Timothy Busfield\u2019s wife, Melissa Gilbert, was named a potential defense witness for an upcoming pretrial hearing, per court documents obtained by Us Weekly<\/b>
\nMelissa Gilbert may be asked to appear in court at husband Timothy Busfield\u2019s upcoming hearing.
The Little House on the Prairie alum, 61, was listed as a potential defense witness for a pretrial detention hearing scheduled for Tuesday, January 20, in court documents obtained by Us Weekly.
Busfield, 68, has been accused of inappropriately touching twin boys who he worked with on the set of The Cleaning Lady over a two- to three-year period. The complaint alleged Busfield had picked the boys up, tickled them and allegedly touched them in \u201cprivate areas.\u201d
During a police interview conducted last November, the former West Wing star told Officer Marvin Brown that he did not remember \u201covertly tickling\u201d or picking up the children \u2014 although he stated it was \u201chighly likely\u201d that he came into physical contact with them at some point due to keeping a \u201cplayful\u201d environment on set.
\u201cI\u2019m always around people, right? It would be, you know, in front of the parents. There would never be a weird moment about it,\u201d he allegedly said, according to the arrest warrant. \u201cI don\u2019t really remember picking those boys up. I remember picking up the boy who followed them. I\u2019d pick him up and he\u2019d be giggling and that would sort of get him ready to act.\u201d
When asked whether there were rules about physical contact between adults and children on set, Busfield allegedly admitted that there was \u201cno protocol.\u201d
On January 9, authorities in New Mexico issued a warrant for the director\u2019s arrest. On January 13, Busfield turned himself in and was subsequently charged with with two counts of criminal sexual contact with a minor and one count of child abuse.
He has denied all charges and reportedly took a polygraph test in hopes of proving his innocence.
As Us previously reported, Gilbert wrote a character letter begging the judge presiding over the case to keep her husband \u201csafe\u201d as he awaits his next court appearance from the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center in New Mexico.
\u201cThe reality is that Tim Busfield is my love, my rock, my partner in business and life,\u201d she said in the letter obtained by Us on Friday, January 16. \u201cHe is my comfort and my council. His joy, humor and quick wit bring sparkle to my life. Tim is, quite simply, the beating heart of our wild and wonderful extended family.\u201d
\u201cYour Honor, this is the strangest letter I\u2019ve ever had to write. I only want this extraordinary man safe and whole,\u201d she continued. \u201cPlease, please, take care of my sweet husband. As he is my protector, I am his, but I cannot protect him now and I think that, more than anything else, is what is truly breaking my heart, I am relying on [you] to protect him for me.\u201d
Gilbert and Busfield met several times in the 1980s, but they didn\u2019t spark a romance until 2012. The pair got married in April 2013.
If you or someone you know is experiencing child abuse, call or text Child Help Hotline at 1-800-422-4453.<\/p>\n