Rob Lowe Memoir Grazes Over Tumultuous Love Affair With Melissa Gilbert

By Rob Shuter Posted Apr 27th 2011 11:40AM

In her 2010 tell-all memoir 'Prairie Tale,' actress Melissa Gilbert revealed she had had three nose jobs by age 20, struggled with drugs and alcohol and shocked the world with pages and pages on her tumultuous love affair with Rob Lowe, including losing his child. Laura Ingalls all grown up. Now, Rob has released his own biography and, amazingly, it contains only a handful of passing mentions of her.

The book, 'Stories I Only Tell My Friends,' hit shelves on Tuesday and is heavy on his Hollywood bromances with Charlie Sheen and Sean Penn, dining with Chris Farley and his eery connection with the 9/11 tragedy. An amazing and fun read, no doubt.

Much has been made of the fact 'Stories' only grazes over his infamous (underage) sex tape, but a close inspection shows just as little attention on his former love, Melissa, whom he dated off and on for six years and proposed to.

A search using Google Books of both tell-alls surfaces 77 mentions of "Rob" in Melissa's book, but only four "Melissa" shout-outs in 'Stories.'

She writes that she "fell instantly, hopelessly and stupidly in love" with him and later talks about the anguish of losing him.

Oddly, the most he talks about her is when he describes how when her mom was keeping her from seeing him, he began spending more time with Sheen and his brother, Emilio Estevez.

There is no mention of the length and intensity of their relationship -- which was filled with infidelities -- nor their brief engagement and tragic miscarriage.

It's a far cry from Melissa's description of losing their child in 'Prairie Tale.' After praising Rob for vowing to stand by whatever decision she made, she described waking up one day with blood on her sheets.

"Scared, I finally told my mother what was going on and she took me to my doctor. He did an ultrasound and told me that I was having a miscarriage. I went home in a daze and let nature take its course. I called Rob and told him what had happened. He seemed relieved. We made an attempt at a conversation but it was too sad."

She later writes about the tragedy, "There was nothing left for me to do afterwards but go home and face reality. I had lost the baby and my relationship with Rob. Now I was completely, totally alone, and it hurt like hell."

I've left messages for comment from reps for both Rob and Melissa, but a friend of the actress tells me she's "devastated" by the apparent slight.

"Of course Melissa has read it," a friend of the actress tells me. "She's devastated that someone who meant so much to her, someone who dominated her young life, doesn't think she was as important to him as he was to her."

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Tags: Melissa Gilbert, Rob Lowe

Comments

(122)

Wednesday 27 April

By Jackie

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Why did he write this book if he wasnt going to spill his gutts like the tile is implied? Good looking but a jerk looking for money!!!! I will not buy it!

By deanne

Did anyone ever consider that he holds those memories so near and dear to his heart that he will Not divulge what they had together out of respect? That's my take on it.

By vealadydiva

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I totally agree. Some memories are best left unwritten.

By Lisa

It is all perspective. Maybe that relationship was more important to her than to him. Maybe he is punishing her by intentionally making his remarks about her minor. Only he knows the real reason. Hasn't anyone here ever been with someone who did not feel quite the same about them? It happens.

By Hello Richard

Thing???!!! Anyway, they were ENGAGED.

By NAUGHTY BUT NICE ROB

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I FEEL BAD FOR MELISSA...POOR DEAR

By guevindna

Melissa, many of us know what it's like to care more for someone than they ultimately did for you. Rob Lowe is a braindead guy who is more into the testosterone thing. At least in your book you were open, honest and true to what really happened. I remember reading about you two back then and Rob Lowe was no picnic...cute but unreliable. He obviously continues the macho thing to this day.

By CGee

All your points are valid, but then why write a book? People who reads these celeb books don't want to hear about bromances on the set or what he had for dinner 20 yrs ago! They want his side of the scandals of which he had many, at least he never claimed to have been molested as a child, in order to sell more books. It should be titled "Snories I told my friends" cause it is booooring.

I remember her as being needy and men don't like these women who are clingy and needy. This is something all women should know and remember when dealing with men.

By Honor

And she is an attention hog! She loves being the center of attention.

By Blonde Ambition

I think all we needed to know about her was in her book. Maybe he chose to leave things at that ...

By TigerWoman

I think women hold past relationships more dear to their hearts then men do. Most men I know will run into an old girlfriend or someone they dated 20 years ago and can't remember their names. Guy don't dwell on past loves. Only women do that.

By Niki

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I think it's HIARIOUS that he barely mentioned Melissa Gilbert, She is so self absorbed and Im sure this was a huge blow to her over inflated ego. HAHAHA

By stu

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7 less nose jobs than MJ. she's a pip!

By Debbie

If I were Melissa I would be flattered NOT to be mentioned at all in this book. To his credit maybe he was respecting her by not delving into the pain he may have caused her. Read a borrowed copy of book and glad I did not spend money for it.

By Kelly

I'm looking at the first pic of Rob and Mellissa, then his pic on his book cover. He had a nose job too!

By MJR

EEEWWWW!!!!!!!!!Whats with getting with MG? Rob you are way to attractive for Melissa, even with 20 plastic surgeries!!!!!!!!!!!!

By ajschrod

Plain little girl-next-door Melissa sacked out with Robb? Who woulda ever thunk that (?)

His wife is not much to look at either. He's the pretty one.

By jpollio

Maybe he's not over her and isn't able to talk about her yet.

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