Melissa Gilbert Net Worth, Age, Height, Bio, Children, Husband, Family, Parents

Melissa Gilbert Net Worth

Melissa Gilbert, an American actress, television director, producer, politician, and former president of the Screen Actors Guild whose full name is Melissa Ellen Gilbert has a net worth of $1.5 million.

Melissa Gilbert Biography

Melissa Ellen Gilbert is a multi-talented American actress, television director, producer, politician, and former president of the Screen Actors Guild.

Her career began in the late 1960s when she entered the entertainment industry as a child actress. She appeared in various commercials and made guest appearances on television shows.

From 1974 to 1983, Gilbert gained widespread recognition for her role as Laura Ingalls Wilder, the second oldest daughter of Charles Ingalls, on the NBC series Little House on the Prairie. During this time, she also appeared in several television films, including The Diary of Anne Frank and The Miracle Worker.

As she transitioned into adulthood, Gilbert primarily focused on television films, although she continued to make guest appearances on television shows. She also lent her voice to the character of Barbara Gordon/Batgirl in Batman: The Animated Series. In 2009 and 2010, Gilbert portrayed Caroline Ma Ingalls in the touring production of Little House on the Prairie, the Musical. Additionally, she participated as a contestant on the fourteenth season of the popular reality dance competition show, Dancing with the Stars, in 2012.

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Not only has Gilbert made significant contributions to the entertainment industry, but she has also been involved in politics and labor organizations. She served as the President of the Screen Actors Guild from 2001 to 2005.

In 2009, Gilbert released her autobiography titled Prairie Tale: A Memoir. In 2014, she wrote a short story for children called Daisy and Josephine, as well as a cookbook titled My Prairie Cookbook: Memories and Frontier Food from My Little House to Yours.

In 2016, Gilbert embarked on a political career by running as a Democrat in Michigan's 8th congressional district. She successfully won the Democratic primary but later withdrew from the race due to health issues stemming from a 2012 accident.

Melissa Gilbert Age

Melissa Gilbert, born on May 8, 1964, is a 59-year-old actress hailing from Los Angeles, California, U.S. She was born and raised in Los Angeles and is a Taurus by zodiac sign.

Melissa Gilbert is an American citizen who practices the Jewish religion.

Melissa Gilbert Parents and Family

Melissa Ellen Gilbert was born to an engaged couple, Kathy Wood and David Darlington, and was immediately placed for adoption after birth.

One day later, she was adopted by actor and comedian Paul Gilbert and his wife, dancer and actress Barbara Crane. Barbara Crane is the daughter of Harry Crane, the creator of The Honeymooners.

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The couple also adopted a son named Jonathan, who later co-starred with Melissa on the show Little House on the Prairie.

When Melissa was 8 years old, her parents divorced. Her mother, Kathy, then married attorney Harold Abeles, and they had a biological daughter named Sara Rebecca Abeles, who is now known professionally as Sara Gilbert. Sara was born on January 29, 1975.

Tragically, on February 13, 1976, Paul Gilbert passed away. At the time, 11-year-old Melissa was told that he had suffered a stroke. However, she later discovered that he had been a VA patient dealing with constant pain and had taken his own life. Barbara's marriage to Harold Abeles also ended in divorce.

Melissa Gilbert Husband and Relationships

After the end of her relationship with Rob Lowe, Gilbert relocated to New York City to pursue a role in the play A Shayna Maidel. It was during this time that she was introduced to actor Bo Brinkman, who happened to be the cousin of actors Randy Quaid and Dennis Quaid. Following her split from Lowe, Gilbert and Brinkman quickly became romantically involved and tied the knot on February 22, 1988. Just seven weeks had passed since her breakup. The couple welcomed their son into the world on May 1, 1989. However, their marriage eventually came to an end in 1992.

Not long after Gilbert filed for divorce, she was introduced to actor Bruce Boxleitner by his former wife. Gilbert and Boxleitner had actually met as teenagers during their time on Battle of the Network Stars, and Gilbert had developed a crush on him back then. They reconnected and began dating intermittently for over a year. Despite two failed engagements initiated by Boxleitner, the couple managed to reconcile for the third time and decided to marry on January 1, 1995, in an intimate ceremony held in Gilbert's mother's living room. Gilbert gave birth to their son on October 6, 1995, and also took on the role of stepmother to Boxleitner's two sons. Sadly, their relationship came to an end when Gilbert publicly announced their separation on March 1, 2011. The divorce was officially filed by Gilbert on August 22, 2011.

In January 2013, Gilbert's engagement to actor Timothy Busfield was confirmed by her representative. The couple exchanged vows on April 24, 2013, and initially settled in Howell, Michigan, from 2013 to 2018.

Later in 2018, they relocated to New York City. During that year, they also acquired a cottage in the Catskill Mountains of Upstate New York. Gilbert and Busfield have been working on renovating the cottage and plan to make it their permanent residence.