Timothy Busfield‘s mother-in-law, Barbara Cowan, defended his character while comparing him to her “real son” as he faces allegations of child sex abuse.
“I could not love and respect him more if I had carried him as my own,” she wrote in a letter to the judge overseeing the case against Busfield, according to court documents obtained by Us Weekly. “I am sorry for any one who has not been graced [with] his love, generosity, kindness, playfulness, caring, teachings, availability, strength, and on and on.”
Cowan, 89, is the mother of Little House on the Prairie alum Melissa Gilbert. Busfield, 68, and Gilbert, 61, met several times in the 1980s and eventually sparked a romance in 2012. They tied the knot in 2013 and have been married ever since.
Describing herself as a “very protective mother, and grandmother and great grandmother,” Cowan said Busfield has “taken care of all my precious little ones” who “can’t wait” to spend time with him.
Busfield is a stepfather to Gilbert’s sons, Dakota Brinkman and Michael Boxleitner.
She continued, “I don’t blame them. Tim is magical. I would trust all with him today.”
After commending his military service and his other contributions to his community, she also said she felt that she “needed him” in her life as she entered her 90s.
“From day one he was my real son,” Cowan penned. “There is no one that can ever take his place for me, or for anyone else in this family or our extended family. The world is a better place with Timothy Busfield in it.”
Alongside Cowan, Gilbert and her youngest son, Michael, also wrote character letters imploring the judge to take care of Busfield as he awaits trial.
Last year, the Thirtysomething actor was accused of inappropriately touching two children — twin boys who have remained unnamed — while he was working as a director on the set of The Cleaning Lady. The accusations of abuse include allegedly picking them up, tickling them and touching “private areas” a number of times between 2022 and 2024. The complaint also claimed one of the children was “afraid” of Busfield.
A warrant for his arrest was issued earlier this month, and on Tuesday, January 13, Busfield turned himself in to New Mexico police. He was charged with two counts of criminal sexual contact with a minor and one count of child abuse.
Busfield is currently being held at the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center.
Prior to surrendering himself to police, the former West Wing star insisted he “did not do anything to those little boys” in a video reported by TMZ, promising to “confront these lies” allegedly told about him in the coming weeks.
As Us previously reported, the actor-turned-director’s legal team is currently fighting his pretrial incarceration.
“The state offers no reliable proof — only allegations advanced by witnesses with documented histories of fraud and financial exploitation, contradicted by a comprehensive studio investigation, and refuted by witnesses and objective risk assessments,” his attorneys said, per legal documents obtained by Us. “The Constitution does not allow liberty to be forfeited on such a foundation. The state’s motion should be denied.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing child abuse, call or text Child Help Hotline at 1-800-422-4453.
