Revisiting the Biggest ‘Little House on the Prairie' Offscreen Drama

Little House on the Prairie has been beloved by fans for decades - but that doesn't mean the behind-the-scenes escapades were always wholesome.

That's why fans were thrilled to learn that Melissa Gilbert and Melissa Sue Anderson, who played sisters Laura and Mary Ingalls, respectively, had reunited in December 2025. (The pair famously did not get along while filming the iconic series, which aired from September 1974 to March 1983. At one point, Gilbert called Anderson "bossy" on set.)

"I've been keeping [this] close to my heart for a while now. Reconnection with a sister. Long, healing talks," Gilbert wrote via Instagram at the time. "Lots of reminiscing. Lots of catching up. Lots of laughter and a few tears."

Gilbert and Anderson weren't the only cast members who dealt with discord and dysfunction while filming. Keep scrolling to read more about the biggest offscreen drama from the Little House set.

Karen Grassle Accused Michael Landon Of Sexism

Grassle and Landon might have played a sweetly married couple on TV, but behind the scenes the pair didn't always see eye to eye. In November 2021, The New York Post reported things grew especially tense after Grassle asked Landon for a raise, only for Landson to claim she should be paid the same as the children on the show.

"I felt insulted as his co-star on a hit series," she told the outlet. "I didn't want to gouge anybody, but I expected a fair wage." Grassle also claimed that her scenes started to get cut in the wake of her request, and that Landon would often mock her body on set.

Karen Grassle Struggled With Alcoholism

Though his character was considered the ideal husband and father, Landon wasn't exactly the same in his real life. Grassle wrote in Bright Lights, Prairie Lights that the actor had an affair with a much younger woman who worked as a stand-in for Melissa Francis on the show, who played Cassandra Cooper Ingalls.

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This story was originally published July 9, 2026 at 12:13 PM.