Melissa Gilbert deleted her Instagram account on Sunday.
This move follows the news that her husband, actor and director Timothy Busfield, faces child sex abuse charges. Visitors to her page now see a message stating the profile is no longer available.
The sudden exit from social media comes as the Albuquerque Police Department issued a warrant for Busfield’s arrest on Friday.
The allegations against Busfield involve two minors who worked as child actors on the television series The Cleaning Lady.
Busfield served as a director and actor for the show. A criminal complaint filed in New Mexico alleges that the abuse occurred between November 2022 and the spring of 2024.
One of the children, who was seven years old at the time the alleged incidents began, reportedly received a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder following the events.
During interviews with detectives, Timothy Busfield denied the accusations.
He suggested that the children's mother might be seeking revenge because the show did not invite the boys back for its final season. Timothy
Busfield’s attorney has not yet released a formal statement regarding the specific details of the arrest warrant.
The investigation into these claims started in late 2024 before leading to the recent legal developments.
Melissa Gilbert has been a vocal advocate against child abuse in the past. She even spoke out on the topic just weeks before the authorities issued the warrant for her husband.
Her decision to step away from social media suggests she is seeking privacy as the legal situation unfolds.
The couple has been married since 2013 and often shared glimpses of their life together in Michigan before these allegations surfaced.
The case continues to develop as law enforcement moves forward with the arrest warrant.