While her “Little House on the Prairie” character was lucky in love, actress Melissa Gilbert wasn’t always as fortunate.
The actress appeared on the popular show for nine seasons. During that time, her character, Laura Ingalls, fell in love and married Almanzo Wilder, who was played by Dean Butler.
According to an article by CheatSheet.com, Gilbert’s love life took a much more complicated route. Not only did she date A-list actors John Cusack and Tom Cruise, she was also in a very much talked about relationship with Rob Lowe. In fact, the drama of her breakup with Lowe led her to her marriage with Bo Brinkman.
Gilbert reportedly met Lowe when she was 17. She had already gained recognition for her work on “Little House on the Prairie.” He was fairly new to the holiday scene. She describes being “instantly, hopelessly and stupidly in love” with the actor in her 2009 memoir “Prairie Tale.”
The couple continued dating as Lowe’s Hollywood star began to rise. Thanks in part to his role in “The Outsiders,” the actor was becoming more and more famous. This, according to Gilbert, changed him and she believed he was cheating on her.
While they were engaged, news that Gilbert was pregnant with their child did not go over well with Lowe, according to reports. So, they decided to split and the engagement was called off. Unfortunately, Gilbert soon had a miscarriage.
“I had lost my baby and my relationship with Rob … and it hurt like hell,” Melissa Gilbert wrote.
Melissa Gilbert Moves On from Rob Lowe with Bo Brinkman
Luckily, Melissa Gilbert met her soon-to-be husband Bo Brinkman in New York a week after her breakup with Rob Lowe. She found him very attractive.
“He wore a long cashmere coat, a pair of worn jeans, and cowboy boots,” Gilbert described in her memoir. “A cigarette dangled from his lips. I could already smell the intoxicating scent of booze and nicotine. He was gorgeous, and he had danger written all over him.”
The couple quickly became infatuated with one another. Gilbert has said she was “consumed with Bo.” Six weeks after they met, Brinkman proposed to Gilbert. She accepted and they were married a week later. Interestingly, the day they were married Gilbert appeared on “The Howard Stern Show.”
Unfortunately, Melissa Gilbert’s relationship with Brinkman was not a successful one. According to reports, alcohol addiction and other addictions negatively impacted the marriage. They divorced after six years of marriage. They have a son together.
‘Prairie’ Reboot in Works
In addition, fans of “Little House on the Prairie” can rejoice at the fact that Paramount is planning to reboot the classic television show.
Entertainment Weekly recently reported that the Ingalls family will be returning to their little farm on the prairie for a one-hour program after its final season ended with a bang in 1982. Paramount Network, the creator of the No. 1 television drama “Yellowstone,” plans to reboot the historical Western-based TV program.
