Melissa Gilbert’s Birth Father ‘Could See’ She Was His From ‘Little House On The Prairie’ Before They Met

Aug 12, 2025 by apost team

Melissa Gilbert, 61, best known for her role as Laura Ingalls Wilder on “Little House on the Prairie,” has had a long and varied career in Hollywood. Beyond her work on screen, she has also been open about her personal experiences, including her life as an adoptee. On July 8, 2025, the actress joined fellow “Little House” alum Patrick Labyorteaux on his podcast, “The Patrick LabyorScheaux,” for a candid conversation that touched deeply on their shared journeys of adoption and discovery.

During the episode, Gilbert spoke honestly about the emotional impact of meeting her first child, Dakota, born in 1989. Gilbert recalled:

“When I saw (son Dakota) for the first time, I went, ‘Oh my god,’” she recalled, adding, “He had my eyebrows and he had my lips, and I’d never seen anyone that looked like me. And then I realized there’s got to be more.”

This moment of connection with her son sparked a deeper curiosity in Gilbert, prompting and inspiring her to begin the search for her biological parents. As she investigated her origins, she uncovered a dramatic and unconventional family history. 

Gilbert revealed that both of her birth parents were already married to other people and each had three children when they met. They left their spouses, took off together, and conceived her while on a motorcycle trip through the desert.

“They were each married to other people and had three children each and ran off together and conceived me on a motorcycle trip in the desert,” she revealed.

Gilbert recalled her origin story with a laugh, saying:

“Explains a lot. And then they left their spouses for each other and got married after (getting) pregnant with me and moved all the kids in, so I was number seven. So the decision was made to put me up for adoption.”

Interestingly, like her adoptive parents, Paul Gilbert and Barbara Cowan, her biological parents also came from showbiz backgrounds. Her birth mother had been an exotic dancer, and her birth father worked as a stock car racer and musician.

“So it was pretty clear that it was in me,” she said.

Gilbert eventually contacted her birth father, though her birth mother had passed away. She recalled:

“I didn’t tell him who I was, and then he asked me, ‘Well, who are you? What do you do?’” 

She replied:

“Well, here’s the thing... Did you ever watch ‘Little House on the Prairie’?” 

He responded, “You’re Laura, aren’t you? I knew it.”

“He could see,” Gilbert said, continuing, “And when I met my half siblings, we all look alike. So, you could definitely see it. So, it’s pretty clear.”

Labyorteaux, 59, shared a similar story. Though he never met his birth mother, her stepfamily used to tease her when they saw him on TV. He said he “never met her, but I met her family, who was a step family.” 

The actor explained:

“She had three kids that she had inherited with the husband that she married. So she had three kids, but they weren’t her biological kids. She only had one biological kid. The father had a lot of them.”

He noted:

“But they would watch ‘Little House’ and when I would show up on ‘Little House,’ because of my eyes, they would go, ‘Oh, that’s probably your kid.’” 

Labyorteaux concluded:

“And they would make fun of her like that. Yeah, they were right.”

apost.com

Everyone has their own background, but some are more unexpected than others. What do you think of the origins of these two “Little House on the Prairie” stars? Let us know, and then pass this along to fans of Melissa Gilbert!