The Internal Revenue Service recently accused her of failing to pay more than $360,000 in federal income taxes, a debt that is emerging one week after Gilbert announced she and her family are moving out of their rented home near downtown Howell.
– The latest celebrity in trouble with the IRS: Melissa Gilbert. The agency says the former Little House on the Prairie star owes $360,551 in federal income taxes. "Like so many people across the nation, the recession hit me hard," the 51-year-old actress tells the Detroit News. "That, plus a divorce and a dearth of acting opportunities the last few years, created a perfect storm of financial difficulty for me." Her current husband, Timothy Busfield, adds—in a quote that will remind you celebrities are not exactly just like us—that the debt is "not a big deal" and is simply "a product of what happened with the economy"; it dates to the 2011-2013 period. Gilbert says an installment payment plan is in place. California, where the current Michigan resident previously lived, has also filed $112,527 worth of tax liens against Gilbert in recent years. (She's not alone; check out more stars with tax troubles.)