Melissa Gilbert’s children — two sons, two fathers, and the man she named one of them after

The most important role of my life has always been being a mother.

This sentiment reflects the deep dedication American actress Melissa Gilbert brings to her family. She is famous for playing Laura Ingalls in Little House on the Prairie. However, Melissa Gilbert’s children, Dakota Brinkman and Michael Boxleitner, remain her primary devotion.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Key takeaways

• Melissa Gilbert has two biological sons: Dakota Brinkman and Michael Boxleitner.
• Her sons come from her first two marriages to actors Bo Brinkman and Bruce Boxleitner.
• Dakota Brinkman was born in 1989, and Michael Boxleitner was born in 1995.
• She named her second son after her Little House co-star and mentor, Michael Landon.

Profile summary

Real name	Melissa Ellen Gilbert
Gender	Female
Date of birth	8 May 1964
Age	62 years old (as of August 2026)
Zodiac sign	Taurus
Place of birth	Los Angeles, California, USA
Current residence	Catskill Mountains, Upstate New York, USA
Nationality	American
Ethnicity	White
Religion	Jewish
Sexuality	Heterosexual
Height in feet	5’3″
Height in centimetres	160
Weight in pounds	120
Weight in kilograms	54
Hair colour	Reddish-brown hair
Eye colour	Light Brown
Siblings	2
Marital status	Married
Spouse	Timothy Busfield
Children	2
School	The Buckley School, Sherman Oaks, California
Profession	Actress, director, producer, author, former SAG President
Net worth	Estimated $500,000
Instagram	@melissagilbertofficial

Meet Melissa Gilbert’s children and their fathers

Melissa Gilbert raised her two sons, Dakota Brinkman and Michael Boxleitner, while balancing a busy Hollywood career. She married film director Bo Brinkman in 1988. They welcomed their son, Dakota, in 1989 before they divorced in 1994.

The American actress later married actor Bruce Boxleitner in 1995. Together, they welcomed her second son, Michael, and the couple divorced in 2011.

In 2013, Melissa Gilbert married actor Timothy Busfield, further expanding her blended family. She is a stepmother to five children.

Dakota Brinkman

• Full name: Dakota Paul Brinkman
• Date of birth: 1 May 1989
• Age: 37 years old (as of July 2026)
• Place of birth: New York, New York, United States
• Father: Bo Brinkman

Dakota Brinkman is the eldest son of Melissa Gilbert. He was born on 1 May 1989 while Melissa was married to American actor and screenwriter Bo Brinkman. The couple married in 1988 but divorced in 1994.

Unlike his famous mother, Dakota Brinkman has kept a relatively low public profile. While Dakota grew up away from the spotlight, he landed minor roles up until 2016, according to his IMDb profile.

Dakota’s acting credits include films such as Laws of Deception (1997), Safe Harbour (2007), and Shay (2016). After that, Dakota worked as a lead writer for the gaming company Nights at the Game Table from 2019 to 2020, per his LinkedIn profile.

Becoming a mother deeply transformed Gilbert’s outlook on life. In her memoir Prairie Tale, she shared how Dakota gave her a renewed sense of purpose.

Dakota married his wife, Marissa, in March 2018. The couple welcomed their daughter, Ripley, in June 2021. Gilbert respects Dakota’s privacy and rarely speaks about his personal life.

Michael Boxleitner

• Full name: Michael Garrett Boxleitner
• Date of birth: 6 October 1995
• Age: 30 years old (as of July 2026)
• Place of birth: San Fernando, California, United States
• Father: Bruce Boxleitner

Following her divorce from Bo Brinkman, Gilbert married actor Bruce Boxleitner in 1995. Later that year, she gave birth to her second son, Michael Boxleitner. The couple divorced in 2011.

Michael’s name holds deep emotional meaning. He was named after Gilbert’s late mentor, Michael Landon, who died in 1991. Landon played Charles Ingalls on Little House on the Prairie. He became an essential father figure to young Melissa during filming.

Like his older brother, Michael Boxleitner has pursued creative projects. He works on screen and audio productions within the entertainment industry.

Melissa Gilbert’s grandchildren and extended family

Gilbert married actor and film director Timothy Busfield in 2013. She became a stepmother to his three children: Samuel, Daisy, and Wilson. She is also the stepmother to Boxleitner’s two sons, Sam and Lee.

In total, Melissa Gilbert is a proud grandmother to eight grandchildren. Her grandchildren include Ripley Lou, Lulabelle, and Rosemary.

Gilbert frequently posts updates about her grandchildren on social media. In August 2022, she posted a photo styling Lulabelle’s hair in braids. Lulabelle had asked for braids while watching Little House on the Prairie:

That amazing moment when, three episodes into her first time watching #littlehouseontheprairie, my granddaughter Lulabelle asked me to put her hair in braids.

Gilbert deeply loves being a grandmother. She told People magazine how much she enjoys this rewarding chapter. She noted that she now has time to cherish every milestone:

I keep telling my children, ‘More!’ They’re just so much fun.

FAQs

1. Who is Melissa Gilbert? She is an American actress famous for playing Laura Ingalls in Little House on the Prairie.
2. How old is Melissa Gilbert? The actress is 62 years old as of August 2026. She was born on 8 May 1964 in Los Angeles, California, United States.
3. How many children does Melissa Gilbert have? She has two biological sons and five stepchildren from her marriages.
4. How many kids did Melissa Gilbert give birth to? Melissa gave birth to two sons: Dakota Brinkman and Michael Boxleitner.
5. Who fathered Melissa Gilbert’s children? Bo Brinkman fathered her eldest son, Dakota, and Bruce Boxleitner fathered her younger son, Michael.
6. Melissa Gilbert’s kids’ ages? Dakota Brinkman was born in May 1989, and Michael Boxleitner was born in October 1995.
7. How many grandkids does Melissa Gilbert have? She has eight grandchildren across her blended family.

Melissa Gilbert’s children, Dakota Brinkman and Michael Boxleitner, remain the core of her life. The American actress successfully raised her sons while handling Hollywood fame. Today, she thrives in her favourite role as a grandmother of eight.

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Michelle Williams is now married to director Thomas Kail. Together, they have three younger children. Their youngest baby girl was born via a surrogate in 2025. Discover more about Michelle Williams’ children in this post.

Proofreading by Kola Muhammed, copy editor at Legit.ng.

Source: Legit.ng