Melissa Gilbert was born to her biological parents, in 8th of May, 1964. She was adopted by Barbara Crane and Paul Gilbert, when she was 24 hours old.
She also had a brother, another adopted child of the family, Jonathan.
Their adoptive father, Paul Gilbert was a comedian, a stand-up performer. The mother, Barbara Crane was an actress, but she had a short career as an actress.
“My father was the most incredibly talented, vivacious, funny, loving, fair person I ever knew.” Melissa had said about her adoptive parent’s divorce.
In her book, “Prairie Tale: A Memoir”, she had explained about the things she had experienced after her adoptive father, Paul Gilbert, had lost his life in 1976.
As she stated in the book, her biological mother Kathy Wood, was a ballerina, and her father, David Darlington, was a Rhodes Scholar.
Her parents that adopted her had stated that, the biological parents were locked onto their careers, as they were not interested in raising her.
She was not that old, when she had learnt that she was an adopted child. And the truth about her biological parent’s profession, and their career focused lives.
After losing Paul, she also learnt from her godmother, Mitzi, spoke about the day her family had adopted her.
Mitzi stated that she was shocked whe she saw Paul and Barbara with a newborn child, as they have returned from hospital.
“I mean, we had no plans to adopt a child.” Barbara said about that day.
She had stated that they called them from the hospital, and they weren’t looking to adopt a child at that time. While Paul was on the road, Barbara had called him and said that, “‘go get it.'”
Melissa was shocked to learn that she was called “it”, but barbara said that her gender was not informed to them, as she was not born when they got the call.
In her interview in CBS Sunday Morning, she had stated that she was 11 when Paul, her adoptive father had lost his life, but in truth, which she had learnt when she was 45, Paul had lost his life, after commiting suicide.
It was a secret that kept away from everyone in the family, only a handful of people were aware of the situation.
At her 40s, she had hired a detective, and found out the truth about her father’s passing. That her father was a World War II veteran, and he was mentally in pain, and stated that he would commit suicide, which he did as he said.
The truth about her father’s passing had haunted her for months, which she was not able to eat or sleep properly.
Melissa Gilbert had suffered as we know and tell until now. She had acted in “Little House on the Prairie”, between 1974 and 1983. Later in 2022, she had published her book, “Back to the Prairie,”
She had stated that she is feeling blessed, and wished that her late father, Paul Gilbert to taste the love of a grandchild, as she is experiencing.
She is now with her third husband, Timothy Busfield. They have eight grandchildren in total.
They had married in 2013, in Santa Barbara, California.
She had her first child with, Bo Brinkman. Together they had welcomed their son, Dakota Paul Brinkman.
From her second marriage with, Bruce Boxleitner. Together they had received their son, Michael Garrett Boxleitner.
Her husband Busfield has also three children of his own, Samuel, Daisy, and Wilson. The couple is now living on their land, in Catskill Mountain cottage in New York.
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