Melissa Gilbert recently celebrated her adoptive mother, Barbara Gilbert’s, birthday with a heartfelt Instagram post. The actress shared a throwback photo, expressing love for her “sweet, hilarious, talented, compassionate” mother.
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In her memoir, “Prairie Tale,” Melissa candidly discusses her adoption by Barbara and Paul Gilbert. Despite being initially told her biological parents were a ballerina and a Rhodes Scholar, Melissa later discovered her mother was a dancer, and her father was a stock car racer and sign painter.
Raised in a blended family with six children, Melissa’s parents, Barbara and Paul, struggled financially and chose adoption. The actress, now 58, is a mom of two – Dakota Brinkman and Michael Boxleitner. Dakota followed in her acting footsteps, while Michael’s professional pursuits remain unclear.
Melissa is also a stepmom to five children from her marriages to Bruce Boxleitner and Timothy Busfield – Sam, Lee, Samuel, Daisy, and Wilson. The actress, known for “Christmas in My Hometown” and her role in “Little House on the Prairie,” continues to share her family’s journey on social media.
