Melissa Gilbert net worth is estimated to be around $500 Thousand as of 2024. Melissa Gilbert is an American actress, director, and author born on May 8, 1964. She started acting as a child in the late 1960s featuring in commercials and TV shows. Gilbert gained fame for her role as Laura Ingalls Wilder on NBC’s “Little House on the Prairie” which aired from 1974 to 1983. During this time she also acted in TV movies like “The Diary of Anne Frank” and “The Miracle Worker.”
As an adult, Gilbert focused mostly on TV movies. In 2009-2010, she reprised her role as Caroline “Ma” Ingalls in the touring musical version of “Little House on the Prairie.” In 2012 she competed on “Dancing with the Stars” Season 14.
Gilbert was President of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) from 2001 to 2005. She ran for U.S. Congress in 2016 but later withdrew. She has also written several memoirs a children’s book and a cookbook.
Melissa Gilbert in Brief
| Full Name | Melissa Ellen Gilbert |
| Date of Birth | May 8, 1964 |
| Place of Birth | Los Angeles, California, USA |
| Occupation | Actress, Director, Author |
| Height | 5 feet 4 inches (163 cm) |
| Spouse | Timothy Busfield (m. 2013) Bruce Boxleitner (m. 1995–2011) Bo Brinkman (m. 1988–1994) |
| Children | Dakota Paul Busfield, Michael Boxleitner |
| Net Worth | $500,000 |
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What is Melissa Gilbert Net Worth in 2024?
Melissa Gilbert is an American actress, director, and author with a net worth of $500 Thousand as of 2024, according to Celebrity Net Worth. The main source of Melissa Gilbert’s net worth mainly comes from her long career as an actress.
Her role as Laura Ingalls on the popular TV show “Little House on the Prairie,” which ran from 1974 to 1983. This role made her a household name and led to other acting opportunities in movies, TV shows, and voice acting. She has also written a few books, including her memoir, which added to her income.
Gilbert also earned money through various endorsements and from serving as the President of the Screen Actors Guild from 2001 to 2005. These different sources combined have significantly contributed to her wealth.
Melissa Gilbert’s Early Life
Melissa Gilbert was born in Los Angeles California on May 8, 1964. After her birth, she was put up for adoption and was quickly adopted the next day by actor and comedian Paul Gilbert and his wife dancer and actress Barbara Crane. Barbara Crane was the daughter of Harry Crane who created “The Honeymooners.” The Gilberts later adopted a son named Jonathan who appeared on “Little House on the Prairie.”
When Melissa was 6 her parents divorced. Her mother Barbara then married attorney Harold Abeles and they had a daughter Sara Rebecca Abeles who is known as actress Sara Gilbert.
Paul Gilbert passed away on February 13, 1976. Melissa was initially told he had a stroke but she later learned he had struggled with chronic pain and had taken his own life. Barbara’s marriage to Harold Abeles also ended in divorce. Melissa was raised in the Jewish faith by her adoptive mother though she did not undergo formal religious training or a conversion ceremony.
Melissa Gilbert’s Career
Little House on the Prairie
Melissa Gilbert’s early career included numerous commercials such as one for Alpo dog food with Lorne Greene known for his role on Bonanza. She also went to school with Leslie Landon, Michael Landon’s daughter. Leslie informed her that she had landed the role of Laura Ingalls on “Little House on the Prairie” after competing with over 500 other child actresses.
The pilot aired in 1973 and was a hit. Gilbert started filming the series a year later and grew close to the Landon family especially after her adoptive father passed away. However, tension arose between Gilbert and Michael Landon after Landon’s affair with the show’s makeup artist Cindy Clerico was revealed.
Career after Little House
After “Little House on the Prairie” ended in 1984 Gilbert had limited contact with Landon. Seven years later she visited him after learning about his pancreatic cancer. They spent an afternoon together before Landon passed away a week later. Gilbert named her son Michael in Landon’s honor when he was born on October 6, 1995, with her second husband Bruce Boxleitner.
Gilbert has continued acting mainly on TV. She starred in “Choices of the Heart,” and “Babylon 5,” alongside her then-husband Boxleitner. She voiced Batgirl in the 1990s “Batman: The Animated Series” but was later replaced by Tara Strong in the follow-up series.
In 1985, Melissa Gilbert received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Her then-fiancé Rob Lowe was present for the unveiling. In 1998, she was inducted into the Western Performers Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City. In 2006 she appeared on “Nip/Tuck” as Shari Noble.
From 2008 to 2009, Gilbert played Caroline “Ma” Ingalls in the musical adaptation of “Little House on the Prairie” at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. The show toured the US until June 2010.
In 2018, Gilbert starred in an Off-Off-Broadway production of Geraldine Aron’s play “My Brilliant Divorce.”
Dancing with the Stars
In 2012, Gilbert competed in “Dancing with the Stars” and suffered a concussion during a Paso Doble routine. She continued in the competition but was eliminated in week eight finishing fifth.
Gilbert served as president of the Screen Actors Guild from 2001 to 2005 winning re-election in 2003.
In 2015, Gilbert announced her run for Michigan’s 8th congressional district. She withdrew from the race in May 2016 due to health issues. In 2022, she launched a lifestyle app for women called Modern Prairie.
Melissa Gilbert Marriage, Husbands, and Relationships
Melissa Gilbert was married to actor Bo Brinkman from 1988 to 1994 and then to actor Bruce Boxleitner from 1995 to 2011.
In January 2013, Gilbert’s representative announced her engagement to actor Timothy Busfield. They got married on April 24, 2013. The couple lived in Howell Michigan until 2018 when they moved to New York City.
In 2018, they also bought a cottage in the Catskill Mountains which they are renovating to make their permanent home.
Melissa Gilbert’s Tax Debt
Regarding taxes after Gilbert announced her run for U.S. Representative from Michigan her opponent’s campaign labeled her a “tax cheat.” Gilbert owed $360,000 in federal taxes and $11,2000 in California state taxes.
She clarified that these debts stemmed from a difficult period including a stalled acting career and divorce and that she had set up a repayment plan with the IRS.
Melissa Gilbert’s Health Challenges
In her late thirties, Gilbert struggled with addiction to prescription drugs and alcohol. While performing in “Little House on the Prairie” doctors discovered she had been working with a broken back for months. She had successful surgery on July 22, 2010, to replace a disc and fuse a vertebra.
In January 2015, Gilbert chose to have her breast implants removed for health reasons.
Melissa Gilbert Real Estate
In 2014, Melissa Gilbert put her home in Tarzana, Los Angeles, up for sale. The price was $1.195 million.
Later, in 2019, Melissa and her partner Timothy bought a new property in the Catskill Mountains of New York. They paid $98,000 for this 14-acre land, which is about 20 minutes away from Woodstock. This place is where they live now. Before moving to New York City in late 2018, they also lived in Howell, Michigan.
