Timothy Busfield’s wife, Melissa Gilbert, arrived Tuesday in court to support the actor ahead of his next hearing on child sex abuse charges.
Days before Timothy Busfield was remanded and held without bail on multiple counts of child sex abuse, the 68-year-old actor underwent a psychosexual evaluation at the recommendation of his attorney.
According to court documents filed on Jan. 17 and obtained by Fox News Digital, Busfield participated in the assessment on Jan. 12 to determine the risk of committing sexual offenses compared with those convicted of a sexual offense. During the evaluation, Busfield was asked a series of uncomfortable questions, including details about his sex life with his wife, Melissa Gilbert.
“Mr. Busfield reports he and his current wife have a satisfying sex life and at their ages they simply enjoy one another’s company and cuddling more often than engaging in sexual intercourse,” the evaluation stated, per the documents. “Mr. Busfield’s wife confirms his statements about a satisfying sexual relationship between them.”
TIMOTHY BUSFIELD HELD WITHOUT BAIL IN NEW MEXICO CHILD SEX ABUSE CASE
“Mr. Busfield reports that as he reflects, he believes and values that an individual needs to have a certain level of maturity to understand and embrace the intimate nature of a sexual relationship,” the evaluation continued. “Additionally, he also believes sex is a natural experience for all humans and that at a certain age you begin to start experiencing feelings in your body (puberty). Mr. Busfield also reports that he has come to realize that he never had the mate he wanted until he met his wife, Melissa.”
After an extensive look at Busfield’s family history, his background, and his social and sexual behavior, the actor was assessed as “very low risk” based on the outcome of the clinical interview and risk assessment measures indicated.
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“Mr. Busfield demonstrated an ability to be forthcoming in his responses despite the sensitive nature of the questions. Mr. Busfield reports continued steady employment, strong family support, and engagement in prosocial activities with prosocial peers.”
Fox News legal contributor Donna Rotunno said it’s likely Busfield underwent the evaluation in an effort to prove he is “not a threat to society.”
“When you submit to those evaluations, you have to answer truthfully. He is hoping that the evaluation will help the judge decide he is not a threat to society,” said Rotunno. “As uncomfortable as the subject matter is, it is common that they would interview the wife under the circumstances for corroboration, and to see how forthcoming and truthful he is being.”
Included in the court-filed documents were more than 75 letters written by former colleagues and friends who described decades of interaction with Busfield and denied ever witnessing inappropriate behavior.
Gilbert submitted a letter to the judge voicing her support for her husband.
“The reality is that Tim Busfield is my love, my rock, my partner in business and life. He is my comfort and my council. His joy, humor and quick wit bring sparkle to my life. Tim is, quite simply, the beating heart of our wild and wonderful extended family,” she wrote.
Gilbert told the court she knows Busfield “better and more intimately than anyone else in his life,” describing him as a man guided by principle and compassion.
“Tim has the strongest moral compass of any human I have ever known,” she wrote. “He has dedicated his spiritual self to always being of service to others. He starts every day with kindness and compassion.”
“This is the strangest letter I’ve ever had to write,” she wrote. “So, I will close by asking you to please, please, take care of my sweet husband,” Gilbert continued. “As he is my protector, I am his, but I cannot protect him now and I think that, more than anything else, is what is truly breaking my heart. I am relying on you to protect him for me.”
On Jan. 9, an arrest warrant was issued for the director and Emmy Award-winning actor, and obtained by Fox News Digital.
The police investigation into the allegations against Busfield began on Nov. 1, 2024, after a doctor at the University of New Mexico Hospital alerted officers about a case of alleged sexual abuse.
According to an arrest warrant obtained by Fox News Digital, two 11-year-old twins allege that the director, whom they were told to call Uncle Tim on the set of “The Cleaning Lady,” had touched them inappropriately. One twin claimed an incident had occurred while alone with Busfield in a bedroom on set, alleging he had been touched over his clothes on his genitals and bottom. The warrant further states that hospital professionals later informed the parents that the children showed signs of being “groomed.”
“The health and safety of our cast and crew is always our top priority, especially the safety of minors on our productions,” a representative from Warner Bros. Television told Fox News Digital in a statement. “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 are aware of the current charges against Mr. Busfield and have been and will continue to cooperate with law enforcement.”
A makeup artist told investigators that everyone on set knew to avoid Busfield “because he was creepy.”
In police audio presented to court by Busfield’s attorney on Monday and obtained by Fox News Digital, the child actors are asked by the police officer: “You know no one can touch your private areas?” to which the twins say: “Yes.”
They are then asked by the police officer if Busfield ever touched their private areas. The twins said, “No.”
Busfield surrendered on Jan. 13 to local authorities on child sex abuse charges. He was held without bail at the time of his arrest on two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse.
The director has denied all the allegations against him.
In the state’s expedited motion for pretrial detention, prosecutors argued that Busfield “poses an ongoing and serious danger to children and the community.”
They noted that his conduct reflected a “calculated pattern of grooming, lack of boundaries, and exploitation of professional authority to gain access to minors.”
“The defendant has demonstrated: willingness to exploit positions of trust; ability to offend in professional environments designed to appear safe, minimization and denial of conduct, access to children through his profession, a pattern of inappropriate conduct spanning decades,” documents stated.
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“Witnesses in this investigation expressed fear of retaliation and career harm for reporting the Defendant’s conduct, further underscoring his ability to intimidate and silence others.”
During a press conference on Jan. 15, Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman addressed the media with the latest on the case.
Busfield is currently charged with two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor, child under 13, and one count of child abuse. Under New Mexico law, each count of criminal sexual contact carries up to six years of incarceration, and child abuse carries up to three years, Bregman stated.
If convicted, Busfield could face up to 15 years in prison.
Busfield is expected to appear in court on Jan. 20 to determine whether he will remain in custody or be released pending trial.
Fox News Digital’s Tracy Wright and Larry Fink contributed to this report.
