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How Timothy Busfield and Melissa Gilbert met
Busfield said he had gone to a usually quiet bar near Universal Studios for pizza and sports. Gilbert was sitting at the bar in a fedora, and the two talked through the evening. He said he had not been dating for about eight months and had been comfortable living alone before meeting her.
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Their meeting was not entirely out of nowhere: a source quoted by Us Weekly said they had crossed paths intermittently for roughly 20 years. The romantic connection, however, began with that 2012 conversation.
Engagement and the 2013 wedding
| Date | Event | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | First meeting | They met at a Los Angeles bar near Universal Studios. |
| December 2012 | Engagement | Us Weekly reported that they became engaged during the holidays. |
| April 24, 2013 | Wedding | They married privately at San Ysidro Ranch in Santa Barbara. |
Gilbert wore a red wedding dress. She said finding it was “quite a search,” but that she knew immediately when she saw the right one. She associated the color with “passion, fire, love” and said the dress would always carry the couple’s memories.
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What Busfield meant by “She was the one”
“She was the one” was Busfield’s description of how the first night felt, not a claim based on a formal test or relationship formula. His full explanation was: “I knew she was the one. It felt so real.” The phrase captures the certainty he said he experienced when they met.
How Gilbert describes their marriage
Equality and respect for choice
Gilbert has described the relationship as equal “across the board.” She has also highlighted a sentence Busfield told her: “If you don’t want to, you don’t have to.”
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That reassurance had particular meaning for Gilbert because, as a child actor, adults had often told her she had to do things regardless of whether she wanted to. In her account, respect for personal choice became a central part of the marriage.
Leaving Los Angeles
Gilbert said moving away from Los Angeles helped her age on her own terms: “I had to get out of Los Angeles to actually age, which I wanted to do.” The couple moved to Michigan after the wedding and described Howell as a small-town home base with four seasons.
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The couple’s locations and shared work
Michigan: a home base and creative plans
After Gilbert moved in with Busfield in Michigan, the couple discussed developing theatre and film projects together. In a 2014 BroadwayWorld interview, they said they did not want to work apart for more than three months at a time and talked about projects they could create across theatre, film and television.
New York and the Catskills
By 2018–2019, they were moving toward New York and bought a fixer-upper in upstate New York’s Catskills region as an escape. Gilbert described the unconventional house as a hopeful choice that could shelter them.
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The Gilbert & Busfield podcast
During the March 2020 lockdown, they launched the Gilbert & Busfield podcast. Us Magazine reported in 2026 that they ultimately recorded 18 episodes.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Children and earlier relationships
Both Busfield and Gilbert entered the marriage with children from earlier relationships. DoYouRemember reported that Busfield had three children and Gilbert had two sons; Us Weekly supplied additional detail about their previous marriages and families. The available accounts describe a blended family rather than children born to the couple together.
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What is known about the 2026 allegations involving Busfield
In January 2026, Us Magazine reported that New Mexico authorities issued an arrest warrant for Busfield in connection with child-sex-abuse allegations. The report said he surrendered and denied the allegations. These are allegations and denials, not adjudicated findings.
The same report said Gilbert’s representative stated that she was supporting and caring for their family. Modern Prairie, Gilbert’s lifestyle brand, issued a statement condemning abuse and saying the allegations did not involve the brand, its operations or its community. Those statements address the public response; they do not establish the outcome of the criminal case.
Gilbert’s books for readers who want more of her story
Readers looking for Gilbert’s own account can start with her memoir Prairie Tale, A Memoir. Her 2014 book My Prairie Cookbook combines family recipes and childhood favorites with more than 75 scrapbook images. These books provide personal and family context beyond the couple’s interviews.
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