Melissa Gilbert, known for her role as Laura Ingalls in "Little House on the Prairie," has announced the discovery of three biological brothers on her mother's side. The 62-year-old actress described the past few weeks as "remarkable" after connecting with a biological cousin through an app, whose research led her to her siblings.
Gilbert shared on Instagram Stories that she has connected with brothers Matt and Laird, and learned that a third brother, Mark, has passed away. She referred to her older brothers as "fantastic human beings" and noted that she and Matt are becoming particularly close.
She also mentioned that she has identified a fourth biological brother but has not yet made contact with him. Gilbert described these revelations as "wild" and different from what she had previously known about her family.
Gilbert, who was adopted at birth by comedian Paul Gilbert and his wife Barbara Crane, also noted that she had previously found her birth father's family, including three older half-siblings. However, she characterized those relationships as "fraught" and "full of secrets."
Her brother Matt, 66, shared his own excitement about the discovery on Instagram, posting childhood photos comparing himself and Gilbert. He described the experience as "an incredible few weeks of discovering family history, sharing stories, asking a million questions, and getting to know someone I never knew existed."
Gilbert's mother and her sister, actress Sara Gilbert, have been supportive of her journey to uncover her biological family history. Gilbert expressed her love and closeness to them. Her birth parents were Kathy Wood and David Darlington.