Melissa Gilbert Goes Off on 'Stage Parents' in Scathing Rant as She's Left 'Truly Heartbroken' Over Costar Daveigh Chase's Death at Age 35

Melissa Gilbert paid an emotional tribute to late costar Daveigh Chase, who died on June 16 at the age of 35.

The Dancing with the Stars alum, 62, mourned The Ring star on Monday, June 29, in a lengthy Instagram post where she also slammed "stage parents" for not paying close enough attention to their children while working in Hollywood.

Gilbert noted alongside a childhood photo of Chase how she shot an unaired pilot with her over 20 years ago.

"I only worked with Daveigh a couple of days but I could see she was bright both in countenance and in mind. She was bubbly, sweet and professional. But there was something else there, a push or need to perform …for her parents," the Little House on the Prairie actress penned.

“Today, reading the circumstances of Daveigh’s death, I’m truly heartbroken,” Gilbert wrote. “I certainly understand substance addiction disorder, but this sweet girl’s death is so much more.”

"I’ve also been around a lot of stage parents. Many child actors grow up just fine, whether they stay in 'the business' or not. That is 100% due to really solid, wise parenting," Gilbert added.

She also stated "child stardom is not a guarantee of dysfunction," however, it's the parents' responsibility to not let their kids "lose sight" of what truly matters.

"So few child actors continue on to have careers as actors. For most, it goes away, and when that happens it not only devastates the child but it turns the whole family upside down," she continued, adding she would tell parents of child stars to "make sure that they are doing it for the right reasons."

Gilbert also urged parents to take their kids to an accountant "so that he or she knows exactly what he or she is making, and where it is going. To be sure it’s something the child really wants."

Shortly before Chase passed away, she was diagnosed with meningitis and several “serious” blood infections that turned her body septic, according to her boyfriend, Roy Hernandez.

Her cause of death was found to be AIDS, alongside chronic polysubstance use, which is described as using more than one drug at the same time or within a short period of time.

Gilbert's post also comes amid her husband Timothy Busfield's legal troubles, as he faced allegations of child sexual assault earlier this year.

The Thirtysomething actor, 69, surrendered himself to New Mexico authorities in January and is facing four counts of criminal sexual contact with a child following alleged incidents that happened between 2022 and 2024 when he was working as a director on The Cleaning Lady.