Melissa Gilbert Reunites With Her 'Little House On The Prairie' Sister Melissa Sue Anderson After Feud
By Favour Adegoke on December 28, 2025 at 8:15 PM EST

"Little House on the Prairie" sisters Melissa Gilbert and Melissa Sue Anderson have mended their strained relationship and reunited at an event over the weekend.
Gilbert has been critical of Anderson's attitude towards her, both on and off screen, noting how she was the "boss of me."
The series' cast recently gathered to celebrate its 50th anniversary, with reports suggesting Melissa Gilbert has "passed the baton" to a new star who'd be reprising her role in Netflix's adaptation.
Melissa Gilbert And Melissa Sue Anderson Squash Beef

It looked like it was never going to happen, but fans of "Little House on the Prairie" can now breathe a sigh of relief as the Ingalls sisters, Melissa Gilbert and Melissa Sue Anderson, have ended their decades-long rift.
In a photo taken backstage of Gilbert's show "Pen Pals," the pair posed close to each other, signifying that their over 40-year frosty relationship is finally on the mend.
"Worlds collide. Blessings abound. Hearts heal and reunite. Magic happens," Gilbert wrote. "Last night after @penpalsplay, my genius co-star @veannecox had a surprise in the audience. Boy am I glad I didn't know in advance that the remarkable @blbuckley was there."
The 61-year-old actress then took it a notch higher to explain that she and her onscreen sister have settled their beef for a while now, but she ultimately kept it a "secret."
"But I had a secret of my own," she continued. "One I've been keeping close to my heart for a while now. Reconnection with a sister. Long, healing talks. Lots of reminiscing. Lots of catching up. Lots of laughter and a few tears."
Melissa Gilbert Is 'So Happy' To Have Her Former Co-Star Back In Her Life After Their Feud
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The NBC drama series ran for 9 seasons starting from 1974. It followed the life and adventures of Charles Ingalls' family living on a farm in Walnut Grove, Minnesota.
Gilbert and Anderson, respectively, played sisters Laura and Mary on the show, but appeared to have developed a strained relationship as a result of it.
However, Gilbert added that she's "so happy" that Anderson is "back in my life," going on to explain that they "share such an important history that no one else on earth truly understands."
"Just us Ingalls girls," she said. "The best part is, the past is now just that, and we can move forward as the sisters/friends we always wanted to be. What a wonderful Christmas gift."
The Actresses Previously Pointed Fingers At Each Other

Their reunion follows previous comments from each of them about how the other was difficult to deal with.
During a 2010 interview with The Atlanta-Journal Constitution, Anderson said she "honestly [does] not have a lot of memories" of their time together, despite starring side by side with each other as sisters, adding that they were "very, very different."
On her part, Gilbert also accused Anderson of being the "boss of me" on the show, going on to explain that the actress seemingly lacked warmth with her onscreen.
"She took that absolutely seriously. She was two years older than me, which, you know, when you're nine and 11 is a big deal … She was tough," Gilbert said. "I mean both off and on camera, but on camera especially."
Gilbert also recalled, "One of the first episodes … when Ma comes home with fabric, and I reach out to touch it. Melissa whacked me so hard, and you can see [where] I almost started to laugh, and you can see the whole spectrum of emotion on my face."
About The New Cast Of The Upcoming 'Prairie' Adaptation
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It is officially going to be the end of an era for the pair, as Netflix is already working on a highly anticipated adaptation of the series with a new cast.
The onscreen sisters and other cast members recently reunited in California as they celebrated the 50th anniversary of "Little House on the Prairie."
At the three-day event held at Strathearn Historical Park in Simi Valley, details about Netflix's upcoming work were revealed, including the fact that 11-year-old actress Alice Halsey would pick up Gilbert's role as Laura.
Reports suggest Gilbert already met with Halsey and gave her blessing to the young Laura.
During one of the Q&A sessions at the event, the producer's children, Ed and Rebecca Friendly, dished on how the upcoming series would be "a new adaptation of the original books," rather than a traditional reboot.
"My dream has always been to go back to the books, do a fresh adaptation, and also bring in the history of the period," Ed explained. "I studied history in college, I love history. And I think that's a very fascinating part of history, that era — 1860s, 1870s, 1880s."
Melissa Gilbert Is 'Happy To Pass The Baton' To The New Laura Ingalls

Ed went further to share that he and the crew saw a "lot of potential Lauras and Marys," but they ultimately chose Halsey after seeing her melt hearts on the Apple TV+ show "Lessons in Chemistry."
"She just turned 11 years old, and she is so mature, so talented," Rebecca noted. "She just has really fully embraced the character of Laura. And I think, in my opinion, you all are going to be excited to see her step up to the plate."
She then added that Gilbert is "very excited to pass the baton" to Halsey, adding that the older Laura has "been very supportive, and they met and had conversations."