Melissa Gilbert is ready to return to the public eye — with a smile on her face.
On October 16, a judge in New Mexico on Friday dismissed child sexual abuse charges against her husband Timothy Busfield, after finding flaws in how the prosecution had presented the case to a grand jury.
The Little House of the Prairie alum has been by the West Wing actor's side through the months-long ordeal, as he has vehemently denied the accusations of sexual abuse, and pleaded not guilty to the charges.
© InstagramA week after the dismissal, Melissa, 62, took to Instagram and shared a smiling selfie as she geared up for a public appearance.
She appears in the photo wearing a Prairie-esque floral maxi-dress, and has her long, gray hair styled in voluminous curls.
"#mirrorselfie pumped up, gussied up and ready for my keynote address at @uwexpo in Chicago," she wrote, tagging the Ultimate Women's Expo.
© Getty Images"Come by the @officialmodernprairie booth and say hi to the team!!" she added, and fans were quick to take to the comments section under the post and gush over it.
"How beautiful Melissa is. I hope I have hair like that when I'm older," one wrote, as others followed suit with: "Laura Ingalls would be so proud! Looking lovely Melissa! Keep shining and have a brilliant time," and: "Amazing and love your hair!!!" as well as: "Gorgeous! Have a great weekend at the expo!"
Melissa hasn't overtly addressed the dismissal of the child sex abuse charges against her husband, but on October 16, she shared a link to the New York Times story confirming the news to her Instagram Stories.
© Getty ImagesShe also posted a photo of a quote that reads: "So shines a good deed in a weary world."
© Getty ImagesIt's a line said by Gene Wilder near the end of 1971's Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, and is one word away from a line of dialogue from William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, spoken by Portia, which reads: "So shines a good deed in a naughty world."
Melissa and Timothy have been married since 2013 and do not have children together, however she shares sons Dakota, 37, with first husband Bo Brinkman, Michael, 27, with ex-husband Bruce Boxleitner, and is a stepmother to Timothy's three children from his previous two marriages.
