Melissa Gilbert’s public action revealed after Timothy Busfield’s arrest
RadarOnline.com can reveal that Melissa Gilbert deleted her Instagram account when her husband, actor and director Timothy Busfield, became the subject of a growing child abuse investigation.
The Little House on the Prairie The social media star’s sudden disappearance came just days after New Mexico authorities issued an arrest warrant for Busfield, 68, accusing him of inappropriately touching two boys on the set of his TV series The cleaning lady.
The 61-year-old actress, who just weeks ago shared a heartfelt post about child safety and her experiences as a young performer, deleted her public profile over the weekend after police confirmed her Emmy-winning acting partner was wanted on two counts of criminal sexual contact with a minor and one count of child abuse.
The arrest warrant, signed Friday by a Bernalillo County judge, follows a year-long investigation into allegations involving 11-year-old twin boys who appeared on the set of the Fox drama. The cleaning lady between January 2022 and June 2025.
After the warrant was issued, authorities at the time announced that Busfield was “missing,” and U.S. Marshals assisted police in locating him.
As of January 13, Busfield turned himself in to police, while also claiming his innocence.
The complaint against Busfield alleges he engaged in sexual conduct with the minors on multiple occasions.
One child told investigators that the alleged abuse first occurred when he was seven years old and that Busfield touched him “three or four times,” and that he would later repeat the behavior “five or six times” when the child was eight.
According to an affidavit filed in Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court, one of the boys told a therapist that Busfield touched his “genitalia” and “buttocks” while in a bedroom, and later apparently had nightmares “about the principal touching him.”
An Albuquerque Police Department officer said Busfield became close to the boys while directing episodes of The cleaning ladyand told them to call him “Uncle Tim.”
Busfield and Gilbert also reportedly bought Christmas gifts for the children.
Researchers claim the actor “would tickle them on the stomach and legs, despite them not liking it.”
The boys’ mother reported Busfield’s alleged sexual abuse to child protective services in October 2025 after one of her sons spoke out.
The University of New Mexico Hospital later alerted police.
Busfield, best known for roles in The West Wing And Thirtyhas denied the allegations, claiming the parents sought “revenge” after their children were not invited to return for the show’s final season.
“I don’t recall ever openly tickling the boys, but for me it wouldn’t be unusual,” he allegedly told investigators, according to the complaint against the actor. Warner Bros. and Fox issued a joint statement saying they were cooperating with law enforcement.
It said: “The health and safety of our cast and crew is always our top priority, especially the safety of minors in our productions. “We take all allegations of misconduct very seriously and have systems in place to conduct prompt and thorough investigations and, if necessary, take appropriate action.”
Before the allegations against her husband came to light, Gilbert publicly shared her discomfort with her own experiences filming romantic scenes as a teenager.
Reflecting on her early career, she wrote last November: “And now, at this age, in this moment, I’m actually sick to my stomach (by the experience). From today’s lens, this is shocking. I have no words other than to say, ‘I WAS A CHILD.'”
As of Monday, her Instagram account showed a broken link and a message that read: “Profile is unavailable.”
