Melissa Gilbert has been introspective about her past romantic relationships.
On the “I Choose Me With Jennie Garth” podcast, the former “Little House on the Prairie” star opened up about how dating Rob Lowe influenced her perspective on love.
“I guess looking back on those six years, I mean, I was such a baby when Rob and I were together,” said Gilbert, who dated Lowe from the ages of 17 to 23. “It was very tumultuous. I felt like a bit of an old sage in the business at that point because I’d been doing it for so long. 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. I don’t think I was prepared for the stuff that came with it, necessarily. 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.”
“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. I mean, it was like I didn’t exist. They just pushed right past me and stuck phone numbers in his pockets and stuff.”
Gilbert acknowledged that this period of her life was challenging.
“To say it was disconcerting is doing it a big disservice,” she said. “It was hard and horrible.”
Despite the difficulties, Gilbert mentioned that the relationship taught her valuable lessons about her own desires.
“I think I learned a lot about what didn’t work for me, actually, and what I wouldn’t stand for later on,” she said. “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.”
Last year, Gilbert, who started playing Laura Ingalls Wilder at the age of 9, discussed her decision to step away from Hollywood.
“All of the pressures, I faced all of them,” Gilbert explained to People magazine at the time. “When you live in Los Angeles, it’s like living at the mall when you work at the mall. Literally, everyone is in the business. When you walk into a restaurant, every head turns to see who walked in. Everybody’s always looking, curious, competing and that’s a really difficult thing, especially for a female actor. It puts a lot of pressure on staying thin and staying young, and really it makes it hard to feel comfortable in one’s own skin, because [of] the aging process.”
“No matter how much we push it downstream, it’s inevitable,” she continued. “So are you going to age comfortably and happily? Are you going to fight it, be unhealthy and feel like there’s something wrong with you for aging and that you’re defective because you’ve gotten older?”
Gilbert and her husband, Timothy Busfield, relocated to Michigan in 2013. The actress spent the following years without Botox or facial fillers and even had her breast implants removed in 2015.
The 60-year-old film producer emphasized that aging is a “blessing.”
“I had to get out of there [L.A.], because it felt like I was not being authentically myself,” she told People. “In the five years that I was in Michigan, all of that stopped. … I stopped everything and just focused on being as physically and emotionally healthy as I could. And I think that shows, ‘Yes, I’m aging, but it’s not a curse — it’s a blessing.’”
Fox News Digital’s Lauryn Overhultz contributed to this report.
A recent study has found that regular exercise can have a significant impact on reducing the risk of heart disease. The study, which was conducted by a team of researchers at a leading university, looked at the exercise habits of over 10,000 participants over a period of ten years.
The results showed that those who engaged in regular physical activity, such as jogging, swimming, or cycling, were up to 50% less likely to develop heart disease compared to those who were inactive. The researchers also found that even small amounts of exercise, such as walking for 30 minutes a day, can have a positive effect on heart health.
Dr. Smith, the lead researcher on the study, emphasized the importance of incorporating regular exercise into one’s daily routine. “Exercise is not only good for your physical health, but it also has a positive impact on your mental well-being,” Dr. Smith said. “Even just a small amount of exercise each day can make a big difference in reducing your risk of heart disease.”
The findings of this study are consistent with previous research that has shown the numerous benefits of regular physical activity. In addition to reducing the risk of heart disease, exercise has also been linked to a lower risk of obesity, diabetes, and certain types of cancer.
Overall, the message is clear: incorporating regular exercise into your daily routine is crucial for maintaining good heart health. Whether it’s going for a run, taking a swim, or simply going for a walk, staying active is key to reducing your risk of heart disease.
