What Sara Gilbert's Exes Have Said About Her

"The Conners" star Sara Gilbert has had a gorgeous transformation since initially breaking into the mainstream via her iconic role on "Roseanne," in the 1980s and 1990s. Naturally, though, her journey hasn't been without heartbreak. Over the years, Gilbert has not only been involved in a number of high-profile relationships, but the actor has similarly gone through several high-profile breakups too. For example, in 2011, Gilbert confirmed that she had parted ways with longtime girlfriend Alison Adler, with whom she shares two children, after a decade together.

"I've never been married, but I was in a long relationship... It's emotional for me, because we're not together," the TV personality explained on Gilbert's hit show "The Talk" (via The Hollywood Reporter) that September. Still, she noted, "I wouldn't trade that time, it's such a special time in my life." Since then, Gilbert actually has gotten married, tying the knot with musician Linda Perry just three years later in 2014. It didn't last, however, with the sad news of Gilbert and Perry's divorce coming in 2019, shortly before the matter was legally settled a few years later.

That being said, while Adler has never publicly discussed Gilbert or their relationship since the two went their separate ways, Perry has opened up about where they stand post-split. Someone else who is always happy to talk about Gilbert is a certain former co-star, whom the actor dated before she realized she was gay — and you probably have a pretty big theory about who we're referring to.

In 1992, Johnny Galecki joined the cast of "Roseanne" as David Healy, who became the primary love interest of Sara Gilbert's Darlene Conner. Life quickly imitated art, with Gilbert and Galecki beginning a real-life relationship that same year. It was short-lived, however, as despite her initial attraction to Galecki, the actor soon realized that she exclusively preferred the romantic company of women. Galecki not only took this rather well, but he played a big part in helping Gilbert come to terms with her sexual identity.

On a 2013 episode of "The Talk," the host recalled how she would feel depressed after make-out sessions with her boyfriend, which obviously didn't feel great for either of them at the time, even though it was a crucial step in her journey of self-discovery. Gilert also got Galecki's permission to tell this story on her show, "And he was like 'Yeah, no, of course' and 'I love you' and 'I think it's really important' and 'I'm so proud of you,' and he said, you know, if you want I'll be there and I'll hold your hand," (via the Los Angeles Times). 

Of course, years after "Roseanne" concluded, Gilbert and Galecki shared the screen once again on "The Big Bang Theory," which is arguably his biggest claim to fame. And, ever the supportive ex, Galecki was fully in Gilbert's corner when she decided to walk away as a regular cast member after feeling that her character was being underutilized. "[W]e love her, and we love having her there. It's just a situation of, when is it right to bring her back? You don't want to waste an actress like Sara Gilbert," he proudly told Bullz-Eye.com in 2009.

Sara Gilbert and musician Linda Perry welcomed a child together in 2015, a year after tying the knot, before ultimately calling it quits in 2019. But despite the fact that things didn't work out between them romantically, Perry has made it clear that there is still a lot of love between her and Gilbert. In fact, the two women remain in regular contact after settling into a healthy coparenting relationship. "We're never not going to be a family. There doesn't feel like much of a separation because we're always together," Perry clarified to People in 2024, adding that she and the "Roseanne" star managed to keep the fallout of their divorce relatively drama-free for the most part. "It's really a beautiful relationship. And I'm just so lucky to have that because when you separate from your baby's parent, that can go all different types of crazy and messy, and it's not like that at all," she enthused. 

According to the prolific musician, "Sara has to kick me out of the house. I want to be over there all the time. I mean, she's like, 'Don't you have a home to go to?' I'm like, 'Yeah, but I'm with my family.'" For her part, Gilbert was featured as a talking head in Perry's 2024 documentary, and had nothing but great things to say about her ex-wife. "I think people gravitate towards Linda since she's authentic," the "Big Bang Theory" alum opined, adding that while Perry may seem intimidating at first, "There's this heart of gold underneath." In other words, it seems that while they weren't meant to be together romantically, the bond that prompted them to give marriage a shot in the first place remains intact.