Melissa Gilbert Was Devastated After Her Father's Passing & Couldn't Function For 'Weeks'

Apr 13, 2022 by apost team

Melissa Gilbert is a woman of many talents. She is best known for her work as an actress, television director, producer and politician. On top of that, she was also once the president of the Screen Actors Guild.

On May 8, 1964, Melissa was born to a couple who gave her up for adoption immediately after she was born. She was adopted by actor Paul Gilbert and his wife Barbara Crane just one day later. They later adopted a son named Jonathon Gilbert.

With such a talented set of parents, it’s no surprise that Melissa went on to find herself working in the entertainment industry. She began making a name for herself at a very young age and had a stable career as a child actress in the late 1960s. She started off by appearing in several commercials and obtaining guest-starring roles on television shows.

The actress got her big break when she starred as Laura Ingalls Wilder in the series “Little House on the Prairie.” The show revolved around the Ingalls family and their life on a rural farm in Minnesota in the late 1800s. The series, which also starred Melissa’s brother, had a successful run, airing from 1974 to 1982, with a sequel series generated shortly after.

Mellisa continued to find work in the acting department, mostly appearing in television films, and has also released a few memoirs that detail her life experiences. Over the years, Melissa has also opened up more about what it was like being adopted by her father Paul, and how she learned more about the pain and hardships he endured years after his death.

Just one day after she was born, Melissa was adopted by actor Paul Gilbert. Paul first began his career as an aerialist as his family were vaudeville performers. However, he ended up quitting that part of the business after suffering a fall, but continued acting, singing and dancing. 

He began to pick up acting gigs in the industry in the early 1950s and was cast in the series “The Duke” in 1954. Showing off his plethora of talents, Paul continued to find success in the business and appeared on “The Spike Jones Show” the same year before moving on to appear in other shows such as “The NBC Comedy Hour,” “The Colgate Comedy Hour” and “The Dick Van Dyke Show.”

As a pretty established star himself, it was only fitting for Paul’s adopted children to enter the entertainment industry. Both Melissa and Jonathan found themselves working on “Little House on the Prairie,” although Jonathan later left show business. However, Melissa stayed relevant in the industry, landing several roles in mostly television shows following her time on the successful family series.

"It was like a really great summer camp, but I also got to play the ultimate game of dress-up," Melissa told CBS Sunday Morning as she reminisced on her time on the series. "I don't remember it ever not being fun."

While the show had a great focus on family, it also touched on heavier topics – something that Melissa could relate to. Speaking with CBS Sunday Morning, Melissa said, "I tell people I do not have a family tree; I have a family shrub."

apost.com

Melissa was met with tragedy and heartache shortly after she began acting in “Little House on the Prairie,” as Paul died in February 1976. Speaking with Oprah Winfrey in 2014, Melissa explained, “He’d had a stroke about a year before (his death), and we were told – my brother and I – that he had a second stroke in his sleep and passed away. Actually, everyone was told that. There were only a couple of people who knew the truth.”

The truth was that Paul had taken his own life. "That was a very deeply hidden secret from pretty much everybody in my life," Melissa said. She added, “It was a bad time for me. I was not functioning at all for a few weeks. I couldn’t get any answers.” It took some time, but Melissa finally found her answers, and learned that Paul was in “uncontrolled excruciating pain.”

During her interview with Winfrey, Melissa also explained more about the hardships she endured in her home life. “I had my own familial traumas and difficulties,” she said. “My father died when I was 11. My parents divorced when I was 6. My mother remarried a few times. There was sadness and discomfort at home.”

The actress also encountered difficulties within her family life later on when her brother “completely cut himself off from the family,” according to her 2009 memoir. She wrote, “Surprisingly, I am at peace with it. Though my heart does ache for my mother.”

Melissa also seems to be at peace now with the loss of her father. “I still sometimes wonder why I wasn’t enough to stick around for,” she revealed. “But he was in unbearable pain. I understand his decision and I honor that decision.”

Did you know about Melissa Gilbert’s family life following her adoption? Let us know, and feel free to pass this along to your loved ones.

If you or anybody you know is struggling with depression or suicidal thoughts, please call Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or visit befrienders.org to find your local suicide prevention hotline. The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals.