Cast member Boxleitner holds an Identity Disc as he poses with his wife Gilbert at the world premiere of the film "TRON: Legacy" in Hollywood
Cast member Bruce Boxleitner holds an Identity Disc as he poses with his wife Melissa Gilbert at the world premiere of the film "TRON: Legacy" in Hollywood, California, December 11, 2010. Reuters

Melissa Gilbert, 47, who is best known for her performance in the quaint family drama Little House on the Prairie, is dealing with her matrimonial woes.

Gilbert had filed for divorce from Bruce Boxleitner, 61, Monday, citing irreconcilable differences as the reason. The petition reveals they separated in January, the month of their 16th anniversary.

Gilbert is seeking joint custody of their 15-year-old son Michael Boxleitner. The name stems from Gilbert's Little House creator and star Michael Landon.

Besides their own son, Boxleitner and Gilbert have three sons, Dakota, from Gilbert's previous marriage to actor Bo Brinkman, and Sam and Lee, from Boxleitner's first marriage to actress Kathryn Ogilvy.

We have loved each other for a very long time, Gilbert said in March, and we share four incredible sons together.

Meanwhile Gilbert's sister 36-year-old The Talk co-host Sara Gilbert has also broken up with her partner of 10 years, Allison Adler, 44, according to People. They also share joint custody of their two children, Levi and Sawyer.

Melissa Gilbert has a long history of dating. When she was a teenager, she connected with Rob Lowe, dating with him on-and-off for six years. During that time, she also dated Tom Cruise, John Cusack, Scott Baio, and Billy Idol.

She was once engaged to Rob Lowe. After she found she was pregnant, Lowe split with her. Gilbert miscarried soon.

Later, Gilbert met Bo Brinkman and became pregnant again, giving birth to a son, Dakota, on May 1, 1989. But they ended their marriage in 1992.
Only weeks after Gilbert's divorce filing, she was set up with Bruce. They dated on-and-off for over a year, engaged twice and then broke up. Finally, they married on Jan. 1, 1995.

Gilbert had written an autobiography in 2009, describing her battle with alcoholism and drug abuse.