Melissa Gilbert said she has no doubts about her husband, actor Timothy Busfield, as he faces criminal charges involving alleged sexual contact with minors, telling ABC's "Good Morning America" that she trusts him completely.
Speaking on the show Monday, Gilbert said she stands behind Busfield despite the allegations.
"I know this man in my bones. No one knows him better than I do. I know literally everything about him," said Gilbert, known for her role in "Little House on the Prairie."
Gilbert also pointed to the strength of their relationship.
"Our marriage has, you know, we've had a lot of ups and downs. We've been through struggles," she said. "We've had our own issues to deal with, and we've worked through everything."
She added, "He is nothing if not completely honest with me. I trust him with my children's lives, with my grandchildren's lives, my nieces and nephews. He is an honorable, caring, generous human being."
Busfield has been charged in New Mexico with four counts of criminal sexual contact of a child, NBC News reported.
The Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office announced the indictment in February following allegations made by two children who had worked with him while he was directing the Fox series "The Cleaning Lady."
According to an arrest warrant, the children said that Busfield allegedly touched them inappropriately on set.
The actor, who has appeared in series including "The West Wing" and "Thirtysomething," has denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty.
He was released from custody in January after turning himself in on charges of child abuse and criminal sexual contact of a minor.
His trial is expected to begin in May.
Busfield's attorney, Larry Stein, has pushed back on the case in earlier statements and during the "Good Morning America" interview, where he appeared alongside Gilbert.
"As the saying goes, a grand jury will indict a ham sandwich," Stein said in a February statement. "What is deeply concerning is that the District Attorney is choosing to proceed on a case that is fundamentally unsound and cannot be proven at trial."
On "Good Morning America," Stein disputed the claims made by the children and pointed to what he described as inconsistencies in their accounts.
"In this case," Stein said, the boys are "victims of the parents, not victims of Tim."
He also said the boys initially stated that Busfield did not touch them and suggested their parents influenced the accusations.
Stein also addressed reports that Busfield had given gifts to the children, denying that claim.
He said the gifts were handed out by Gilbert to multiple children at a Christmas party, not by Busfield individually.
The case remains pending as Busfield prepares for trial.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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