Melissa Gilbert Tried to Find Out Her Sister's Sexuality – Sara Kept Silent for Decades

Melissa Gilbert once asked her then-teenage sister, Sara Gilbert, if she was gay. Although she said "no," Sara later came out and married Linda Perry.

Society has become more accepting in recent years, especially when it comes to people being vocal about their sexuality. Unlike before, there are also more groups, such as the LGBTQ+ community, that support each other.

Naturally, queer people are more comfortable coming out today than years ago. Among them is Sara Gilbert, who once feared Hollywood backlash about her sexuality.

DENYING TO MELISSA

Sara's older sister, Melissa Gilbert, once asked the "Rosanne" star's sexuality. During an interview on "The Talk," Melissa detailed when and how she asked Sara the big question.

Melissa, best known for her role on "Little House on the Prairie," recalled how she sat her sister down one evening when Sara was a teenager. At the time, she made an effort to take Sara out to dinner just for them to have a conversation about her sexuality.

Recounting the experience, she narrated how she made a long speech about how much she loved her sister, assuring Sara that she could tell her anything. In the end, however, Sara shut down her older sister's speech by saying she wasn't gay.

Melissa admitted that after their talk, Sara suddenly opened up about it years later:" 'You know, what if I just said that I'm gay?' and I went, 'And?' I mean, I think I always kinda knew."

Sara and Linda have joint legal custody of their six-year-old and are focused on their son's safety and wellbeing.

WHEN SARA KNEW SHE WAS GAY

But perhaps Sara did not fully know her sexuality at that time. Sara previously revealed that she discovered she was gay while dating Johnny Galecki, her co-star on "The Big Bang Theory."

Sara and Johnny took their on-screen relationship behind the scenes and began dating. The actress had genuine feelings for Johnny at that time, but something remained off. She previously said:

"We started dating, and he would come over, and we would, like, make out, and then I would start to get depressed [...] I eventually told him I thought it was about my sexuality, and he was super sweet about it."

Johnny remained supportive throughout as Sara was scared of the Hollywood backlash she would face if she came out as gay. While planning on how she would reveal her sexuality, Sara confided in Johnny and sought his advice.

"[...] I love you, and I think it's really important, and I'm so proud of you," Johnny told her. "If you want, I will be there, and I will hold your hand." In the end, announcing her sexuality played out well for Sara, and she will be forever grateful for Johnny's friendship.

RELATIONSHIP WITH PERRY

Before her relationship with Linda Perry made headlines in 2011, the former "Roseanne" star came out the year prior and split from her partner of ten years, Allison Adler, that same year. The ex-couple share two kids together, a son named Levi and a daughter named Sawyer.

Three years after Sara's relationship with Linda, a songwriter and musician best known for the band 4 Non Blondes, came to light, they got married on March 30, 2014. On February 28, 2015, Sara gave birth to their son, Rhodes Emilio Gilbert Perry.

However, in December 2019, Sara filed papers for their legal separation after almost six years of marriage. The actress listed their date of separation as August 13, citing irreconcilable differences as the reason for their separation. She requested no spousal support for either party.

Despite their separation, she made it clear that there is "much love" despite them evolving into something else. After a separation case that spanned almost two years, the couple finally settled their differences in May 2021.

According to court documents obtained by The Blast, the former "The Talk" co-host submitted a stipulated judgment package with settlement terms that both she and Perry had agreed upon.

THE DIVORCE

It wasn't until October 15, 2021, that the former couple's divorce was finalized. Sara and Linda have joint legal custody of their six-year-old and are focused on their son's safety and wellbeing.

Neither of the two will also pay child support and have already settled financial issues, of which none have been disclosed to the public. Despite their divorce, Sara and Linda remain close as they co-parent Rhodes.

According to a source, "Sara and Linda may be separated, but they're still on good terms. They don't hate each other and are still communicating. All three kids get along, and Sara and Linda are committed to making sure Rhodes [...] stays close to his older siblings."

Sara is grateful to her children for molding her into becoming a better parent. Particularly, Rhodes helped her be patient and focused on what she had to do. "I'm making better choices," she said.

SARA'S CAREER

Sara has built her career as an actress and producer with one of her biggest successes, "The Talk." According to Sara, her idea for the talk show began as a joke and ended as a long-running hit series.

She hosted the show when it first began in 2010 and stayed for nine seasons. Interestingly, she did not think she would make a good host because of her shyness and introverted side.

Despite her nervousness, while pitching the idea, "The Talk" ended up as a great idea that made her more known in the entertainment industry. In 2019, Sara left "The Talk" and focused on spending time with her family.