Melissa Gilbert gives first interview since Timothy Busfield arrest

Melissa Gilbert is speaking out in her first sitdown interview since her husband, Timothy Busfield, was indicted on sex-crimes charges.

The "Little House on the Prairie" actress, 61, told "Good Morning America" host George Stephanopoulos in a teaser clip for their conversation that Busfield's arrest was "the most traumatizing experience of our lives."

Busfield, whom Gilbert wed in 2013, was arrested in January in connection with allegations of abusing minors. The "West Wing" actor, 68, is accused of abusing minors during his time filming the television series "The Cleaning Lady." On Feb. 6, a New Mexico grand jury indicted the director on four counts of criminal sexual contact of a child.

Gilbert went on to describe the experience as "hell" in the interview clip, telling Stephanopoulos, "Our life as we knew it is done."

"We are grieving what we had," she continued. "All of our plans, all of our dreams, all of our ideas, all of our projects − For Tim, it's done. He's canceled, and this will never, even if he's exonerated, he will always be that guy."

She went on to describe him as "the last person in the world who would hurt a child," adding, "Believe me, if I thought for a second that Tim Busfield hurt a child, he'd have a lot more to worry about than prison." The interview is set to air in full on Monday, April 6, per People, which was the first to share it.

What is Timothy Busfield accused of?

Between late 2022 and early 2024, Busfield allegedly abused two young actors, who were 7 and 8 years old at the time, as they worked on "The Cleaning Lady," according to prosecutors. The actor also served as director on the show. He has denied any wrongdoing.

Busfield has argued that the allegations he faces are an act of retaliation after the boys were recast on the show. In several court appearances, the actor has appeared in an orange prison uniform, as Gilbert watched on from the courtroom.

One child alleged that Busfield touched his genitals several times; both said Busfield touched them inappropriately and instructed them to call him "Uncle Tim."

According to the criminal complaint, the children's mother reported the incidents to Child Protective Services. One child has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety, and feared disclosing the alleged abuse because of retaliation from Busfield, the complaint alleges. In 2024, University of New Mexico Hospital staff members requested an investigation because it appeared the boys were being groomed.

According to the affidavit, Busfield acknowledged to police in a phone interview that the set was a "playful environment" and that he had probably tickled the boys. Production assistants told Albuquerque police that Busfield was sometimes touchy or unprofessional.

Timothy Busfield faces fresh allegations from women

During a motion for pretrial detention on Jan. 14, Colin Swift, the father of an alleged victim, said he told law enforcement the day prior that Busfield sexually abused his daughter "several years ago" in California.

Since his arrest, at least four women have told police that the Emmy-award-winning actor and director groped their breasts and genitals and forced himself on them, dating from 1993 to 2000. One said she was a 16-year-old community theater intern when Busfield allegedly pushed his hand into her pants and his tongue into her mouth.

The women shared their stories with an Albuquerque police detective in January, according to six video interviews with the women that USA TODAY obtained from the Second Judicial District Court in New Mexico under a public records request.

A trial date has been set for May 2027 in New Mexico for the child sex-abuse charges.

Contributing: Laura Trujillo, USA TODAY