Timothy Busfield's wife Melissa Gilbert calls for better protections for child stars after Hayden Panettiere’s death

Melissa Gilbert is calling for major changes to the way Hollywood protects child performers following the death of former child star Hayden Panettiere.

The Little House on the Prairie actress, who began working in Hollywood as a child herself, addressed Panettiere's death and the recent losses of fellow former child actresses Michelle Trachtenberg and Daveigh Chase in a new essay published on Substack.

"Michelle Trachtenberg, Daveigh Chase and Hayden Panettiere have died. DIED!" Gilbert wrote. "Three former female child actors of the same generation are gone. Tragically, heartbreakingly, agonizingly too soon."

Gilbert said the deaths feel particularly personal because she grew up in the same industry and experienced the pressures that come with being a young performer.

"It feels personal because I was them," she wrote. "We are all members of the same tribe; Female Former Child Performers, and when one of us dies, it runs through all of us like an electrical current."

The actress argued that the entertainment industry continues to place expectations on children that would be unreasonable for adults. She said young performers are often praised for being able to "deliver no matter what" and are discouraged from saying no because they could be perceived as difficult.

"These young professionals are children, and we should make sure they are allowed to be children," Gilbert wrote. She argued that child actors should be able to refuse work, take breaks when they are experiencing physical or emotional distress and should not be expected to financially support their families.

Gilbert also pointed to the rise of smartphones and social media, arguing that young stars have lost much of the privacy that previous generations could sometimes find away from cameras and paparazzi.

She said that places once considered private can now be photographed or filmed by almost anyone, with images and information potentially being sold or shared online. In her view, that constant access can make already vulnerable young performers even more exposed.

The actress is now calling on former child stars to come together and push for changes within the entertainment industry. She suggested creating a group that could lobby studios and networks, speak out against exploitation and provide support to young performers.

Gilbert also wants better access to mental health care for child actors as they transition into adulthood. She argued that performers should have access to free mental health support regardless of whether their earnings qualify them for traditional employer-based health insurance.

"Maybe we can show up on a set where one is struggling and just be there to support and help them self-advocate," she wrote, also suggesting that former child stars could collectively challenge media practices that exploit vulnerable performers.

Her essay comes less than a week after Panettiere died at age 36. Panettiere began acting as a child and went on to become known for Heroes, Nashville and the Scream franchise. Her death has prompted an outpouring of tributes and renewed discussion about the pressures experienced by child stars.

Gilbert's comments also come amid a difficult period in her own life. Her husband, actor and director Timothy Busfield, has been accused of inappropriately touching two 11-year-old boys he worked with on The Cleaning Lady. Busfield has pleaded not guilty and denies the allegations. His trial is scheduled for May 2027.

Despite the circumstances surrounding her husband's case, Gilbert has continued to speak about the need to protect children working in Hollywood. Her latest essay focuses on the wider industry and what she believes needs to change so that future generations of young performers are given stronger safeguards and support.