Melissa Gilbert Reflects on Tumultuous Romance With Rob Lowe: 'I Wasn't Prepared for the Fandom'

Melissa Gilbert isn't holding back about her six-year relationship with Rob Lowe, describing it as "very tumultuous" and revealing how his skyrocketing fame impacted their romance during the '80s.

The Little House on the Prairie actress, now 61, opened up about her experiences on the latest episode of the "I Choose Me" podcast with host Jennie Garth. Together, they discussed the challenges they faced in their early relationships under the public eye.

Looking back on her romance with Lowe, which lasted from 1981 to 1987, Gilbert reflected, "I guess looking back on those six years, I mean, I was such a baby when Rob and I were together. I was 17 and we broke up for the last time when we were 23 and it was very tumultuous."

The challenges intensified as Lowe gained fame following his breakout role in The Outsiders in 1983. "I felt like a bit of an old sage in the business at that point because I'd been doing it for so long," she admitted. "And I was still on Little House on the Prairie when we met, and it had already been years, and he was sort of starting out. He'd done a little bit of television. And so I was able to sort of sit back and watch this meteoric rise happen."

Despite her experience, Gilbert revealed was not ready for the challenges that came with fame. "I was prepared for all of having to go to premieres and things and award shows and all of that, but I wasn't prepared for the fandom and frankly, the girls," she said.

Initially, she viewed other women as her "sisters," but her experience quickly changed that perspective. "I always thought that every girl and woman was my sister. We're sisters, but it was not evident at all when Rob and I were a couple," Gilbert recalled. "I mean, it was like I didn't exist. They just pushed right past me and stuck phone numbers in his pockets and stuff."

Her feelings went beyond jealousy. "To say it was disconcerting is doing it a big disservice," she continued. "It was hard and horrible. I think I learned a lot about what didn't work for me, actually, and what I wouldn't stand for later on."

Despite the painful lessons, Gilbert acknowledged the positive times they shared together. "They hurt. They're hard because they usually are born of heartbreak and angst, but those are really valuable and important lessons… We had some really, really, really fun times," she said.

Now, Gilbert appreciates her life more than ever. "But in looking back, I look at the way my life is so easeful now," she said. "I feel like my shoulders were always up by my ears, always waiting for the next shoe to drop or something bad to happen or some, I don't know, something untoward or gross."

Gilbert married Bo Brinkman in 1988, but they divorced in 1994. She later tied the knot with Bruce Boxleitner, with that relationship ending in 2011. Since 2013, Gilbert has been married to Timothy Busfield.

As for Lowe, he married Sheryl Berkoff in 1991, and they share two sons, Matthew and John Owen.