Melissa Gilbert says Timothy Busfield's child sexual abuse case has been 'hell'

Actor Melissa Gilbert has expressed strong confidence that her husband Timothy Busfield will be exonerated of child sexual abuse charges calling the ongoing legal battle the most traumatising experience of their lives according to The Hollywood ReporterThis has been hell This has been the most traumatising experience of our lives Gilbert said on Mondays Good Morning America in her first sitdown interview with coanchor George Stephanopoulos alongside Busfields civil attorney Larry SteinShe added And believe me if I thought for a second that Tim Busfield hurt a child hed have a lot more to worry about than prisonShe said she has no doubts about his innocence but hopes for an apology and an exoneration I know this man in my bones No one knows him better than I do she saidOur marriage has weve had a lot of ups and downs Weve been through struggles Weve had our own issues to deal with and weve worked through everything He is nothing if not completely honest with me I trust him with my childrens lives with my grandchildrens lives my nieces and nephews He is an honourable caring generous human being as per the outletGilbert said she chose to speak out now to address the untruths they have been reading about and hearing I am 100 per cent sure he will be exonerated she said but I will tell you that there is a practical side to this and we have to be prepared for all scenarios according to The Hollywood ReporterBusfield an actor and director known for his work on television has been charged with four counts of criminal sexual contact with a child and is awaiting trial The allegations relate to incidents said to have taken place in October 2022 and September 2023 on the set of the FoxWarner Bros Television series The Cleaning LadyDescribing the impact of the case Gilbert said their life has been upended Our life as we knew it is done We are grieving what we had she said adding that even in the event of exoneration the stigma may persistGilbert also emphasised her trust in her husband stating she would not stand by him if she believed the allegations were true If I thought for a second that Tim Busfield hurt a child hed have a lot more to worry about than prison she said according to The Hollywood ReporterBusfield has denied all allegations His defence represented by attorney Larry Stein has argued that the accusations stem from a dispute involving the recasting of child actors on the show Stein also rejected claims that Busfield singled out the children involved stating that gifts referenced in the complaint were distributed to multiple children at a Christmas gatheringGilbert further acknowledged past allegations against Busfield from 1994 and 2012 for which no charges were filed saying she had discussed them with him and believes his accountAccording to officials each charge in the current case carries a minimum sentence of three years Busfield has been released from custody following his arrest and the trial is tentatively scheduled for May 2027 in New MexicoMeanwhile the district attorneys office said its focus remains on the victims according to The Hollywood ReporterThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever