Timothy Busfield’s wife Melissa Gilbert is asking a judge to keep her husband “safe” as he remains in New Mexico facing charges of child sex abuse.
The West Wing actor was booked by Albuquerque police on charges of child sex abuse, stemming from allegations that he inappropriately touched a minor on the set of a TV series he was directing in the state.
He faces two counts of criminal sexual contact of a child under 13 and one count of child abuse.
Busfield is currently being held without bail, according to jail records. A judge will hold a detention hearing on Tuesday to determine whether Busfield will remain in jail.
In a new filing, obtained by People, 75 letters of support for the actor were included from family, colleagues and friends.
In Gilbert’s letter, she wrote, “The reality is that Tim Busfield is my love, my rock, my partner in business and life. He is my comfort and my council. His joy, humor and quick wit bring sparkle to my life. Tim is, quite simply, the beating heart of our wild and wonderful extended family.”
“I can tell you, and anyone, that I know Tim better and more intimately than anything in his life ever has. Conversely, he knows me in the same way,” she continued. “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.”
She wrote that on “every single set where Tim is working,” she’s had people tell her that Busfield is “their favorite director ever.”
“Actually, people say that to me in restaurants, on red carpets and in grocery stores too. His former students, tell me he was their favorite teacher ever. I cannot tell you how it has warmed my heart over and over again to hear people, from so many different walks of life, tell me they encountered my husband in some way and he is their favorite. He is my favorite,” she wrote.
Gilbert said “one of the great joys of my life” has been watching Busfield bond with her youngest son, Michael.
“Michael was a teenager when Tim and I got together. A full blown, angst-ridden teenager trying to figure out his place in the world,” she wrote. “Tim nurtured and guided Michael. He admonished, praised, loved, consoled, cajoled, fretted, cared for, and fed my son both physically and spiritually.
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“I will never be able to express the depth of gratitude I have to God for bringing this wonderful human into our lives.”
Gilbert also said that Busfield’s former military training “enhanced for him what he values most; honor, integrity, compassion and care for his fellow human beings. Tim also applies those principles to orders. If he is told to do something, he does it fully and with honor, integrity, compassion and care.”
She admitted that “this is the strangest letter I’ve ever had to write.”
“I began this letter with logic, but now the feelings have taken over. I can’t help it. I only want this extraordinary man safe and whole. So, I will close by asking you to please, please, take care of my sweet husband. As he is my protector, I am his, but I cannot protect him now and I think that, more than anything else, is what is truly breaking my heart. I am relying on you to protect him for me,” she concluded.
A representative for the Little House on the Prairie actor, 61, released a statement after Busfield surrendered to authorities in Albuquerque, N.M., last week after an arrest warrant had been issued for the 68-year-old director to face child sex abuse charges by the Albuquerque Police Department (APD).
“Melissa Gilbert is not making public statements at this time,” publicist Ame Van Iden said in a statement. “Any purported ‘statements’ circulating online — including AI-generated deepfakes of her ‘breaking her silence’ — should not be treated as coming from her.”
“She is honoring the request of Tim’s lawyers not to speak publicly while the legal process unfolds,” the statement continued. “During this period, her focus is on supporting and caring for their very large family, as they navigate this moment. Melissa stands with and supports her husband and will address the public at an appropriate time. We ask that their privacy be respected.”
Gilbert’s clothing and decor brand, Modern Prairie, also issued a statement following Busfield’s arrest.
“Modern Prairie is aware of recent media reports regarding serious allegations involving a family member of our brand muse, Melissa Gilbert. These allegations do not involve Modern Prairie, our operations, nor our community,” Modern Prairie said in a statement on Instagram.
“Modern Prairie unequivocally condemns abuse in all forms and remains committed to values of safety, integrity, and respect,” the statement continued. “While these matters are personal and do not directly involve Melissa or the brand, we are respecting the privacy of the family as they navigate a difficult and personal situation.
“Our focus remains on supporting our community and continuing our work with care, responsibility, and intention,” the statement concluded.
In a video shared before turning himself in, Busfield called the allegations against him “lies.”
“Hi everybody, it’s Tim,” he began. “I’m sure most of you know, that are watching this, that I was ordered to come to Albuquerque — I’m here now. I got the call Friday night, I had to get a lawyer. Saturday I got the car, drove 2,000 miles to Albuquerque. I’m gonna confront these lies. They’re horrible.”
“They’re all lies and I did not do anything to those little boys and I’m gonna fight it. I’m gonna fight it with a great team, and I’m gonna be exonerated, I know I am, because this is all so wrong and all lies,” he continued.
“So hang in there and hopefully I’m out real soon and back to work. I love everybody for supporting me, thank you.”
The actor was ordered held without bond at his first court appearance last Wednesday.
Busfield appeared remotely via video link from jail, where he was booked Tuesday. During his court appearance Busfield stood silent, dressed in orange prison clothes, while a defence lawyer spoke on his behalf.
Defence lawyer Larry Stein said Busfield submitted to an independent polygraph test within the last couple of days. There was “no deception — (he) passed the polygraph test,” Stein said.
“We plan on responding in detail to establish that he should not be detained” as the case proceeds, Stein said.
Legal experts say New Mexico is among a few states that allow polygraph evidence in criminal cases, but a judge has final say over whether one can be used. There are strict requirements for admission.
Busfield was dropped by Innovative Artists on the same day that he made his first court appearance.
A rep for the company told Deadline that the actor was no longer with the agency and declined to comment further.
— With files from The Associated Press
