The Heartbreaking Adoption Journey of Melissa Gilbert: From Abandonment to Fame
Melissa Gilbert, born on May 8, 1964, in the now-closed French Hospital in Los Angeles, had a challenging start to life. Her biological parents, engrossed in their careers, chose not to raise her. At just 24 hours old, she was adopted by Barbara Crane, a former actress, and Paul Gilbert, a stand-up comedian and actor. The couple also adopted Jonathan, her younger brother. Though her adoptive parents separated when she was six, Melissa remembered Paul as a loving and fair man, who passed away in 1976.
Melissa’s early life was marked by the stories her adoptive parents told her. They shared that her biological parents, David Darlington and Kathy Wood, were a Rhodes Scholar and a prima ballerina, respectively. However, the truth later revealed that David was a stock car racer, and Kathy, while a dancer, wasn’t a ballerina. Their decision to give her up stemmed from the pressures of their careers, as they already had three children from previous marriages and couldn’t support a seventh.
The truth about her adoption and her birth parents surfaced gradually. Melissa learned more painful details after her adoptive father’s passing, including that her birth parents didn’t plan on adopting her. Mitzi, her godmother, shared that Barbara and Paul initially had no intention of bringing a child into their lives. It was only after a call informed them of the availability of a baby girl that Paul instructed Barbara to “go get it.” This revelation shook Melissa, who later came to terms with the complexities of her adoption.
At the age of 11, Melissa believed her father had died from a stroke, but when she was 45, she uncovered that Paul had taken his own life. This discovery devastated her, leading her to hire a detective to investigate further. The detective revealed that Paul, a World War II veteran, had been in immense pain while under the care of the VA hospital. For six months, Melissa struggled with the knowledge of his suicide, unable to eat or sleep.
Through the anguish, she eventually found peace and now advocates for mental health awareness and suicide prevention in his memory. Melissa also forgave her adoptive mother, Barbara, for hiding the truth, although it took years of feeling betrayed to reach that point.
Today, Melissa is best known for her iconic role as Laura Ingalls Wilder in Little House on the Prairie. Her memoir, Back to the Prairie, released in July 2022, reflects on her personal journey, both as an actress and as a woman who has come to terms with her past. She currently enjoys a quiet life with her third husband, Timothy Busfield, and their blended family of eight grandchildren.
