ACTRESS Melissa Gilbert is said to be standing by her husband Timothy Busfield as he faces child sex abuse charges.
Emmy winner Busfield, who starred in The West Wing and Thirtysomething, surrendered to cops on Tuesday and strongly denied the allegations against him.
Gilbert, who made her name as a child actress starring in the NBC series Little House on the Prairie, deleted her Instagram amid the probe into 68-year-old Busfield, whom she married in 2013.
Busfield, who played senior White House correspondent Danny Concannon in the drama series, is accused of sexually abusing two twin boys on the set of the Fox series The Cleaning Lady.
Gilbert’s rep, Ame Van Iden, has issued a statement, which has been seen by People, on her behalf.
“Melissa Gilbert is not making public statements at this time,” it said.
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‘ABUSE’ CHARGES
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Her rep warned that any AI-generated statements purporting to come from her should be ignored.
“She is honoring the request of Tim’s lawyers not to speak publicly while the legal process unfolds,” the statement said.
“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, 61, co-founded the female lifestyle brand Modern Prairie with Nicole Haase in 2022.
The company has since released a statement, saying the allegations do not involve the business.
“Modern Prairie is aware of recent media reports regarding serious allegations involving a family member of our brand muse, Melissa Gilbert,” the statement said.
“These allegations do not involve Modern Prairie, our operations nor our community.
“Modern Prairie unequivocally condemns abuse in all forms and remains committed to values of safety, integrity, and respect.”
The business said it is respecting the privacy of Gilbert’s family.
Melissa Gilbert’s representative’s statement
THE representative of Melissa Gilbert has issued a statement amid the ongoing investigation into Timothy Busfield.
“Melissa Gilbert is not making public statements at this time,” the statement says.
“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.
“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.”
“Our focus remains on supporting our community and continuing our work with care, responsibility, and intention.”
Gilbert and Busfield tied the knot at the San Ysidro Ranch in Santa Barbara – one year after they met in a bar.
Both have been married twice before.
They lived in Busfield’s hometown of Howell, Michigan, for five years before moving to New York.
But, Gilbert deleted her Instagram after Albuquerque cops issued the warrant for Busfield.
Users trying to view her social media account are met with the message: “Profile isn’t available. The link may be broken, or the profile may have been removed.”
Busfield stands accused of inappropriately touching two boys.
One boy claimed Busfield inappropriately touched him on several occasions when he was seven and night, according to a complaint seen by The U.S. Sun.
A second boy alleged Busfield inappropriately touched him over two years.
The alleged abuse took place between November 2022 and the spring of 2024.
And, the boys mother reported it to social services in October last year.
ACTOR’S DENIAL
The complaint claims one of the boys has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety.
And, he reportedly suffers nightmares about the actor touching him.
Busfield has since surrendered in Albuquerque and said: “I did not do anything to those little boys.”
In a video seen by TMZ, he labeled the allegations as “lies.”
And, he vowed to confront the accusations.
Meanwhile, Busfield’s home located in New York was raided, as reported by The Mail.
Cops part of the New York Regional Fugitive Task Force reportedly demanded people inside to exit the property.
They reportedly used a battering ram to knock down the door.
In light of the probe, an episode of Law & Order: SVU which featured Busfield and set to appear this week was shelved.
During his career, Busfield has racked up more than 750 professional credits.
He won a Primetime Emmy in 1991 for his role as Elliot Weston in Thirtysomething.
Busfield received three Emmy nominations for his role in the series before winning the award.