The “Little House on the Prairie” actress has been supportive of Busfield, who pleaded not guilty to felony child sex abuse charges in February.

Melissa Gilbert celebrates 62nd birthday with secret ‘wish’ amid husband Timothy Busfield’s legal troubles

The "Little House on the Prairie" actress has been supportive of Busfield, who pleaded not guilty to felony child sex abuse charges in February.

By Kathleen Perricone

May 8, 2026 6:14 p.m. ET

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Melissa Gilbert celebrates 62nd birthday on Friday. Credit:

Modern Prairie/Instagram

- Melissa Gilbert celebrated her 62nd birthday on May 8, four months after her husband Timothy Busfield was accused of child sexual abuse.

- The actress was presented with a bumblebee-themed cake and headband because she’s “Mrs. B.”

- When her friend said to “make a wish,” Gilbert replied, “Oh, I know what that’s going to be.”

Life goes on for Melissa Gilbert.

The actress celebrated her 62nd birthday on Friday, amid her husband Timothy Busfield’s ongoing legal troubles for child sex abuse.

In a video posted by Gilbert’s lifestyle brand, Modern Prairie, she’s seen quietly knitting when two friends surprise her with a Bee Sting–flavored birthday cake and novelty bumblebee headband.

The theme, Gilbert points out, is because she’s “Mrs. B.”

After being serenaded with a harmonized version of “Happy Birthday,” one of the women tells Gilbert to “make a wish.” Closing her eyes, the birthday girl replies, “Oh, I know what that’s going to be.”

Whatever her wish was, Gilbert did not share it aloud for the Instagram reel.

“Melissa, you are smart, resilient, creative, deeply thoughtful, and a leader in every sense of the word,” Modern Prairie captioned the birthday post.

“You remind us that strength and softness can exist together, that reinvention is powerful, and that women in every season of life deserve to take up space,” the ode continued. “Today, we celebrate you — not just for all you’ve accomplished, but for the way you continue to lead with honesty, purpose, humor, and heart.”

Melissa Gilbert researched Timothy Busfield's past sexual assault allegations before wedding

Melissa Gilbert says child abuse allegations ruined her life with Timothy Busfield: 'He's canceled'

“Mrs. B.” has not enjoyed a happy year so far in 2026.

In January, Gilbert's husband of 13 years was accused of child sex abuse in New Mexico, stemming from allegations that Busfield engaged in inappropriate contact with twin 11-year-old boys on the set of the Fox drama series *The Cleaning Lady *from 2022 to 2024.

Timothy Busfield and Gilbert in 2020.

Lars Niki/Getty

“Melissa stands with and supports her husband and will address the public at an appropriate time,” her publicist Ame Van Iden said in a statement to ** shortly after the allegations surfaced.

After Busfield surrendered to authorities, the *Little House on the Prairie* alum traveled to Bernalillo County to support him at a pre-trial detention hearing to determine whether he’d remain in custody as he awaits trial. A judge ultimately ordered the actor be released under the condition that he has no unsupervised contact with any minors.

Busfield appears in court.

Bernalillo County District Court

In a Jan. 17 court filing, Gilbert was one of 75 people who wrote letters of support for the *thirtysomething* actor, including his costars Peter Horton and Ken Olin. Busfield, claimed his wife, “has the strongest moral compass of any human I have ever known” and has “dedicated his spiritual self to always being of service to others.”

Busfield pleaded not guilty to four felony counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor (a child under the age of 13) on Feb. 11. His trial is set to begin on May 10, 2027, in Albuquerque, N.M.

Gilbert, in court to support Busfield on Jan. 20 in Albuquerque.

Sam Wasson/Getty

Gilbert opened up about the “hell” that she and Busfield were going through in a sit-down interview on ABC’s *Good Morning America* in April.

“This has been the most traumatizing experience of our lives,” she told George Stephanopoulos. “Our life as we knew it is done. We are grieving what we had. All of our plans, all of our dreams, all of our ideas, all of our projects.”

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Describing Busfield, her third husband, as “the last person in the world who would hurt a child,” Gilbert insisted, “I trust him with my children’s lives, with my grandchildren’s lives, my nieces and nephews. He’s an honorable, caring, generous human being.”

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