Melissa Gilbert now has an empty home on the prairie.
The former “Little House on the Prairie” star, 46, has separated from her husband of 16 years, actor Bruce Boxleitner, a rep for the actress confirms.
“We have loved each other for a very long time and we share four incredible sons together,” Gilbert said in a statement. “On behalf of our family we ask to be allowed our privacy during this very difficult time.”
After a rocky three-year courtship, the couple wed in 1995. They are parents to a son, Michael, 15, who was named after actor Michael Landon, Gilbert’s “Prairie” co-star.
Gilbert also has a son, Dakota, 21, from her previous four-year marriage to Bo Brinkman, while Boxleitner has two sons from his previous marriage to former actress Kathryn Ogilvy.
