It’s been six months since ‘s husband on four counts of child sexual abuse, and the actress has been leaning on a surprising pillar of support.
This former revealed that – has become a “good and true confidante”.
Melissa Sue Anderson, whom Melissa Gilbert called a ‘true confidante’ (WireImage)
Melissa to share that her friend had been “checking in, making sure I’m ok,” adding that she was “so glad” that the pair had reconnected in late 2025 and become “real friends.”
“As I’ve told her, we will forever be sisters. How could we not be? We hold each other’s childhoods in our heart. No one else had the experiences we shared when we were ‘knee high to a grasshopper’,” continued Melissa, sharing some of those experiences: “Peppermint sticks, tin cups, Johnny Johnson and Jasper the raccoon. Ma and Pa and Mr Edwards. That horrible teacher who smacked me with the ruler. Rescuing puppies from the lake. Sitting across from each other in our school room with Mrs Miniear, our set teacher.”
“And now here we are. All this life experience under our belts. Absolute contemporaries. Fully able to appreciate our forever connection. Sending so much love to my “forever sister” today,” she concluded.
Melisssa Sue Anderson as Mary and Melissa Gilbert as Laura in Little House on the Prairie pilot (NBCUniversal via Getty Images)
The pair reconciled in late 2025, decades after their appearance on the show where Melissa, 61, played the elder Ingalls sister Laura, and Melissa Sue, 63, the younger sister, Mary.
Little House on the Prairie, which recently , originally aired for nine seasons from 1973 to 1984.
Michael Landon and Karen Grassle played Ma and Pa Edwards.
The cast of the television series Little House on the Prairie in the mid-1970s (Getty Images)
“Worlds collide. Blessings abound. Hearts heal and reunite. Magic happens, Melissa shared with fans on Instagram at the time.
“I’m so happy to have Melissa Anderson back in my life. We share such an important history that no one else on earth truly understands. Just us Ingalls girls. The best part is, the past is now just that and we can move forward as the sisters/friends we always wanted to be. What a wonderful Christmas gift.”
Melissa and Timothy Busfield in 2005 (Bruce Glikas/Getty Images)
In January 2026, Melissa’s husband of 13 years, The West Wing actor Timothy, on the set of the former Fox series The Cleaning Lady.
Timothy’s lawyer, Larry Stein, said in a statement, given to HELLO!: “The indictment was not unexpected. As the saying goes, a grand jury will indict a ham sandwich. What is deeply concerning is that the District Attorney is choosing to proceed on a case that is fundamentally unsound and cannot be proven at trial.
“The detention hearing exposed fatal weaknesses in the State’s evidence — gaps that no amount of charging decisions can cure. This prosecution appears driven by something other than the facts or the law. Mr. Busfield will fight these charges at every stage and looks forward to testing the State’s case in open court — where evidence matters — not behind closed doors.”
Attorney Larry Stein (L) and Melissa react after a judge granted Busfield a pre-trial release (Getty Images)
The police affidavit details an investigation of alleged sexual abuse of twin boys, now 11, during the filming of the TV show The Cleaning Lady while Timothy served as a director of the second season.
An investigation began in November 2024 after a doctor at the University of New Mexico Hospital alerted police after becoming suspicious of potential sexual abuse.
Melissa and Timothy wed on April 24, 2013. Timothy has denied all the allegations.