Melissa Gilbert now feels ‘nauseated’ by age difference with ‘Little House on the Prairie’ husband

Melissa Gilbert has a new perspective about her “Little House on the Prairie” experience.

While clapping back at Megyn Kelly’s recent comments about late child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the actress, now 61, reflected on the 8-year age difference between herself and Dean Butler, who played her on-screen love interest in the NBC series.

“So, I debated posting this but, I feel compelled to share. After seeing many women’s posts with the hashtags #iwasfifteen #imfifteen #iwasachild, I decided to google search myself at that age and see what came up,” Gilbert wrote on Instagram on Saturday, alongside photos of her younger self.

“And this is some of what I found…and now, at this age, at this time, I am actually nauseated,” the actress added. “The girl on vacation in Hawaii with her family, is the same girl who was expected to ‘fall in love with’ and kiss a man on film who was several years older than she was.”

My Dad was born in 1924, Mom in 1930. When he married her he was 24 and she would turn 18 nine months later. Giving birth to my oldest brother at age 18 and two months. People were much more mature then. They had no television or video games. They kept busy working at jobs, or working helping raise other peoples babies. The men worked in the fields or had real jobs to do before and after school.

"People were much more mature then. They had no television or video games. They kept busy working at jobs, or working helping raise other peoples babies."

People were very different and more mature back in those days, because they had more responsibilities back then. My father came from Holland at the age of 8 with his two brothers and their parents. My mother came from Canada with her slightly older brother, and their mother. My mother never had a job. My father wouldn't allow it. She did help the elderly German couple next door by washing their clothes and ironing them. I think Mr. Wurtzer paid my mother a couple of bucks each week. She also helped clean house for a neighbor down the street. I don't remember how much she got for the work, but in the 50's, I'm sure it wasn't much.

My Dad worked on the NY Central Railroad his whole life. Never got past 4th grade, but he could read and write. He started out as a laborer, and worked himself up to track foreman. When he retired in 1971, with overtime during the winter, after 50+ years, he only made about $10,000 a year. In 1980, I was making less than $8,000 working for the county as a Welfare Examiner. I was divorced by then with two sons to raise by myself. By the end of that year, I'd taken a job with the State, moved myself, and my two sons a couple of hours away for the job, and was making $12,000 a year, still driving an old duster (3 on the column) that I'd bought used from a friend for $1,000.

We never had a car the whole time I was growing up. We walked or took the bus. There were four of us kids. I was the baby. When we all started working in the 50's and 60's, we had to pay room and board every two weeks. My second oldest sister was the first person to buy a used car in the family. I never owned a brand new car until I was around 35. Today, kids get cars in high school or college.

My grandmother was 15 and my grandfather was 35 when they got married. He was her 8th grade school teacher. I told my Mom once that today Grandpa would probably be up on charges.

She said it was a different time and that my grandfather asked permission to court her and her father agreed. Apparently it was not that uncommon back then. They were happily married until she passed away.

My grandfather was born in 1880. My grandmother (my grandfather’s second wife) was born in 1896. That was not at all uncommon before the turn of the last century. Many first and second wives died during childbirth.

You are precisely correct. In addition a young woman often married and older man that was established and financially stable. Often, these men were widows. It would give the younger woman financial stability and the ability to raise her and her husbands second family in security. It was all perfectly logical and good. It worked. In addition the older man had a care taker for himself in elder age. It worked.

Poor, Poor Melissa.

She wants to make herself out to be a victim.

One of our great grandfathers was widowed in 1919 after 35 years of marriage and 4 children.
The next year he married a 15 year old girl, he was 40 years her senior.
They were married for 36 years and had 5 more children.
Another great grandfather was 74 when he married a 27 year old.
He had 12 children, then they had one daughter together.
That girl married at 14, had a child and died before her 15th birthday.

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