Melissa Gilbert calls husband Timothy Busfield's child sex abuse case 'hell' in emotional interview
Melissa Gilbert did not mince words as she described the fallout from the child sexual abuse charges husband Timothy Busfield now faces.
Gilbert, 61, claimed this has been "the most traumatizing experience of our lives," and admitted the allegations have upended their future for good.
"What has this whole episode been like for you?" George Stephanopoulos asked Gilbert in a preview of a sit-down interview on "Good Morning America." "Hell," Gilbert responded.
"Our life as we knew it is done," she quickly explained. "We are grieving what we had – all of our plans, all of our dreams, all of our ideas, all of our projects. For Tim, it's done. He's canceled. Even if he's exonerated, he will always be that guy. [He’s] the last person in the world who would hurt a child. And 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."
Busfield's lawyer, Larry Stein, explained the reasoning behind the sit-down interview in a statement shared with Fox News Digital.
"We decided it was time to sit down to clarify the facts of the case, which seem to have become lost to distraction, selective information and clickbait," he said.
A grand jury indicted Busfield on four counts of criminal sexual contact of a child. He pleaded not guilty to all charges on Feb. 11.
"District Attorney Sam Bregman emphasized that protecting children remains a top priority for his office," read a statement released by the district attorney on social media following the indictment.
"The Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office remains committed to doing everything possible to protect children and ensure justice for victims."
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Busfield, 68, first surrendered to local authorities on child sex abuse charges on Jan. 13, days after an arrest warrant was issued for the "West Wing" actor.
Authorities had issued the arrest warrant for Busfield over allegations of misconduct from when he was working as a director on the set of the TV series "The Cleaning Lady."
According to the arrest warrant obtained by Fox News Digital, two 11-year-old twins alleged that the director had touched them inappropriately. The children also claimed Busfield had instructed them to call him Uncle Tim on the set of "The Cleaning Lady."
One twin claimed an incident had occurred while alone with Busfield in a bedroom on set, alleging he had been touched over his clothes on his genitals and bottom. The warrant further stated that hospital professionals later informed the parents that the children showed signs of being "groomed."
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A representative for Gilbert previously claimed the "When Calls the Heart" star would not be making any public statements as suggested by the couple's lawyer.
"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," the statement continued. "Melissa stands with and supports her husband and will address the public at an appropriate time. We ask that their privacy be respected."
Gilbert and Busfield were both previously married and blended their families in a wedding ceremony held in April 2013.
Gilbert is a mom to two adult sons, Dakota and Michael, while Busfield is a dad to three kids – Samuel, Daisy and Wilson. The couple celebrated their 12th anniversary this past April.