Melissa Gilbert Bought 'Christmas Gifts' for Husband Timothy Busfield's Alleged Child Victims, Arrest Warrant States

Melissa Gilbert bought "Christmas gifts" for the young boys who were
alleged to have been the subject of sex crimes by her husband, Timothy
Busfield, according to an arrest warrant. 

The Albuquerque Police Department (APD) issued the arrest warrant on
Friday, Jan. 9, alleging that Busfield, 68, engaged in unlawful sexual
conduct with two boys, 11-year-old twins whose identities were withheld
from the public. (One of the minors alleged that the incidents began
when he was 7 years old.) 

In the warrant, obtained by PEOPLE, Officer Marvin Brown stated that he
determined Busfield and Gilbert, 61, "did have a relationship" with the
two victims — identified in the document as "SL" and "VL" —  "and their
family outside of work." 

"They advised that they did buy the two boys Christmas gifts and were
together [at] several social functions," Brown wrote in the arrest
warrant, referring to statements Busfield and Gilbert made during an
interview held amid an investigation. 

In the conclusion of his findings, Brown mentioned the Christmas
gift-giving again, writing that Busfield "would invite the family to
off-set gatherings, with his wife buying Christmas gifts to foster
closeness." 

Representatives for both Gilbert and Busfield have not responded to
PEOPLE's repeated requests for comment. 

An investigation into Busfield, who is known for his role as Danny
Concannon on The West Wing, began in November 2024, after a doctor at
the University of New Mexico Hospital (UNMH) alerted police about
alleged sexual abuse, according to the arrest warrant. 

The victims' parents told Brown that the minors were child actors who
met Busfield on the set of the FOX series The Cleaning Lady, where he
served as a director. (The television program ran from January 2022
until June 2025.) 

The parents were advised by an attorney to take the children to UNMH,
where they said professionals suggested the boys “were groomed," per the
warrant. It was later determined, however, that the case did not meet
authorities' acceptance criteria at the time. 

Later, in October 2025, the victims' mother filed a police report and
told Child Protective Services (CPS) that “her children both disclosed
that there was sexual abuse by Timothy from around November 2022 to
Spring 2024." However, according to the warrant, she was told that
because physical abuse had not occurred, nothing could be done. 

During an investigation, Busfield allegedly told police that the parents
were upset their sons had been replaced with a younger actor who
auditioned, according to the warrant. Shortly after, the actor got a
call from Warner Bros., informing him they were investigating a
complaint. 

In a statement to PEOPLE, a Warner Bros. Television representative said,
"The health and safety of our cast and crew is always our top priority,
especially the safety of minors on our productions. We take all
allegations of misconduct very seriously and have systems in place to
promptly and thoroughly investigate, and when needed, take appropriate
action." 

"[We] have been and will continue to cooperate with law enforcement,"
the spokesperson added. 

Before the recent arrest warrant, Busfield faced prior sexual assault
allegations dating back to 1994, according to the warrant. Those did not
result in charges. 

Gilbert and Busfield married in 2013, a year after reconnecting at a
bar. 

At the time, Gilbert was newly single after splitting from ex-husband
Bruce Boxleitner, whom she was married to from 1995 to 2011. Prior to
that, she was married to Bo Brinkman from 1988 to 1994. 

Last April, Gilbert celebrated her 12th wedding anniversary, marking the
occasion with a tribute to Busfield on Instagram. 

Weeks before her husband's arrest warrant was issued, Gilbert spoke out
about child sex abuse in a social media post. 

In November, Gilbert shared a throwback photo of herself and reflected
on her Little House on the Prairie experience, when she filmed with an
older love interest, though she did not allege any improper behavior by
the actor. 

Gilbert shared the reflective post after Megyn Kelly made comments about
convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. 

https://people.com/melissa-gilbert-bought-christmas-gifts-for-husband-tim
othy-busfields-alleged-child-victims-arrest-warrant-states-11883006