Melissa Gilbert deletes Instagram amid allegations against husband

Actress Melissa Gilbert has taken down her Instagram account following child sex abuse allegations against her husband, actor-director Timothy Busfield, according to a report by People.

As of Sunday, 11 January, Gilbert’s Instagram page was no longer accessible, with users encountering an error message stating that the profile was unavailable or had been removed. The deletion came shortly after the Albuquerque Police Department issued an arrest warrant accusing Busfield of unlawful sexual conduct involving two minors.

In the warrant obtained by People, police alleged that 11-year-old twins, whose identities were withheld, were victims of sexual abuse by Busfield, with one child claiming the incidents began when he was 7 years old. The investigation reportedly began in November 2024 after a physician at the University of New Mexico Hospital alerted authorities to possible abuse.

According to the warrant, the children were child actors who met Busfield while working on the FOX television series The Cleaning Lady, where he served as a director from 2022 until the show ended in 2025. The minors’ parents were advised by an attorney to seek medical evaluation, and professionals later suggested the children may have been groomed, though the case initially did not meet authorities’ acceptance criteria.

In October 2025, the children’s mother filed a police report and contacted Child Protective Services, stating her sons disclosed abuse allegedly occurring between late 2022 and early 2024. Busfield has denied the allegations, reportedly telling investigators the parents were upset their children had been replaced on the show.

Busfield, best known for his role on The West Wing, married Gilbert in 2013. Gilbert, a former child star who rose to fame on Little House on the Prairie, has not publicly commented on the allegations. Representatives for both Gilbert and Busfield did not respond to People’s requests for comment.