Melissa Gilbert Reflects on Tumultuous Romance with Rob Lowe and Lessons Learned
Jordan Collins: Okay, I’ll explain, but try to keep up. I’m here to walk you through Melissa Gilbert’s teen heartthrob misadventure so you can finally understand why it was “horrible” dating Rob Lowe.
During her chat on the I Choose Me With Jennie Garth podcast, Melissa Gilbert dipped into the vault of her early Hollywood days and got candid about an on-again, off-again fling with then-rising star Rob Lowe. Gilbert, best known as Laura Ingalls Wilder on Little House on the Prairie, admitted that beginning a romance with Lowe at age 17 felt far from fairy tale. According to remarks highlighted by New York Post and corroborated by Fox News Digital’s request for comment, she and Lowe navigated six years of romantic highs and lows while both were still very much kids thrown into a harsh spotlight.
Gilbert recalled that when they first met, she “felt like a bit of an old sage” in the business because she had already spent years on the beloved NBC series. Lowe, meanwhile, was just starting his meteoric climb following minor TV roles. What neither anticipated, she said, was the fierce fandom that trailed Lowe’s transformation into Hollywood’s newest heartthrob. Fans “pushed right past me” and even stuffed phone numbers into his pockets, Gilbert confessed, calling the experience “hard and horrible”.
Reflecting on those years, Gilbert told People Magazine that she learned crucial boundaries in relationships. “I think I learned a lot about what did not work for me,” she explained, adding that heartbreak and angst often lay the groundwork for personal growth. Despite the chaos, she acknowledged “some really, really, really fun times,” suggesting that youthful passion can coexist with tough lessons.
Last year, Gilbert expanded on why she eventually left Hollywood to settle in Michigan with husband Timothy Busfield. In an interview with People Magazine, she compared life in Los Angeles to “living at the mall when you work at the mall,” where every entrance feels like a red-carpet event and every gaze carries judgment. She described the constant pressure on women to stay thin and young as stifling, and admitted that moving away allowed her to stop chasing cosmetic fixes like Botox, fillers, and even breast implants. By 2015, she had her implants removed and embraced aging as “a blessing.”
Gilbert’s journey from child star to self-assured adult now serves as a case study in authenticity over artifice. She credits her Michigan retreat with helping her focus on physical and emotional health, proving that stepping back from Hollywood’s glare can lead to a more satisfying life. And if you were hoping for shock value or scandal, it turns out the real story is about discovering self worth after heartbreak.
Glad I could clear that up for you.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and New York Post, Fox News Digital, People Magazine
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
