Melissa Gilbert Responds to Jason Bateman Hazing Claim From Little House on the Prairie
Gilbert rebuts Bateman’s hazing story as Netflix gears up for a reboot largely without the original cast.
Jason Bateman’s recollection of hazing on Little House on the Prairie has drawn renewed attention to the long-running series. Bateman, who played James Cooper Ingalls on the show from 1981 to 1982, spoke on Hot Ones about an initiation prank by older cast members that he described as hazing. He said the pranks included pinning him to the ground with knees on his shoulders and hitting his chest, and that he later asked makeup to apply a large bruise-like mark and told his parents, who he says helped get the others in trouble.
Melissa Gilbert, who portrayed Laura Ingalls Wilder and was Bateman’s onscreen sister, responded by resharing a People article about his comments and writing, “Who? Who did this to you?!?” The 61-year-old actress remains a touchstone of the original series, which aired from 1974 to 1983 and followed the Ingalls family’s 19th-century adventures in Walnut Grove, Minnesota.
The online chatter arrived as Netflix advances a reboot of Little House on the Prairie. In January, the streamer described the new series as a fresh blend of family drama, survival-stranded storytelling, and an origin story connected to the American West, while signaling a shift away from the specific Walnut Grove setting of the original. Alison Arngrim, who played Nellie Oleson from 1974 to 1982, said in January that she and other core cast members aren’t involved in the new project and that it won’t simply recreate the familiar environs of Walnut Grove or its recurring characters like Doc Baker or Miss Beadle. Arngrim suggested the reboot would draw more directly from Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books.
The Hollywood Reporter quoted Jinny Howe, Netflix’s vice president of drama series, confirming the reboot’s new direction and praising showrunner Rebecca Sonnenshine for crafting a version that aims to deliver emotional depth for both longtime fans and newcomers. Howe described the project as a fresh take on the beloved story, signaling a broader creative reimagining rather than a direct rewrite of the original television series.
The ongoing dialogue around the Hazing tale and the reboot reflects renewed attention to the cultural footprint of Little House on the Prairie. Bateman’s account, Gilbert’s humorous but pointed response, and Netflix’s planning for a different iteration all illustrate how the franchise remains a touchstone in culture and entertainment, decades after its peak.