Timothy Busfield's Wife Melissa Gilbert Was 'Sick With Worry' That 'Something Would Happen' to Him in Jail Amid Child Sexual Abuse Charges

Melissa Gilbert broke down upon hearing that husband Timothy Busfield would be released from custody.

The West Wing actor charged with child sexual abuse spent a week locked up in a New Mexico jail but was freed on Tuesday, January 20, as he awaits his trial.

"The court hearing was obviously very emotional and stressful," an insider told an outlet. "Things are clearly far from over, but the main focus of getting Tim out of jail was accomplished. They’re both very grateful. Melissa has been sick with worry that something would happen to him in jail."

The same source noted that the couple, who married in 2013, is "very involved" in working with Busfield's legal defense team.

"They have this huge group of friends that support and check in on them every day," the insider added. "Melissa is very grateful for the support. She'll be attending all the court hearings with Tim. She believes he's innocent."

The Little House on the Prairie alum, 61, previously expressed her support for the 68-year-old Field of Dreams actor in a January 13 statement that read, "Melissa stands with and supports her husband and will address the public at an appropriate time. We ask that their privacy be respected."

Busfield has been accused and charged with molesting male child actors on the set of a television show he directed. Gilbert's declaration of support came shortly after the Emmy winner professed his innocence in a video from his lawyer's office before surrendering to law enforcement.

"I'm going to confront these lies. They're horrible. They're all lies...and I did not do anything to those little boys," the actor proclaimed. "And I'm going to fight 'em. I'm going to fight with a great team, and I'm going to be exonerated. I know I am, 'cause this is all so wrong."

Busfield denied the child s-- abuse accusations against him again as he sat behind bars.

"The State’s attempt to transform responsible self-surrender into aggravating conduct only underscores the absence of genuine evidence of dangerousness," stated opposition documents from Albuquerque attorneys Amber Fayerberg and Christopher Dodd.

In the filing, he slammed prosecutors for asking the judge to keep him in prison "based on a story that has already collapsed under independent scrutiny."

“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 assessment," they added.

However, court docs released by the district attorney’s office for Bernalillo County have also accused the actor of groping a 16-year-old girl during an auditioning in Sacramento, Calif., several years prior.