Melissa Gilbert Defends Jason Bateman Over Hazing Claims on Little House Set

On Sunday, Melissa Gilbert publicly responded to Jason Bateman's account that he was hazed as a child on the set of Little House on the Prairie, saying she stands up for her former on-screen brother. In an Instagram message, Gilbert, 61, wrote 'Who? Who did this to you?!?' and added 'I will kick their tush… no one smacks down my little bro!' The remarks came after Bateman, now 56, described in a Sept. 18 appearance on Hot Ones how older cast members hazed him when he joined the NBC drama in 1981.

Bateman, who began playing James Cooper Ingalls at age 11 in 1981, described hazing by older child actors on the show. He said they pinned him to the ground, straddled him with knees on his shoulders and gave him noogies on his chest, and that he later asked a makeup artist to add a large bruise. He said he reported the incident to the parents, telling them, 'Look what your kids did to me,' and that he ultimately got the other actors in trouble.

Little House on the Prairie ran for nine seasons from 1974 to 1983 and featured a large ensemble that included Michael Landon, Karen Grassle, Melissa Sue Anderson, Lindsay and Sidney Greenbush, Dean Butler, Katherine MacGregor, Richard Bull and Victor French. A Netflix revival is in the works, with Alice Halsey cast as Laura. Bateman's reflections about the environment on set contrast with his later experiences; in a 2017 Variety interview, he described the 'very familial' vibe of the early 'Little House' group and credited Landon with guiding the set as director, executive producer, writer and mentor.

Gilbert's reaction underscores how public discussions of childhood experiences on long-running television productions continue to resonate with fans and former cast members alike. The Netflix project to reimagine Little House on the Prairie arrives as audiences revisit the show and its legacy, spotlighting the ongoing debate about the culture of sets that featured child actors.