Melissa Gilbert has announced her departure from the Hallmark Channel series “When Calls the Heart,” stating that her storyline on the show has concluded.
Gilbert, 62, shared the news in an Instagram post, indicating she would not be returning for the upcoming season. She initially stated her exit was due to "budget issues" but expressed gratitude to the show's creator, Michael Landon Jr., and her co-stars for her time on the series. "It was a lovely couple of seasons but it’s time to say farewell," she wrote. "When one door closes, another one opens."
A representative for Hallmark Channel confirmed that Gilbert's storyline concluded in season 13, adding, "We adore Melissa and are always grateful when we get to work with her."
Gilbert joined “When Calls the Heart” in 2025 as a guest star for Season 12 and returned for the following season, appearing in a total of seven episodes. Her character, Georgie, was a love interest to Jack Wagner’s Judge Bill Avery.
Gilbert's announcement comes as her husband, actor Timothy Busfield, faces child sex abuse charges. In January, Busfield, 69, was arrested following allegations of inappropriately touching two 7-year-old actors on the set of the Fox series “The Cleaning Lady.” He was officially charged in February with four counts of criminal sexual contact of a child under the age of 13. Busfield has vehemently denied the allegations, pleading not guilty to the charges.
Gilbert has publicly supported her husband, attending one of his court hearings in January and stating in an April interview that she was "100% confident" he would be exonerated. She described their life as "done" and said they were grieving what they had lost, but maintained her husband is "the last person in the world who would hurt a child."
Busfield's trial is scheduled to begin in May 2027.