Actress Melissa Gilbert of “Little House on the Prairie” met actor Bruce Boxleitner of “How the West Was Won” when she was recently divorced and a single mother of a young son.
She did not intend to end up alone, but their relationship was one for which she was not prepared. Melissa Gilbert desired a group of companions with advantages at the moment.
Melissa Gilbert was not looking for a relationship because she already had a child in her life. The specifics of her life and her relationship with Bruce Boxleitner are provided here.
Gilbert was wed to actor and producer Bo Brinkman before she met Boxleitner. She had a kid through her marriage to Brinkman, but things were strained between them.
Gilbert refused to come see him while Brinkman was in Gettysburg since they had issues that they hadn’t addressed in years and their child was at preschool, despite his repeated requests.
One day, she received a call from her publicist informing her that the National Enquirer wanted to publish a piece about Brinkman and that they had proof of his indiscretion and drinking.
She sensed their marriage was about to end, so she requested the publicist to hold off on the story while she hired a private investigator to collect concrete information.
Gilbert took her kid to Gettysburg to meet Brinkman after the detective corroborated the tale. He didn’t instantly admit it when she challenged him, but he did.
Gilbert informed Brinkman that their relationship was over, but she stayed for a few extra days so that their son could see him.
Gilbert became enraged when she discovered she was in an alternate reality while visiting the movie set where Brinkman was working because everyone else appeared to be aware of his gatherings but her.
After leaving, she went back to Los Angeles and instructed Brinkman to pack up his belongings. Gilbert started the divorce process after they had been apart for a few months.
Boxleitner told her that his personal life was problematic when they first met, and she reminded him that her five-year marriage had ended as well.
She was aware, though, that going out with him felt right. They gradually started having frequent and intimate phone conversations while they were at work.
Boxleitner visited her while she was filming “With Hostile Intent” and appreciated seeing her in her police costume. Gilbert agreed to meet Boxleitner in Montreal for the weekend.
Over the weekend, they developed a close bond. Boxleitner, however, started to fear that he would destroy their relationship if they were married and had a child.
Boxleitner, who had already fathered two children in his prior relationship, did not want to create a situation in which they would have further children whose parents were no longer married.
The co-star of “How the West Was Won,” Kathryn Holcomb, was Boxleitner’s first wife. They welcomed two boys, Sam and Lee, before divorcing.
Gilbert was astonished when Boxleitner proposed to her one night at dinner because she was aware of his fear of heights.
They went ring shopping and chose a date that neither of them would soon forget when she gave her consent. Gilbert requested a modest ceremony attended only by close relatives and friends, and Boxleitner consented.
They performed a ceremony in front of her mother’s fireplace before making their way undetected to her home. Gilbert believed that by marrying Boxleitner, she had demonstrated her ability to live her life as she saw fit.
She made a commitment to get in the best form of her life a few months after their wedding. Gilbert immediately became pregnant without trying as she started exercising and living a healthy lifestyle.
Gilbert knew she was pregnant the moment she realized she was two weeks overdue. She told Boxleitner the news, but he didn’t believe her, and they got into a fight.
When she informed him that they were already married, he claimed that she became pregnant to trap him. He informed Gilbert that it was time to call their parents after spending more than two hours contemplating the news.
Gilbert held her baby shower on October 1 because their newborn was expected on Christmas Eve. However, five days after awakening, she heard her water break.
Gilbert initially denied the situation, but fortunately for her, Boxleitner was at home, so she called to him. Gilbert underwent an emergency C-section after her son, Michael, almost passed away, following which he hurried her to the hospital.
When Michael was born on October 6, 1995, he was only 28 weeks along with his father, but he already had a full head of blond hair.
Gilbert was aware that despite what the tabloids had claimed about her, she was a good mother who always put her two children first and worked arduously to provide for their needs.
Boxleitner called Gilbert while she was on the “Childhood Sweetheart” set in Los Angeles and accused her of abusing his faith in her.
He was sobbing and his voice was filled with hatred and pain. Gilbert made the decision to investigate what had transpired, and Boxleitner informed her that someone had recorded her speaking on the phone.
While Gilbert was in Calgary filming “Seduction in a Small Town,” he alleged that she had an affair. While they never had an affair, Gilbert acknowledged that her friendship with the aforementioned actor was wrong.
She and Boxleitner tracked out the tape’s maker while doing so, and they realized it was a deranged stalker who was fixated on Boxleitner.
Gilbert and Boxleitner were able to mend their relationship and get back together. Gilbert wrote “Prairie Tale: A Memoir” with Boxleitner in mind, and it was published in 2009.
After 16 years of marriage, Gilbert did, however, file for divorce from Boxleitner on August 22, 2011. She revealed that they had been in love for a very long time but claimed that they had “irreconcilable conflicts” in her declaration and asked for shared custody of their baby.