Actress Melissa Gilbert sent a letter pleading for a judge to ‘protect’ her husband Timothy Busfield as the West Wing actor remains in custody on child sex abuse charges.
Busfield, 68, surrendered to law enforcement in New Mexico on Tuesday after a warrant was issued for his arrest on charges of child abuse and criminal sexual contact with a minor.
In a motion filed by his attorneys on Friday night, Busfield’s wife, who starred in the Little House on the Prairie series in the 70s and 80s, begged a judge to release her husband.
‘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,’ Gilbert wrote.
‘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.’
The actor is accused of inappropriately touching twin boys who worked with him on the set of the television series, The Cleaning Lady, from 2022 until 2024. Only one brother accused him of sexual contact.
Following the initial allegations, Busfield was also accused of sexually abusing a 16-year-old girl while she was auditioning for a show. He denies all allegations against him.
Busfield is currently being held without bond at the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center in Albuquerque.
Melissa Gilbert penned a pleading letter to a judge asking for him to protect her husband, Timothy Busfield, after he was thrown in jail on child sex abuse charges. The couple is pictured together above in November
Busfield turned himself in to law enforcement in New Mexico on Tuesday after a warrant was issued for his arrest on charges of child abuse and criminal sexual contact with a minor. He’s pictured above in custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Bernalillo County
Busfield is widely known for his role in the West Wing (pictured opposite Allison Janey)
His attorneys filed the motion late on Friday night, arguing that prosecutors haven’t provided proof that Busfield poses a danger to the community if released on bond.
Gilbert said in her letter that her husband is an honorable and compassionate man, insisting that he ‘has the strongest moral compass of any human I have ever known.’
She recalled that the two met in the 1980s but fell in love in 2012, calling her husband her ‘love,’ ‘rock,’ and ‘partner in business and life.’
Gilbert gushed that Busfield brought ‘sparkle’ to her life, adding that multiple people who have worked with him on set have called him their favorite director.
She said that one of the ‘joys’ in her life was watching Busfield raise her youngest son, Michael.
Gilbert compared Busfield to her father, praising the men in her life for their military service and their principles of ‘honor, integrity, compassion and care.’
She concluded that the letter was the ‘strangest’ she ever had to write and admitted to struggling to toe the line between logic and feelings.
The recent filing also included a psychosexual evaluation conducted by a certified sex offender treatment specialist, detailing that Busfield is a ‘very low risk’ case.
His wife reported that the two had a ‘satisfying sex life’ but enjoyed cuddling more due to their age.
Gilbert described her relationship with Busfield and defended his character in a letter written to the judge
Gilbert pleaded with the judge to ‘protect’ her husband in a court filing asking for Busfield to be released on bond
Gilbert, pictured with her husband in 2019, said Busfield was her ‘rock’ and ‘partner in business and in life’
The brief stated that Busfield would sometimes masturbate while taking a shower, as it is ‘easier’, saying the last time he masturbated was six months ago.
In addition to Gilbert’s letter of support, Busfield’s colleagues in the film industry also wrote to praise his character.
Busfield’s co-stars including Peter Horton, sitting at the front, and Patricia Wettig, right in Busfield’s arms, both issued statements to the court via his attorneys
Actor and director Peter Horton, who worked with Busfield in the 80s television series Thirtysomething, described his co-star as ‘a good man.’
‘I offer this perspective to you from not only a fellow artist and friend, but as a fellow father of two girls who knows the power and necessity of having a good dad,’ he added.
The star of the series, Patricia Wettig, said Busfield was always professional and was ‘humble and caring’ when they filmed intimate scenes.
Wettig added that Busfield would always make sure any kids on the show ‘felt comfortable and safe’, adding ‘he is a wonderful man and I trust him completely’.
Mackenzie Astin, who worked with Busfield on the early 2000s show, First Years, praised him for his help after a stint in rehab.
Gilbert, pictured above last January, said in her letter that one of her greatest joys was watching Busfield raise her son
Gilbert even compared Busfield to her father, adding that her husband had ‘the strongest moral compass of any human’ she knew
Busfield has denied all the accusations against him, telling TMZ in a video that he never inappropriately touched the twin boys and discredited the claims as lies.
His attorneys have alleged that the accusers lost their role on The Cleaning Lady, creating a financial and retaliatory motive.
Investigators told The Daily Mail that Warner Bros., which produced the series, made it difficult for them to obtain evidence.
The lead officer on the case, Marvin Brown, wrote in an arrest affidavit that the company ‘waited almost three months to comply with a court order to produce the independent investigation.’
Since Busfield’s arrest, the case has drawn national attention, and past accusations against the actor have resurfaced.
Mackenzie Astin, seen here, worked with Busfield on two episodes of First Years in the early 2000s and also expressed support for the embattled star
An unrelated allegation of sexual abuse was included in a pretrial detention motion filed Wednesday, accusing Busfield of having abused a 16-year-old girl while she was auditioning for a show in Sacramento.
Documents in a pretrial detention motion filed Wednesday stated that Busfield allegedly kissed a teenage girl ‘and put his hands down her pants and touched her privates’ at the B Street Theatre.
A spokesperson for the theatre told People that they conducted an internal investigation and subsequently banned Busfield from the premises.
Busfield’s next court date is set for January 20, when a judge will determine whether to release him on bond.
