Melissa Gilbert is standing by her husband Timothy Busfield as he faces accusations of kid intercourse abuse.
A consultant for the Little Home on the Prairie actor, 61, launched an announcement after Busfield surrendered to authorities in Albuquerque, N.M., on Tuesday. An arrest warrant had been issued for the 68-year-old director to face baby intercourse abuse prices final week by the Albuquerque Police Division (APD).
“Melissa Gilbert shouldn’t be making public statements presently,” publicist Ame Van Iden instructed Folks in an announcement. “Any purported ‘statements’ circulating on-line — together with AI-generated deepfakes of her ‘breaking her silence’ — shouldn’t be handled as coming from her.”
“She is honoring the request of Tim’s attorneys to not converse publicly whereas the authorized course of unfolds,” the assertion continued. “Throughout this era, her focus is on supporting and caring for his or her very giant household, as they navigate this second. Melissa stands with and helps her husband and can deal with the general public at an applicable time. We ask that their privateness be revered.”
Gilbert’s clothes and decor model, Fashionable Prairie, additionally issued an announcement following Busfield’s arrest.
“Fashionable Prairie is conscious of latest media studies relating to critical allegations involving a member of the family of our model muse, Melissa Gilbert. These allegations don’t contain Fashionable Prairie, our operations, nor our neighborhood,” Fashionable Prairie stated in an announcement on Instagram.
“Fashionable Prairie unequivocally condemns abuse in all varieties and stays dedicated to values of security, integrity, and respect,” the assertion continued. “Whereas these issues are private and don’t immediately contain Melissa or the model, we’re respecting the privateness of the household as they navigate a troublesome and private state of affairs.
“Our focus stays on supporting our neighborhood and persevering with our work with care, duty, and intention,” the assertion concluded.
The statements come after Busfield claimed that he “didn’t do something fallacious” in a video obtained by TMZ.
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“Hello all people, it’s Tim,” he started. “I’m certain most of you understand, which might be watching this, that I used to be ordered to come back to Albuquerque — I’m right here now. I received the decision Friday night time, I needed to get a lawyer. Saturday, I received the automobile, drove 2,000 miles to Albuquerque. I’m gonna confront these lies. They’re horrible.”
“They’re all lies and I didn’t do something to these little boys and I’m gonna battle it. I’m gonna battle it with an ideal group, and I’m gonna be exonerated, I do know I’m, as a result of that is all so fallacious and all lies,” he continued. “So cling in there and hopefully I’m out actual quickly and again to work. I like all people for supporting me. Thanks.”
After the video was revealed, an APD spokesperson confirmed to World Information that Busfield had turned himself in on the Metro Detention Middle.
“He can be booked on his warrant,” the APD spokesperson added.
“Tim voluntarily appeared earlier than New Mexico authorities after travelling throughout the nation to confront these false and deeply troubling allegations,” stated Stanton Stein, a lawyer for Busfield. “He’s harmless and is decided to clear his title.”
Busfield was booked by Albuquerque police on prices of kid intercourse abuse stemming from allegations that he inappropriately touched a minor on the set of a TV sequence he was directing in New Mexico.
He faces two counts of prison sexual contact of a kid below 13 and one depend of kid abuse.
He’s presently being held with out bail, in accordance to jail data. A primary look in court docket was scheduled for Wednesday.
A screenshot of Timothy Busfield’s reserving document.
Metropolitan Detention Middle / MDC Custody Checklist
The prison criticism filed by Marvin Kirk Brown with the police division says two kids, 11-year-old twin brothers, reported that Busfield touched them inappropriately on the set of The Cleansing Girl, a TV sequence Busfield directed and acted in.
One of many kids stated the primary incident occurred when he was seven years outdated, and that Busfield touched him three or 4 occasions. Busfield is accused of touching him 5 or 6 occasions on one other event when he was eight. The boy stated he touched him in his “personal areas.”
The kid’s mom reported to Little one Protecting Providers that the abuse occurred between November 2022 and spring 2024, the criticism stated. She alleged that her kids “have been groomed and sexually abused by Timothy,” the criticism stated.
Busfield denied the allegations when interviewed by authorities final fall as a part of an investigation, in accordance with the criticism.
The criticism additionally says the youngsters have been reportedly afraid to inform anybody as a result of Busfield was the director they usually feared he would get upset with them.
When he was interviewed by authorities as a part of the investigation, Busfield recommended the boys’ mom was looking for revenge for her kids being changed on the sequence. Busfield additionally beforehand stated he probably would have picked up and tickled the boys, saying the set was a playful surroundings.
Brown stated he requested Busfield what the “protocol was for touching kids and choosing them up” and in addition requested “if it was allowed.”
“Timothy initially stated, ‘It’s not allowed in any respect. There isn’t a, there’s no protocol. I imply, I’m all the time round folks, proper? Uh, uh, uh, it will be, it will be, you understand, in entrance of the mother and father. There would by no means be a bizarre second about it. I don’t actually keep in mind choosing these boys up. Uh, I keep in mind choosing up the boy who adopted them. I’d choose him up, and he’d be guffawing and that may kind of get him able to act,’” Brown recalled Busfield saying within the authorized doc.
He stated Busfield then said, “‘I don’t keep in mind these boys. No, I don’t, I don’t truly, I don’t keep in mind it, it, if it occurred, I don’t keep in mind overtly tickling the boys ever, however it wouldn’t be unusual for me.’”
Brown stated Busfield and his spouse instructed him they did have a relationship with the 2 kids and their household exterior of labor.
“They suggested that they did purchase the 2 boys Christmas presents and have been collectively on a number of social capabilities,” the criticism added.
— With information from The Related Press
