Melissa Gilbert finally spoke out about buying gifts for the boys who accused her husband Timothy Busfield of child abuse.
For those unaware, Busfield, a renowned actor and director, was detained in New Mexico in January this year on charges of criminal engagement with a minor (under 13 years of age). The twin boys claimed he touched them inappropriately on the set of the Fox 2022 series The Cleaning Lady.
In February 2026, a grand jury indicted him on four counts of criminal contact with a minor and all counts are third-degree felonies. He is currently out on bail but awaits his trial scheduled to begin in New Mexico on May 10, 2027.
On Monday, April 6, Gilbert appeared on ABC News night line with her husband’s attorney, Larry Stein, where she shared her side of the story three months later.
When George Stephanopoulos questioned her about giving gifts to the boys at Christmas, she turned to her stein and replied, “I’ll give Larry a detailed account of what happened with that part of the complaint.”
He claimed, “Tim didn’t give the boys gifts. Melissa gave them gifts. Melissa gave them gifts and every other kid at the Christmas party. Every kid at the Christmas party. They weren’t treated special or different from anyone else.”
Stein further said that the twin boys are “victims in this case”, saying that their parents made up the allegations after appearing on the show again.
“They are the parents’ victims, not Tim’s victims. … The boys were the parents’ food stamps, and when they were fired, they assumed Tim was responsible for it. The truth is he was not,” Busfield’s attorney concluded.
It is noteworthy that the parents of the twins have not yet broken their silence on Stein’s claims.
