Melissa Gilbert shared a nostalgic memory of her party days in the 1980s. The “Little House on the Prairie” and “When Calls the Heart” alum revealed that dancing was one of her favorite things to do years before she competed on “Dancing with the Stars” in 2012.
In a post to Instagram on Aug.14, Gilbert, 62, revealed that she was listening to music on Andy Cohen’s Kiki Lounge when the song “Planet Claire” came on. The iconic pop-rock song was a track on the B-52s’ self-titled 1979 album and was a club favorite in the ‘80s.
“I was just driving and listening to and this song came on and I had a series of clear flashbacks from numerous parties back in the 80s. Just dancing my head off,” Gilbert captioned the post.
The actress tagged several friends, including “Karate Kid” actor Tony O’Dell and her ex-boyfriend Rob Lowe, before adding, “What fun we had back then!! We were so young. So open. Unafraid….brazen even. Our whole lives were ahead of us. We still had puppy breath. And we’re all still here. Isn’t life just a wonder?!!!!”
Fans reacted in the comment section to agree with Gilbert about the B-52s classic—and about missing the good ol’ days.
“Life was just living,” one fan wrote of the ‘80s. “I wish my kids had what I had.”
Melissa Gilbert Dated Rob Lowe in the 1980s
GettyGilbert dated Lowe from 1981 to 1987, at the height of her fame on “Little House on the Prairie.” At the time, the future Brat Packer was just starting his career.
During an appearance on Jennie Garth’s “I Choose Me” podcast, Gilbert described her “tumultuous” relationship with the ‘80s heartthrob.
“I guess looking back on those six years, I mean, I was such a baby when Rob and I were together,” she shared. “I was 17, and we broke up for the last time when we were 23, and it was very tumultuous.”
Gilbert added, “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.”
The “Little House” actress admitted she hadn’t been “prepared” for all that came with dating in the Hollywood spotlight.
“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,” she added. “They just pushed right past me and stuck phone numbers in his pockets and stuff.”
Melissa Gilbert Took a Break From Social Media Earlier This Year
Gilbert’s nostalgic look at her carefree ‘80s days comes months after her husband, Timothy Busfield, faced criminal sexual allegations in New Mexico in January.
Gilbert, who married Busfield in 2013, has stood by her husband’s side, but she took a lengthy social media break earlier this year as she supported him. The actress returned to Instagram in May 2026 and continues to share positive updates on her life and career.
