Melissa Gilbert 'Wasn't Prepared' For The Buzz Around Rob Lowe Amid Their Romance

While it may seem exciting to some, it's not easy dating a celebrity. In fact, it can be a challenge even if you are a celebrity, too. Take it from "Little House on the Prairie" star Melissa Gilbert. In 2025, she got candid about her short-lived relationship with fellow star Rob Lowe. While she was certainly no stranger to fame, she was definitely taken aback by the treatment Lowe received from his fans.

Gilbert sat down with "I Choose Me" podcast host Jennie Garth, and the two former child stars bonded over their unique experiences. That's when Gilbert dished about dating Lowe before he was a superstar. "It was very tumultuous, you know, I felt like a bit of an old sage in the business at that point because I had been doing it for so long, and I was still on 'Little House on the Prairie' when we met, and it had already, you know, had been years, and he was sort of starting out," she explained. 

According to Gilbert, "He'd done a little bit of television, and so I was able to sort of sit back and watch this meteoric rise happen. I don't think I think I was prepared for the stuff that came with it." Lowe wasn't yet the big star he later became, but he had plenty of eyes on him and that meant many young women were ready to shoot their shot with the heartthrob whether he had a girlfriend or not.

Rob Lowe and Melissa Gilbert dated on and off from 1981 to 1987. While the pair was romantically involved, Lowe went from being mostly unknown to starring in "The Outsiders" and "St. Elmo's Fire." Consequently, Lowe and Gilbert could have been one of the most iconic celebrity couples of the 1980s. Yet, Lowe's growing fan base made for a messy situation. "I was prepared for all of the 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," Gilbert told Jennie Garth. "It was like I didn't exist. They'd just pushed right past me and stick phone numbers in his pockets and stuff," she explained. 

For Gilbert, who was only 17 years old when the relationship began, this was upsetting and confusing. "To say it was disconcerting is doing it a big disservice," she explained. "It was hard and horrible. I think I learned a lot about what didn't work for me, actually, and what I wouldn't stand for later on." All in all, it's clear this relationship wasn't an easy one for Gilbert. Luckily, now she knows firsthand that dating an up and coming teen heartthrob isn't exactly the key to the stable, loving relationship most people are seeking.