The petition was filed Monday in L.A. and gave the date of the actors' separation as January, the month of their 16th anniversary. The very common "irreconcilable differences" was cited, with Gilbert seeking spousal support and joint custody of their 15-year-old son, Michael Boxleitner.
"We have loved each other for a very long time," Gilbert said in March, "and we share four incredible sons together." In addition to their son together, Boxleitner, 61, and Gilbert, 47, have one son from her previous marriage and two from his.
Gilbert is perhaps best known for her work on "Little House on the Prairie." Boxleitner, seen reprising his 1982 "TRON" roles in December's "TRON: Legacy," starred with Kate Jackson on the "Scarecrow and Mrs. King" and was a regular on "Babylon 5."
In other Gilbert family news, Melissa's younger sister Sara Gilbert, 36, has split with Allison Adler, 47, her partner of 10 years.
"The Talk" host and her ex plan to share custody of their 6-year-old son and 4-year-old daughter, People said Wednesday.
Melissa Gilbert has filed for divorce from her husband of 16 years, fellow actor Bruce Boxleitner.
The former “Little House on the Prairie” star filed papers in Los Angeles Superior Court on August 22, 2011, citing irreconcilable differences as the reason for the split.
Melissa has asked for joint legal and physical custody of their son, Michael Boxleitner, who is almost 16.
She listed the date of separation for the couple as January 5, 2011.
The news of Melissa’s marital split comes one day after news broke that her sister, Sara Gilbert, had split from her longtime partner, Allison Adler, after a decade together.