Add Page Six on Google Melissa Gilbert announced she’s leaving the Hallmark series “When Calls the Heart” as her husband, Timothy Busfield, faces child sex abuse charges.
“Many people have asked if I will be returning to ‘When Calls the Heart’ this coming season,” the actress wrote on Instagram on Thursday.
“The answer to that is no, I am not,” she added.
Gilbert, 62, claimed she was told she’s off the show due to “budget issues.”
But she still wished her former co-stars “a happy and successful Season 14.”
In her caption, Gilbert said she’s “eternally grateful” to creator Michael Landon Jr. for giving her the opportunity to play Georgie McGill.
“It was a lovely couple of seasons but it’s time to say farewell,” she wrote. “When one door closes, another one opens.”
Gilbert added, “Looking forward to whatever comes next.”
Hallmark Channel said in a statement to People, “We can confirm that Melissa’s storyline on ‘When Calls the Heart’ concluded in season 13. We adore Melissa and are always grateful when we get to work with her.”
Page Six has reached out to the Hallmark Channel for comment.
Gilbert joined “When Calls the Heart” for Season 12 in 2025 as a guest star, before returning for the following season. She appeared in seven episodes total.
Her character, Georgie, was Jack Wagner’s Judge Bill Avery’s love interest.
Want more celebrity and pop culture news? Start your day with Page Six Daily.
In January, Gilbert’s husband was arrested on charges of child abuse and criminal sexual contact of a minor over allegedly inappropriately touching two 7-year-old actors on set of the Fox series “The Cleaning Lady.”
Busfield, 69, vehemently denied the “horrible” allegations, telling TMZ that he “did not do anything to those little boys.”
In February, the “Thirtysomething” actor was officially charged with four counts of criminal sexual contact of a child under the age of 13.
Despite the allegations, Gilbert has remained by her husband’s side and attended one of his court hearings in January.
In April, she insisted her husband is “the last person in the world who would hurt a child.”
“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,” she said during a Good Morning America” interview.
Gilbert also shared she’s “100% confident” Busfield will be exonerated.
Busfield’s trial is set to begin in May 2027.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-330-0226.
Your voice matters. Discussions are moderated for civility. Read our guidelines here
Community Guidelines Welcome to the Page Six Community! Our community is about connecting people through open and thoughtful conversations. We want our readers to share their views and exchange ideas in a safe space.
In order to do so, we've created a simple set of rules that will improve your experience.
Your post will/might be rejected if it contains:
User accounts will/might be blocked if we notice:
Thanks for reading our community guidelines. Don't forget, freedom of speech is not the freedom of reach!
