Little House On The Prairie's Melissa Sue Anderson & Melissa Gilbert Bonded Long After The Show

Pinterest "Little House on the Prairie" stars Melissa Sue Anderson and Melissa Gilbert, who has had a gorgeous gray hair transformation, are proof that childhood foes can become friends. The actors, who grew up on the '70s show set together, weren't really close, that is, until recent years. According to Gilbert, who began the show at 9 years old, fellow cast member Anderson wasn't a friendly 11-year-old. "She was tough on me both off and on camera, but on camera especially," Gilbert, who starred as Laura Ingalls, also shared in an interview available on Facebook, "One of the first episodes ... Melissa whacked me so hard, and you can see [when] I almost started to laugh, and then I realized how much it hurt and you can see the whole spectrum of emotion on my face." Anderson, known for her role as Mary Ingalls, told the Atlantic Constitution Journal in 2010, "I honestly do not have a lot of memories of the two of us [...] We were very, very different," confirming these two didn't have a close bond at all.

However, today, the two are in a far better place. Gilbert took to social media in July 2026 to highlight a recent headline that called her former co-star stunning. The "When Calls the Heart" star used the opportunity to rave about the current status of their relationship and Anderson's character. "Melissa is a true beauty. But it's not just the outside of her, it's what's inside that makes her shine even more. She has been such a good and true confidante," Gilbert captioned the Instagram post, which included a still of them in the show. "I'm so glad that we have had the chance to reconnect and become real friends. As I've told her, we will forever be sisters. How could we not be? We hold each other's childhoods in our hearts."

In a now-deleted December 2025 Instagram post, Melissa Gilbert also announced her reconnection with Melissa Sue Anderson, who came to see her perform in the play "Pen Pals," alongside Veanne Cox. "Reconnection with a sister," Gilbert captioned the post (via Entertainment Weekly). "Long, healing talks. Lots of reminiscing. Lots of catching up. Lots of laughter and a few tears. I'm so happy to have Melissa Anderson back in my life." Gilbert also noted a one-of-a-kind connection due to their shared experience with "Little House on the Prairie." 

Gilbert is pretty active on social media, giving regular updates on her life and business, Modern Prairie, inspired by "Little House On The Prairie." The actor frequently showcases products from her online store, including prairie dresses, the one summer look we'll be taking into fall again. On the contrary, Anderson leads a much more private life, with her most recent photo coming from Gilbert. These two are clearly becoming closer, and we love to see it. Their new bond has us thinking a lot about the other "Little House on the Prairie" leading ladies and what they look like now.