Melissa Gilbert reveals how her father found out about his daughter opens up about shocking reunion with dad

Melissa Gilbert, known for her childhood role in the classic series Little House on the Prairie, has shared a surprising detail about meeting her biological father for the first time.

She was adopted right after birth and found fame at a young age. But when she finally came face to face with her real dad, he recognised her instantly, not from family memories, but from watching her on TV.

While talking on the Patrick Labyorteaux podcast, she said: “I didn’t tell him who I was, and then he asked me, ‘Well, who are you? What do you do?’

“And I said, ‘Well, here’s the thing.’ And I said, ‘Did you ever watch Little House on the Prairie?’ And he said, ‘You’re Laura, aren’t you? I knew it.’ He knew it.

“When I met my half-siblings, we all look alike. So, you could definitely see it. So, it’s pretty clear.”

She also talked about a wild moment from her younger days in Hollywood. It included Michael Jackson and Judy Garland’s daughters, and she still calls it one of the most unforgettable stories she’s ever been part of.

She said: “I had an agent, Michael Black…he was also Rob Lowe’s agent. We were together at the time. So Rob had done The Outsiders with Patrick Swayze. And Patrick Swayze was doing a show at the Beverly Hills Playhouse, a dance show, and Rob couldn’t go because he was shooting St. Elmo’s Fire. And so Michael and I went to the show.

“And then there’s like a commotion at the door, and Liza Minnelli came in and beelined and sat down at our table and was hiding alcoholic beverages because she wasn’t supposed to be drinking by putting them in front of me.

Speaking on the Patrick Labyorteaux podcast, she said: “I didn’t tell him who I was, and then he asked me, ‘Well, who are you? What do you do?’

“And I said, ‘Well, here’s the thing.’ And I said, ‘Did you ever watch Little House on the Prairie?’ And he said, ‘You’re Laura, aren’t you? I knew it.’ He knew it.

“When I met my half-siblings, we all look alike. So, you could definitely see it. So, it’s pretty clear.”

In the same interview, the former Dancing with the Stars contestant shared what she called the “best Hollywood story” that involved Michael Jackson and the daughters of Judy Garland.

She said: “I had an agent, Michael Black…he was also Rob Lowe’s agent. We were together at the time. So Rob had done The Outsiders with Patrick Swayze. And Patrick Swayze was doing a show at the Beverly Hills Playhouse, a dance show, and Rob couldn’t go because he was shooting St. Elmo’s Fire. And so Michael and I went to the show.

“And then there’s like a commotion at the door, and Liza Minnelli came in and beelined and sat down at our table and was hiding alcoholic beverages because she wasn’t supposed to be drinking by putting them in front of me.

“So at one point, I had four wines, three screwdrivers in front of me. And then her sister came in, and Liza was like drinking under the table, and Lorna Luft was there.

“And [Michael Jackson] came and sat at our table. In the meantime, I keep looking at Rob going, ‘What’s going on? Please, I want to go home. I’m scared of all of this.

“So, we finish our meal, Wolfgang [Puck] is bringing his piece that he’s made, and he’s sitting down, and people are hovering around. Michael Jackson is not saying a word. And then we finish our meal and we’re trying to figure out where to go, and Michael Jackson, the only thing he says the whole night, ‘You can come to my house, I’ve got a llama!”