After it was announced that an arrest warrant had been issued for Timothy Busfield on child sex abuse charges, his longtime wife, Melissa Gilbert, deactivated her Instagram account. While it seemed like she wasn’t going to publicly address her husband’s extremely serious legal troubles, she has now released a clear statement.
The day after that happened, Busfield made his first appearance in court, and a major decision about his immediate fate was reached.
Melissa Gilbert Expresses ‘Support’ for Timothy Busfield, Requests Family Privacy
On April 25th, 2013, People published an article about Melissa Gilbert and Timothy Busfieldgetting married at that time. More than a decade later, on January 9th, 2026, an ABC affiliate reported that a warrant had been issued for the arrest of Busfield, 68. Four days after that, People reported that a representative for Gilbert, 61, had released a statement on their client’s behalf that warned observers against being tricked by fake AI videos.
“Melissa Gilbert is not making public statements at this time. Any purported ‘statements’ circulating online — including AI-generated deepfakes of her ‘breaking her silence’ — should not be treated as coming from her.” The statement went on to explain the motivation behind Gilbert’s public silence on Busfield’s legal troubles. “She is honoring the request of Tim’s lawyers not to speak publicly while the legal process unfolds.”
Most notably, the statement ended with Gilbert expressing her total support for Busfield and requesting that her family’s privacy be respected. “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.”
Timothy Busfield Makes First Court Appearance, Remains in Jail With No Bond
Also on January 14th, 2026, Timothy Busfield made his first court appearance. An ABC News report from that day also revealed that Busfield is now facing claims of abuse from a new alleged victim. Documents state the new allegation is based on claims made by the father of a 16-year-old who went to law enforcement the previous day. Another court document argued that Busfield should remain behind bars. Ultimately, the judge decided that Busfield would be held without bond.
On January 13th, 2026, TMZ obtained and published a video that Busfield recorded before surrendering to law enforcement. In the video, Busfield denied the allegations against him and professed that he would fight to prove his innocence.
“Hi everybody, it’s Tim. 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 in 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. So hang in there, and hopefully I’m out real soon and back to work. I love everybody for supporting me, thank you.”
Timothy Busfield is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
