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Melissa Gilbert is sharing support for her husband Timothy Busfield, who is facing child sexual abuse allegations, by speaking out about his role as a stepfather.
In a court filing obtained by PEOPLE on Saturday, January 17, the 61-year-old actress released a letter about Bassfield, 68, who was charged with two counts of sexual contact with a minor and one count of child abuse.
“One of the great joys of my life is watching Tim interact with my youngest son, Michael,” Gilbert wrote of her youngest son, Michael Boxleitner, 30, with ex-husband Bruce Boxleitner.
Gilbert continued that when he started dating Busfield in 2012, Michael was “a full-fledged teenager full of angst trying to find his place in the world.” “Tim raised and guided Michael. He advised, praised, loved, comforted, soothed, worried and provided for his son physically and emotionally.”
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In a letter to the judge in the case, Gilbert, who is also the mother of a son, Dakota Brinkman, with her first husband, Beau Brinkman, said in a letter to the judge in the case that she “can never express the depth of gratitude” she has for her husband, calling him “the beating heart of our wild and wonderful extended family.”
Gilbert also described Busfield as a “rock” and “partner in business and life,” saying that Busfield “brought joy, humor, and wit to my life.”
She added that she knew him “better and more intimately than anyone else in my life.”
Boxleitner similarly wrote his own letter on Basfield’s behalf, which was also included in the court filing. In it, he said that Busfield “appeared to me as a father figure” even more than his “biological” father.
“He is kind, thoughtful, and has a stubborn integrity that we all can only hope to match,” Boxleitner added of her father-in-law, also calling him a “hero.”
Mr. Busfield was charged in New Mexico on Tuesday, January 13, after he turned himself in to Albuquerque police.
The charges he faces are related to an incident that allegedly took place while Busfield was directing The Cleaning Lady. (In this case, the alleged victims are twin 11-year-old boys, and a pretrial detention motion filed on Wednesday, January 14 and obtained by PEOPLE includes unrelated allegations of sexual abuse.)
Busfield denies all child molestation crimes and says in a video obtained by TMZ that she plans to “stand up to these lies” and “fight.”
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His civil attorney, Larry Stein, has also denied all allegations that Timothy engaged in illicit sexual activity, telling PEOPLE in a statement on January 13 that Timothy is “completely shocked” by the “false” allegations against him.
“He’s devastated and he’s going to defend himself because these are completely false allegations,” Stein added.
Mr. Busfield remains in custody without bail, with his next pretrial detention hearing scheduled for January 20th.
Gilbert is listed as a potential witness.
