Busfield, who has been accused of inappropriately touching two 11-year-old boys, is scheduled to stand trial in May 2027.

Melissa Gilbert says goodbye to NYC, moves upstate amid husband Timothy Busfield’s child sex abuse case

Busfield, who has been accused of inappropriately touching two 11-year-old boys, is scheduled to stand trial in May 2027.

By Shania Russell

Shania Russell

Shania Russell is a news writer at *, *with five years of experience. Her work has previously appeared in SlashFilm and Paste Magazine.

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June 23, 2026 5:42 p.m. ET

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Timothy Busfield on Jan. 20 in Albuquerque, and his wife, Melissa Gilbert, in a post on Instagram. Credit:

Sam Wasson/Getty; Melissa Gilbert/Instagram

- Melissa Gilbert is bidding farewell to New York City.

- The *Little House on the Prairie* alum has revealed that she is moving upstate as her husband's legal troubles continue.

- Timothy Busfield, her husband of 13 years, has been accused of inappropriately touching two 11-year-old boys.

Melissa Gilbert is going through a major transition amid her husband Timothy Busfield's ongoing legal troubles for alleged child sex abuse.

On Tuesday, the *Little House on the Prairie* star revealed that she is moving out of her New York City apartment.

"So long perfect little one bedroom apartment on the Upper West Side," she wrote on Instagram, offering followers a peek at the moving process. "The last eight years here have been so special."

The carousel included several photos, including one with labeled boxes stacked against a wall and another where Gilbert is sprawled out on the floor, lying beside the boxes of her packed-up home. Another photo showed the apartment before everything was packed away, and in an additional video, Gilbert offered a tour of the apartment.

Melissa Gilbert lies on the floor of her apartment.

Melissa Gilbert/Instagram

"A lot of amazing work was done in and around this city," Gilbert noted in the caption. "So many theaters and soundstages. So many wonderful dinners with friends and nights out on the town. I'll miss the walking and our neighborhood, the subway rides, the amazing people I've met there and on the streets. This city truly has a pulse. You can feel it in your heart."

She then bid farewell to many of her favorite neighborhood spots and to the city as a whole before alluding to her husband's ongoing legal battle, in which he has been accused of child sex abuse by former costars.

"Goodbye sweet neighbors whom we love so much. And a very fond ‘farewell and see you soon' to our favorite city in the world," she wrote. "I promise we will be back it's just that right now…..well….you know."

She added, "Excited to live in our wonderful home upstate full time for a good long while."

Melissa Gilbert and Timothy Busfield attend the theater in New York City 2022.

Arturo Holmes/Getty

In January, Gilbert's husband of 13 years was accused of having inappropriately touched 11-year-old twin boys that he worked with on Fox's *The Cleaning Lady *on multiple occasions between November 2022 and the spring of 2024. He worked as an executive producer and director on the series.

“Melissa stands with and supports her husband and will address the public at an appropriate time,” her publicist Ame Van Iden said in an initial statement to ** shortly after the allegations surfaced.

In the wake of the allegations, Gilbert deactivated her accounts on Instagram and Threads and did not return to social media until May 12.

Melissa Gilbert says child abuse allegations ruined her life with Timothy Busfield: 'He's canceled'

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After Busfield surrendered to authorities, the *Little House on the Prairie* alum traveled to Bernalillo County to support him at a pre-trial detention hearing to determine whether he’d remain in custody as he awaits trial. A judge ultimately ordered the actor be released under the condition that he has no unsupervised contact with any minors.

In a Jan. 17 court filing, Gilbert was one of 75 people who wrote letters of support for the *thirtysomething* actor, including his costars Peter Horton and Ken Olin. Busfield, claimed his wife, “has the strongest moral compass of any human I have ever known” and has “dedicated his spiritual self to always being of service to others.”

Timothy Busfield arrives for a hearing on Jan. 20 in Albuquerque, N.M.

Sam Wasson/Getty

Busfield pleaded not guilty to four felony counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor (a child under the age of 13) on Feb. 11. He had additionally filed a motion to dismiss the New Mexico grand jury indictment.

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Busfield is scheduled to appear in court on June 30 for a status hearing. His trial is set to begin in May 2027. If found guilty, Busfield could be sentenced to at least three years in state prison.

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

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