Melissa Gilbert speaks out on Timothy Busfield’s child sexual contact charges: ‘Traumatizing experience’

Melissa Gilbert is speaking out for the first time about the child sexual contact charges against her husband, actor Timothy Busfield.

“This has been the most traumatizing experience of our lives,” Gilbert told Good Morning America co-anchor George Stephanopoulos in her first interview about the charges, airing Monday on GMA.

In the interview, a preview of which was released Thursday, Gilbert opened up about what she believes happened and the aftermath of the charges.

“Our life as we knew it is done. We are grieving what we had. All of our plans, all of our dreams, all of our ideas, all of our projects,” said Gilbert, who wed Busfield in 2013. “For Tim, it’s done. He’s canceled … even if he’s exonerated, he will always be that guy. The last person in the world who would hurt a child.”

She continued, “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.”

When asked by Stephanopoulos why she is speaking out now, Gilbert — who spoke alongside her and Busfield’s attorney Larry Stein — replied, “It’s time.”

Busfield was indicted on Feb. 6 by a grand jury in New Mexico on four counts of criminal sexual contact of a child, according to Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman.

The actor — best known for his role as Danny Concannon on The West Wing — later pleaded not guilty to all four counts.

The charges against Busfield stem from accusations that he inappropriately touched a child actor on the set of the TV show The Cleaning Lady, which was filmed in Albuquerque, according to a criminal complaint.

The actor denied the allegations when interviewed by investigators, according to the criminal complaint.

Busfield turned himself in to authorities in New Mexico in January and was held without bond. He was later released on his own recognizance pending trial.

At the time of the indictment, Stein told ABC News that the grand jury’s decision was “not unexpected.”

“As the saying goes, a grand jury will indict a ham sandwich. 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. The detention hearing exposed fatal weaknesses in the State’s evidence — gaps that no amount of charging decisions can cure,” Stein said in a statement.

He added, “Mr. Busfield will fight these charges at every stage and looks forward to testing the State’s case in open court — where evidence matters — not behind closed doors.”

In a statement to ABC News Thursday, the district attorney’s office said its focus “remains on the victims.”

“The Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office handles hundreds of child abuse cases every year. When a child reports abuse, we take it very seriously,” the statement said. “In this matter, a neutral grand jury indicted the defendant on four Counts of Criminal Sexual Contact of a Minor (Child Under 13).”

“This office follows our ethical duty to only proceed on cases where a good faith basis exists to prosecute,” the statement continued. “While it is not surprising that the defendant is attempting to garner public support through the media, our focus remains on the victims. We will continue to fight for them every step of the way.”

Busfield’s trial is tentatively set for May 2027 in New Mexico.

Watch more of Melissa Gilbert’s interview with ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos on Monday, April 6, on Good Morning America from 7 a.m. ET to 9 a.m. ET on ABC.

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