Melissa Gilbert and Timothy Busfield have been married since 2013, less than one year after they started dating<\/b>
\nMelissa Gilbert and Timothy Busfield have been married since 2013 after each having longstanding careers in Hollywood.
\u201cOur business in Los Angeles is very difficult because it\u2019s everywhere in that city [and] everybody\u2019s involved in it in some way,\u201d Gilbert, best known for starring as Laura Ingalls on The Little House on the Prairie, said during a 2019 interview on Better Connecticut. \u201cThere\u2019s a really strange external pressure to look a certain way.\u201d
Gilbert continued, \u201c[When] I met Tim, he said he was living in Michigan, and I said, \u2018Take me.\u2019 I was just done. I wanted to age.\u201d
Gilbert was previously married to Bo Brinkman from 1998 to 1994 and Bruce Boxleitner, with whom the actress shares two children, from 1995 to 2011.
Busfield, for his part, was married to Radha Delamarter from 1981 to 1986 and Jenny Merwin from 1988 to 2007. The West Wing actor shares son Wilson with Delamarter, as well as two younger children with Merwin.
Amid the pair\u2019s 13-year marriage, news broke in January 2026 that an arrest warrant was issued for Busfield after allegations of child sex abuse. He surrendered to police less than one week later and denied the claims, while Gilbert stood by his side.
Keep scrolling for Gilbert and Busfield\u2019s relationship timeline:
Gilbert and Busfield started dating after they met in a bar in Los Angeles.
\u201cI remember so clearly grabbing pizza and then looking in the door to make sure there wasn\u2019t a lot going on,\u201d Busfield recalled to People in 2022. \u201cThere was one person sitting at the bar and she had a fedora on, and I couldn\u2019t tell who it was.\u201d
Busfield subsequently introduced himself to Gilbert, and they spoke throughout the evening.
\u201cI knew she was the one. It felt so real,\u201d he told the outlet.
Us Weekly broke the news in January 2013 that Busfield proposed to Gilbert during the holidays.
\u201cThey\u2019ve known each other for quite some time, as their paths have crossed off-and-on over the past 20 years,\u201d a source told Us.
The two actors tied the knot in a private ceremony at San Ysidro Ranch in Santa Barbara, California, where Gilbert wore a red wedding dress.
\u201cIt was quite a search. The moment I saw it, I knew \u2026 and the color spoke volumes,\u201d Gilbert told People of her crimson bridal gown. \u201cPassion, fire, love: Red says all of those things to me. The dress will always hold our precious, precious memories.\u201d
After getting married, Gilbert moved in with Busfield in his native Michigan.
The pair traded Michigan for New York City.
\u201cIt became important for us to have a place where we could escape,\u201d Gilbert told The New York Times in January 2019 of purchasing fixer-upper in upstate New York. \u201chis is one of those places that most people would say, \u2018Are you nuts?\u2019 if you expressed interest in buying it. Tim and I are the best kind of nuts. We\u2019re hopeful visionaries. We knew this house would shelter us well and serve us well.\u201d
Gilbert and Busfield debuted their eponymous \u201cGilbert & Busfield\u201d podcast amid the coronavirus pandemic lockdown. They ultimately recorded 18 episodes, recapping their life together and sharing memorable Hollywood anecdotes.
Us confirmed on January 9 that New Mexico authorities issued an arrest warrant after Busfield was accused of child sexual abuse. Busfield was not immediately arrested and claimed in an investigation interview that it was \u201chighly unlikely\u201d he had any physical contact with the accusers.
Elsewhere in the warrant obtained by Us, a police officer claimed that Busfield and Gilbert revealed they did have \u201ca relationship\u201d with the alleged victims and their families and once purchased them Christmas gifts.
News broke on January 13 that Busfield surrendered himself to police and publicly denied the allegations.
\u201cI did not do anything to those little boys,\u201d Busfield said in a video obtained by TMZ, noting he planned to \u201cconfront these lies.\u201d
A rep for Gilbert later broke her silence about Busfield\u2019s arrest.
\u201cDuring this period, her focus is on supporting and caring for their very large family, as they navigate this moment,\u201d Gilbert\u2019s spokesperson told Us in a statement. \u201cMelissa stands with and supports her husband and will address the public at an appropriate time.\u201d
Gilbert\u2019s lifestyle brand, Modern Prairie, also issued a statement that same day.
\u201cModern Prairie is aware of recent media reports regarding serious allegations involving a family member of our brand muse, Melissa Gilbert. These allegations do not involve Modern Prairie, our operations, nor our community,\u201d the social media statement read. \u201cModern Prairie unequivocally condemns abuse in all forms and remains committed to values of safety, integrity, and respect. While these matters are personal and do not directly involve Melissa or the brand, we are respecting the privacy of the family as they navigate a difficult and personal situation. Our focus remains on supporting our community and continuing our work with care, responsibility, and intention.\u201d
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). If you or someone you know is experiencing child abuse, call or text Child Help Hotline at 1-800-422-4453.<\/p>\n