Allegations of sexual misconduct against Timothy Busfield continue to pile up as his wife, actress Melissa Gilbert, comes out in support. The 68-year-old actor has been ordered held without bond on two counts of child abuse and two counts of criminal sexual contact with a minor, stemming from allegations made by 11-year-old twin brothers who worked with him on the TV series "The Cleaning Lady".
Busfield has denied all charges, claiming that the accusations are "lies". However, prosecutors in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where much of the show was filmed, have asked that he be held in custody until his trial. A court statement said Busfield's attorneys had requested that Gilbert not speak publicly about the case, citing the ongoing legal process.
Gilbert's support for her husband has been expressed through a statement from her representative, which read: "She supports her husband" and is focusing on caring for their family during this time. The actress herself has largely retreated from public view, with her Instagram account deactivated as of Sunday.
The allegations against Busfield are not new, however. In 1994, a 17-year-old extra on the movie "Little Big League" claimed that Busfield had assaulted her after serving her alcohol. He was ordered to pay $150,000 in costs after he unsuccessfully argued that the allegations were fabricated. There have also been two other allegations made against him: in 2012, a woman alleged that he had fondled her at a Los Angeles movie theater, and previously, a man claimed that Busfield had sexually abused his daughter while she was auditioning.
The "Cleaning Lady" series, which starred Busfield, ran for four seasons on Fox and was produced by Warner Bros. The company conducted its own investigation into the allegations but could not corroborate them. Busfield's acting credits include notable roles in "Revenge of the Nerds", "Field of Dreams", and "Thirtysomething", where he earned an Emmy award.
As the case against him continues to unfold, Gilbert's focus on supporting her family is clear. While some industry peers have offered moral support, such as actor Glenn Scarpelli, others have chosen not to comment on the matter. The drama surrounding Busfield's allegations serves as a reminder of the importance of accountability in the entertainment industry.
Busfield has denied all charges, claiming that the accusations are "lies". However, prosecutors in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where much of the show was filmed, have asked that he be held in custody until his trial. A court statement said Busfield's attorneys had requested that Gilbert not speak publicly about the case, citing the ongoing legal process.
Gilbert's support for her husband has been expressed through a statement from her representative, which read: "She supports her husband" and is focusing on caring for their family during this time. The actress herself has largely retreated from public view, with her Instagram account deactivated as of Sunday.
The allegations against Busfield are not new, however. In 1994, a 17-year-old extra on the movie "Little Big League" claimed that Busfield had assaulted her after serving her alcohol. He was ordered to pay $150,000 in costs after he unsuccessfully argued that the allegations were fabricated. There have also been two other allegations made against him: in 2012, a woman alleged that he had fondled her at a Los Angeles movie theater, and previously, a man claimed that Busfield had sexually abused his daughter while she was auditioning.
The "Cleaning Lady" series, which starred Busfield, ran for four seasons on Fox and was produced by Warner Bros. The company conducted its own investigation into the allegations but could not corroborate them. Busfield's acting credits include notable roles in "Revenge of the Nerds", "Field of Dreams", and "Thirtysomething", where he earned an Emmy award.
As the case against him continues to unfold, Gilbert's focus on supporting her family is clear. While some industry peers have offered moral support, such as actor Glenn Scarpelli, others have chosen not to comment on the matter. The drama surrounding Busfield's allegations serves as a reminder of the importance of accountability in the entertainment industry.
. This whole thing is wild, I'm not gonna lie. Melissa Gilbert stepping up for her hubby like that? That's either some major love or a total PR stunt 
. Either way, the fact remains Busfield's denying all charges but he got ordered held without bond, so it's about to get real, real fast 
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. Two other women came forward with similar claims in the following years... it's like he thought he was above accountability or something 
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. The industry's gotta step up its game and support victims... not just lip service 
. What do you guys think? Should he be held accountable now? 
This whole situation with Timothy Busfield is just devastating... I feel so bad for his wife Melissa and the kids... how must they be feeling right now? 
11-year-old twin brothers accusing him of such things is just heartbreaking, i'm glad they're coming forward for justice. And to think it's not the first time he's been accused... that 1994 incident was a huge red flag 
. I don't know what's going on in his head but his actions are inexcusable 
. The fact that he denied all charges and then had to be held without bond just shows how serious this is 
. We should all be sending love and support to Melissa, especially during this tough time 
. I mean, he denies everything and his wife is supporting him - that's not something you can just ignore. It's crazy how one bad incident can get blown out of proportion and ruin someone's life. We need to be careful not to rush into judgment without all the facts 
. I mean, I get why people are shocked and concerned, but come on, two counts of child abuse? That's some serious stuff. And now his wife is sticking by him without saying anything, that's just weird. 
. And what's even more worrying is that he's denying the charges and claiming they're "lies". How can you just deny something so serious? 
I wish she could be more vocal about condemning the abuse and supporting the victims instead of just sticking to "she supports her husband". 
It's not that simple, especially when you have kids of your own.
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. That takes a lot of courage and strength. And I think it's also important to remember that just because someone is going through a tough time doesn't mean they're guilty or not worthy of support 
. Let's focus on supporting Melissa and her family, rather than judging Timothy Busfield until he's been given a fair chance in court 
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. I mean, she could've kept quiet and just focused on her own life, but instead, she's putting herself out there to help her family through this tough time 
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meanwhile his wife melissa just comes out now and supports him? it's all very suspicious... the fact that she deactivated her instagram account and her rep only said "she supports her husband" without saying anything else is red flag alert 
also what about the other allegations against him from 1994, 2012, and who knows how many more? why did no one say anything back then? this case just goes to show that in Hollywood, it's all about reputation over justice 
anyway, this whole thing brings up some serious questions about accountability in Hollywood 
the fact that he denied all charges but then had his lawyers try to gag melissa from speaking up is just shady... and now his instagram account is deactivated? what are they hiding? 
. The fact that there have been other allegations against him too, dating back to 1994... it's like he's got a pattern or something