It's been six months since Melissa Gilbert's husband, Timothy Busfield, was indicted on four counts of child sexual abuse, and the actress has been leaning on a surprising pillar of support.
This former Little House on the Prairie actress revealed that Melissa Sue Anderson – with whom she previously had a decades-long feud – has become a "good and true confidante".
© WireImageMelissa took to Instagram 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.
© NBCUniversal via Getty ImagesThe 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 returned for a new reimagining on Netflix, originally aired for nine seasons from 1973 to 1984.
Michael Landon and Karen Grassle played Ma and Pa Edwards.
© 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."
© Bruce Glikas/Getty ImagesIn January 2026, Melissa's husband of 13 years, The West Wing actor Timothy, was accused of inappropriately touching two boys on the set of the former Fox series The Cleaning Lady.
In February, he was indicted.
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."
© Getty ImagesThe 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.
