents obtained by Us every week.

The arrest warrant alleges that the actor and director engaged in illegal sexual acts involving two 11-year-old twins while working on the set of the television series “The Cleaning Lady.”

One of the minors told investigators the alleged abuse began when he was seven years old.

An accompanying affidavit obtained by the publication says the child was “very afraid of Tim and was relieved when he was out and about.”

The boy was also said to be “afraid to tell anyone because Tim was the director, and he was afraid Tim would get mad at him.”

Investigators questioned Timoth Busfield in the presence of Melissa Gilbert

The arrest warrant further states that investigators conducted a telephone interview with Busfield, during which his wife, Gilbert, was present and speaking over a loudspeaker.

In the affidavit, the investigator wrote that “Timothy and his wife, Melissa, previously told me that they had a relationship with [the young boys] and their family outside of work.

“They indicated that they had bought Christmas presents for both boys and were at several social functions together.”

Investigation into Timothy Busfield’s alleged sexual abuse of child actors dates back to 2024

The investigation into Busfield, best known for playing Danny Concannon on “The West Wing,” reportedly began in November 2024 after a doctor at the University of New Mexico Hospital (UNMH) contacted law enforcement regarding alleged sexual abuse.

According to the arrest warrant, the boys’ parents told Officer Marvin Kirk Brown that their children were actors who met Busfield while working on “The Cleaning Lady,” where he was a director. The FOX series aired from January 2022 to June 2025.

The parents were then advised by legal counsel to bring the children to UNMH for evaluation. Medical professionals reportedly indicated the boys may have received treatment, according to the warrant.

However, authorities later concluded that the case did not meet the required acceptance criteria at that time.

In October 2025, the boys’ mother then filed a police report and informed Child Protective Services (CPS) that her two children had disclosed alleged sexual abuse by Busfield between approximately November 2022 and spring 2024.

According to the arrest warrant, she was then informed that no action could be taken because the allegations did not involve physical violence.