For millions, Melissa Gilbert is forever Laura Ingalls Wilder, the wholesome girl growing up on Little House on the Prairie.

But behind the wholesome image was a private life marked by heartbreak and personal trials.

What many don’t know is that Gilbert’s real-life romances were far more complicated and tragic than anything her character ever faced on screen.

First marriage

First marriage Melissa Gilbert was just 24 when she walked down the aisle for the first time. In 1988, she married fellow actor Bo Brinkman.

In her memoir Prairie Tale, Gilbert admitted she was instantly drawn to Brinkman when they first crossed paths at a group dinner. ”I turned around and saw this long-haired, very handsome man … He introduced himself as Bo Brinkman,” she recalled.

”I could already smell the intoxicating scent of booze and nicotine. He was gorgeous and had danger written all over him.”

Shortly after the wedding, the couple announced they were expecting a baby.

“I’m ecstatic. We’ve been trying for a couple of months,” Bo told USA Today at the time.

The baby boy was born on May 1, 1989. They named him Dakota, after Bo’s grandmother.

But the joy of the baby and the initial romance soon faded.

Terrifying incident

In her memoir, Gilbert opened up about the unhealthy dynamic that grew between them as a result of Brinkman’s drinking. She wrote that he once became furious and accused her of trying to take their child, simply because she suggested he get help in rehab. According to Gilbert, the argument escalated so badly that Brinkman even threatened to kill her.

Still, she said that even this terrifying incident wasn’t what ultimately ended their marriage.

Melissa Gilbert was just two months postpartum when Brinkman brought another woman into their home. In Prairie Tale, she recalled going downstairs to feed Dakota and unexpectedly walking in on the situation.

And when she learned that Brinkman had hired a sex worker, her anger grew. But instead of apologizing, he showed no remorse and even tried to blame his actions on her. The betrayal left Gilbert questioning whether she could remain in the marriage.

But perhaps the most shocking part were the rumors that her Little House on the Prairie co-star, Shannen Doherty, had an affair with Brinkman.

Doherty played Jenny Wilder, Gilbert’s on-screen niece. According to Gilbert’s memoir, Doherty allegedly pursued Brinkman because she idolized Gilbert. If true, it was certainly a strange way to show admiration. That said, Entertainment Weekly noted that Gilbert and Brinkman were already separated when the rumored fling happened.

Neither Doherty nor Brinkman responded to the allegations. However, Gilbert hadn’t let go of her feelings. In 2014, she appeared on Watch What Happens Live and didn’t hold back when asked what she’d say to Doherty if they ever crossed paths. “I wouldn’t say anything, I’d just punch her in the nose,” Gilbert admitted (via ABC).

Marriage with Bruce Boxleitner

Melissa’s second marriage was to Tron star Bruce Boxleitner.

While her divorce from Brinkman was underway, Melissa grew close to her friend Bruce Boxleitner. The couple married in 1995, and later that same year, they welcomed their son, Michael Boxleitner.

In 2016, Gilbert opened up about Michael’s birth, which came with serious complications. She revealed that he was born at just 28 weeks and, because he couldn’t breathe on his own, had to spend time in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). “I was afraid for him,” she admitted, “but I knew he would fight through it.”

“He was only 3 lbs and had the courage of a lion,” she added. “He’ll be 21 soon, but he will always, always be my Peeker McSqueek.”

Pushed her hand away

Sadly, the cracks in Gilbert’s second marriage started long before the divorce papers were signed.

In her 2022 memoir Back to the Prairie, she recounted a moment that revealed just how disconnected Boxleitner had become: after she had a back surgery, he refused to pick her up from the hospital, suggesting she hire a car or ask a friend.

“Bruce’s response, or lack thereof, gave me plenty to think about during the long, slow recovery,” she wrote.

“I could recover without his support and compassion, but the question I suddenly asked myself was, Why? Why was it okay for me not to be cared for? What made me feel that I didn’t deserve to have that in my life?” Gilbert explained.

It was on a family trip to Hawaii, after Gilbert was starting to feel better, that she realized their marriage was truly over. She recalls that her then-husband mostly kept to himself throughout the trip, doing his own thing.

During a hike to the top of a volcano, as they paused to take in the view, Gilbert reached for Boxleitner’s hand—but he “pushed [hers] away.”

“Neither of us was truly happy, and after spending years going in and out of therapy alone and as a couple, I didn’t see the situation changing,” she wrote.

Hired a mediator

Gilbert explains that the separation was difficult not just for them, but for their whole family. Still, she and Boxleitner were determined to keep things civil. Instead of hiring lawyers, they opted for a mediator. The mediator had set aside three days to work through everything—but the couple wrapped it up in just three hours.

“Bruce and I had already promised to simply walk away and not take or demand anything from each other… We had lunch together at Jerry’s Deli and walked away friends.”

By the time their union ended in 2011, she felt utterly alone and adrift, navigating a painful divorce that reshaped her life in ways she never anticipated.

In the wake of the split, Gilbert underwent dramatic changes, both physically and emotionally. Cosmetic procedures, a flashy new sports car, and a whirlwind romance with a younger man became part of what she later called her “lost” phase.

“It was like, I lost my mind,” she admitted to Page Six in 2022.

According to neuropsychologist Dr. Sanam Hafeez, this kind of behavior is common after major life upheavals. “After a breakup or big life change, it’s normal to feel like you’ve lost your sense of who you are,” Hafeez explained. “Many swing between wanting to escape the pain and trying to reinvent themselves overnight.”

While the post-divorce whirlwind could have consumed her, she eventually found stability and love again with actor Timothy Busfield, marrying him in 2013 and blending families with grace.

The couple first crossed paths at a random bar. Busfield revealed he had only gone in because he wanted a slice of pizza and a beer—and he figured it would be empty.

“So I walked in the front door, and there was one person, sitting in my chair, at the bar. I looked, and then I stepped back outside,” the actor, who had also been married twice before, told M Live.

New husband

“My first thought was, ‘I haven’t been on a date in 6 months, I’m just working and not dating, I really don’t want to date anyone right now.’ So I sort of talked to myself for a moment, and then I went in, sat at the bar, and ordered a drink. Then I saw her smile and I was gone.”

Gilbert explained she was at the bar alone because her friend had forgotten his phone at a previous location and had gone back to get it.

The two admitted their paths had crossed before, but in 2012, things were different.

“The next morning, we got together for brunch, and we’ve been inseparable since,” Busfield told M Live.

They married the following year at San Ysidro Ranch in Santa Barbara, California, with Busfield calling himself “the luckiest man on earth” to be married to the “Little House” star.

Gilbert’s story is a striking reminder that even childhood stars, who seem to have it all, face heartbreak in the most human of ways.

From shattered marriages to public scrutiny and personal reinvention, she navigated her trials with the same resilience that made her a beloved TV icon.