(NewsNation) — Melissa Gilbert is putting it all on the line for her husband, Timothy Busfield, to the dismay of family and friends.

Busfield, best known for roles on “The West Wing” and other TV and film work, is facing criminal charges related to alleged child sexual abuse. 

Earlier this month, authorities in New Mexico issued an arrest warrant accusing him of two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse involving 11-year-old twin boys whom he allegedly met while directing the television series “The Cleaning Lady.”

Police affidavits claim the inappropriate conduct occurred over a multi-year period, and prosecutors have described a pattern of predatory behavior; a second accuser, a 16-year-old girl, has also come forward with allegations from an earlier audition. Busfield surrendered to authorities on Tuesday and was ordered held without bond ahead of further court proceedings, while he denies the allegations and maintains his innocence. 

Melissa Gilbert standing by her husband

But while his talent agency dropped him following the charges, Gilbert is standing by her man.

“Melissa Gilbert is not making public statements at this time,” a representative for Gilbert said in a statement to the Hollywood Reporter. “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. Melissa stands with and supports her husband and will address the public at an appropriate time. We ask that their privacy be respected,” the statement reads.

But her approach is not appreciated by her friends and family.

”People are having a really hard time with this right now and stepping back from Melissa,” one insider told me.

Friends would like to support her but can’t understand why she is backing her husband when he has been accused “several times” of something so abhorrent. 

“No one with kids will go near them right now.”

Sister Sara Gilbert ‘grossed out’

And her sister, Sara Gilbert, is also said to be “grossed out”. The two have never been described as close, but Melissa supported Sara when she came out as a lesbian in the early 2000s.

”I always kinda knew,” Melissa told Sara on “The Talk” in 2011. 

“People can get over a lot of things — but not this,” one friend said. “Everyone is appalled.”

However Ame Van Iden, who reps Melissa said “the story is untrue.”

A source close to Melissa added: “she is being inundated w love and support from family and friends” 

Meanwhile, Busfield denies all allegations.

In a video obtained by TMZ, Busfield said the allegations are “all lies” and asserted, “I did not do anything to those little boys.”

“Hi everybody, it’s Tim,” he said as the video began. “I’m sure most of you know, that are watching this, that I was ordered to come to Albuquerque – I’m here now. I got the call Friday night, I had to get a lawyer. Saturday, I got in the car and drove 2,000 miles to Albuquerque. I’m gonna confront these lies. They’re horrible.”

He continued, “They’re all lies and I did not do anything to those little boys and I’m gonna fight it. I’m gonna fight it with a great team, and I’m gonna be exonerated, I know I am, because this is all so wrong and all lies. So hang in there and hopefully I’m out real soon and back to work. I love everybody for supporting me, thank you.”

Timothy Busfield faces child sex crime charges

A warrant was issued for his arrest on Jan. 9. In the warrant from the Albuquerque Police Department, obtained by People, Officer Marvin Brown alleged that two boys, 11-year-old twins whose identities were withheld from the public, were the subject of sex crimes by Busfield. One of the minors alleged that the incidents began when he was 7 years old, per the arrest warrant.

The parents of the victims said the boys met Busfield on the set of the FOX series, The Cleaning Lady, after Busfield joined as a director in season 2 (which aired in 2022), according to the arrest warrant.

According to the warrant, Busfield “grew closer” to the boys. “It was reported that Timothy would tell his children to call him ‘Uncle Tim,’ ” the warrant alleged. Their parents told the officer “that they both discovered that there were allegations against Timothy of sexual assault against both women and minors.”

The mother told authorities on Sept. 2, 2025, and Sept. 22, 2025, that one of the boys told his counselor that Busfield inappropriately touched him.

Meanwhile, a pretrial detention motion filed on Wednesday, Jan. 14, and obtained by People, included an unrelated allegation of sexual abuse. According to the motion, “another victim’s father,” Colin Swift, contacted law enforcement on Jan. 13 and reported that Busfield allegedly sexually abused Swift’s daughter “several years ago” in Sacramento, Calif.

“While auditioning for [Busfield] at B Street Theatre, the 16-year-old reported that [Busfield] kissed her and put his hands down her pants and touched her privates,” the motion reads. 

Busfield allegedly “begged the family to not report to law enforcement if he received therapy,” and Swift, being a “therapist himself, thought at the time that was the best thing to do,” per the motion.

B Street Theatre is “aware of a report concerning Timothy Busfield regarding an incident alleged to have occurred at B Street Theatre approximately 25 years ago,” the company said in a Jan. 14 statement.

Reps for Sara didn’t return emails.

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