Little House on the Prairie star Melissa Gilbert sent a direct message to Megyn Kelly after the conservative political commentator’s remarks about Jeffrey Epstein.
Recently, Kelly, 54, a former Fox News host, weighed in on the Epstein situation during an episode of The Megyn Kelly Show. In the wake of a new batch of Epstein emails being released, Kelly shared that a person “very close to the case” claimed that Epstein — who died in his prison cell in 2019 as he awaited trial for sex trafficking—”was not a pedophile” because he was “into the barely legal type.”
🎬 SIGN UP for Parade’s Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬
“There’s a difference between a 15-year-old and a 5-year-old, you know? It’s just, whatever, it’s sick,” she said. “Every time we start talking about Epstein, it makes your skin crawl, right? The whole thing is just disgusting.”
On Saturday, Nov. 15, Gilbert, 61, took to Instagram to respond to the former Fox News host’s comments. And she didn’t hold back.
“So, I debated posting this but, I feel compelled to share. After seeing many women’s posts with the hashtags #iwasfifteen#imfifteen#iwasachild , I decided to Google search myself at that age and see what came up,” the former child actress behind Laura Ingalls Wilder captioned her Instagram update. “And this is some of what I found…and now, at this age, at this time, I am actually nauseated.”
Gilbert continued, “The girl on vacation in Hawaii with her family, is the same girl who was expected to [be] ‘all in love with’ and kiss a man on film who was several years older than she was. Through the lens of today, this is shocking. I have no words other than to say, ‘I WAS A CHILD.'”
To wrap up her post, Gilbert credited her Little House on the Prairie costar, Michael Landon (who directed, wrote and executive produced in addition to playing Charles “Pa” Ingalls) and her mother for protecting her.
“‘I WAS FIFTEEN.”’ And I was the good news,” she reiterated. “Thank God my mom and Michael and so many others were there to make sure I was safe. Can you imagine if I hadn’t had them all? I am so fortunate (Sort of). Many other young women aren’t. “
Gilbert then issued a stern reminder to Kelly, writing, “@megynkelly you need to be careful with your words.”
View this post on Instagram
Related: Little House on the Prairie’s Melissa Gilbert Sends Direct Message About “Disgusting” NYC Business
In the comments, Gilbert’s Instagram followers showered her with support for sharing her experience and speaking out. One fan wrote, “And THAT needed to be said. 👏 I’m glad you posted this. 💕.”
Another declared, “Seems shocking that we even have to have this spelled out.”
Someone else pointed out, “Times have definitely changed since the 70s-80s. Not that this makes it better. But dang. I didn’t realize you were that young when Laura married Almanzo!”
A different follower echoed, “Thank you for posting this. I wish we had the knowledge of these things and better guidance when we were younger.”
Meanwhile, yet another Instagram user shared, “This is such a poignant post! Normalizing this was NEVER OK, no matter what decade!”
Gilbert starred in Little House on the Prairie for nine seasons, which aired from 1974 to 1983. The show premiered when she was 10. Gilbert was 15 when she first kissed Dean Butler, 23, who played Almanzo Wilder.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of human trafficking, help is available 24 hours a day through the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 888-373-7888.
Next: Melissa Gilbert Sends Bold Political Message on Election Day: “So Tired of the Bitterness and Hatred“
