Melissa Gilbert On Speakerphone During Husband Timothy Busfield’s Police Interview, Arrest Warrant Alleges

Melissa Gilbert was listening on speakerphone during a phone interview between her husband, actor-director Timothy Busfield, and an Albuquerque Police Department investigator, an arrest warrant alleges.

The warrant, issued Jan. 9 in Albuquerque, N.M., alleges that Busfield, 68, engaged in unlawful sexual conduct with two child actors — 11-year-old twin boys — one of whom says the abuse began when he was seven.

Phone Interview And Allegations

Officer Marvin Brown wrote in the warrant that he spoke with Busfield by phone on Nov. 3, 2025. According to the document, Busfield told the officer he was in New York and that his wife, "Little House on the Prairie" star Melissa Gilbert, 61, was listening on speakerphone during the call.

During that interview, Busfield allegedly told police the boys' parents were upset after the twins were replaced by a younger actor. The warrant also says Busfield later received a call from Warner Bros. informing him of an internal inquiry into a complaint.

How The Investigation Began

The police probe began after a doctor at the University of New Mexico Hospital alerted authorities on Nov. 1, 2024, about a suspected case of sexual abuse. According to the warrant, the victims' parents told investigators the twins had met Busfield while working as child actors on the Fox series The Cleaning Lady, where Busfield worked as a director.

TheImageDirect.comMelissa Gilbert and Timothy Busfield in 2023.

The warrant states that professionals expressed concern the children may have been groomed. In October 2025 the victims' mother filed a police report and spoke with Child Protective Services, saying her children disclosed sexual abuse by Busfield from about November 2022 through spring 2024. The warrant notes she was initially told authorities had limited options because no physical abuse had been reported at that time.

Relationship With The Family

Officer Brown wrote that investigators established Busfield and Gilbert "did have a relationship" with the two boys and their family outside of work. The warrant says the couple attended several social functions with the family and bought the children Christmas gifts, with Busfield reportedly inviting the family to off-set gatherings.

The document also references prior, uncharged allegations against Busfield dating to 1994.

Responses And Resources

"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," a Warner Bros. Television representative previously told PEOPLE.

Representatives for Gilbert and Busfield did not respond to repeated requests for comment, according to the report.

If you suspect child abuse, contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or visit www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential; the hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.