Hear Melissa Gilbert call Timothy Busfield’s accusations ‘cruel’
Audio obtained by USA TODAY shows Melissa Gilbert telling police that the accusations against Timothy Busfield are “cruel” and “vengeful.”
- Actor Timothy Busfield was indicted in February 2026 on four counts of criminal sexual contact with a child.
- Mr Busfield and his wife Melissa Gilbert denied the charges during a police interview, calling them “cruel” and “disgusting”.
- The charges stem from allegations that he abused twin boys on the set of the Fox drama “Cleaning Women.”
When Melissa Gilbert appeared on “Good Morning America” on April 6 for her first interview about the child molestation charges against her husband, Timothy Busfield, she was calm and concerned.
But in a November 2025 police interview with Busfield, obtained exclusively by USA TODAY, Gilbert joined in and sounded angry.
She called the accusations “cruel, vengeful and disgusting.”
Busfield was charged with child molestation on January 9, and was arrested shortly thereafter for allegedly abusing twin boys, ages 7 and 8, on the set of Fox’s Cleaning Women.
The crime thriller, shot mostly in an Albuquerque studio, is about a Filipino surgeon who comes to the United States to treat his son and ends up working as a scavenger for the mob. Busfield worked as a director and producer on this series.
A New Mexico grand jury indicted Bassfield on February 6 on four counts of criminal sexual contact with a child. A trial date is set for May 2027.
On Nov. 3, 2025, when Albuquerque Police Detective Marvin Brown called Busfield to question him about allegations of child sexual abuse, Gilbert joined him on the call.
“You’re here with my wife Melissa Gilbert and I,” Busfield tells him.
Brown read Basfield his Miranda rights.
In a 35-minute phone interview recorded by Brown’s lapel camera, Busfield told detectives that he was never alone with the twin child actors and that his goal was to create a fun and playful atmosphere on set.
He called the abuse accusations “ridiculous.”
“It’s ridiculous that I would behave inappropriately with young boys,” Busfield said in a video obtained by USA TODAY from the New Mexico Second Judicial District Court based on a public records request.
Busfield, 68, is best known for his roles on “The West Wing” and “Thirty Something.” He denies the charges. In court, his lawyer said the boys’ parents were so dependent on their salaries (about $2 million for three seasons) that they fabricated the abuse and manipulated the children into lying.
“It’s cruel, it’s vindictive, it’s disgusting. And in my opinion, it doesn’t help the kids. It only hurts them,” Gilbert told police.
Gilbert said Busfield’s demeanor on the set of “The Cleaning Lady” was friendly and put the children at ease. As a child, Gilbert played the title role of Laura Ingalls on the television show Little House on the Prairie, which aired from 1974 to 1983.
“It’s really important that children feel safe with the people they’re working with, so the general practice is to be as friendly as possible so that they trust you and open up on screen,” she told police. “I was always impressed by the way Tim was so comfortable with the children.”
Gilbert and Busfield hosted cast parties at their homes with the boys and their parents, and attended family gatherings at other cast and staff homes.
“My sweet boys. They are boys,” she said. “They’re cute and fun, little boys. I mean, I’ve shopped for them for Christmas. I know them.”
“They’re good kids,” Busfield added. “They’re good kids.”
Ms Busfield and Ms Gilbert blamed the boys’ parents for the alleged abuse.
Busfield told police she was never alone with the children at the scene of the shooting. Teachers and parents were always present.
“Probably legally…it’s Warner Bros.’ safety protocol, establishing a precedent that you’re never left alone (with children),” he said.
Mr Busfield said he encouraged a “playful environment”.
“Whether it was tickling the kids or telling them they did a great job, it was like a coach. I treated them like a coach. That was my job. This was great, that was great, everything was positive,” he told police.
When asked if he tickled or hugged the children on set, he answered: “I don’t remember tickling children overtly, but it’s not unusual for me.”
“What is your protocol when touching, picking up, handling children?” Brown asked him.
“It’s not allowed at all. There’s no protocol. I mean, I’m around people all the time. It would be in front of their parents. There’s never a weird moment about it. I don’t remember picking up those boys,” Busfield said. “It’s disgusting. I’ve never done anything sexual or weird with them. It’s just disgusting.”
Busfield said a law firm hired by Warner Bros. Television Studios investigated anonymous tips left on the actors union hotline and found no abuse. None of the incidents were serious enough to call the police.
He said he had heard that the boys’ families had threatened to file a civil lawsuit. “This is the first time we’ve ever heard of someone going to the police. It was always shocking to us because when kids feel like they’re in trouble, the first thing they do is go to the police,” he said.
Gilbert feared that if the family filed a civil lawsuit, she and Busfield would have to tell their seven children about the allegations.
No civil suit has been filed. The boys’ parents did not return calls from USA TODAY.
Gilbert’s representatives did not respond to requests for comment from USA TODAY.
Ms Gilbert said the past seven months had been “hell” for her family. “This is horrifying and sickening.”
Laura Trujillo is a national columnist focused on health and wellness. She is the author of “Stepping Back from the Ledge: A Daughter’s Search for Truth and Renewal” and can be reached at ltrujillo@usatoday.com.
