Karen Grassle, who portrayed Ma Ingalls on Little House on the Prairie, is accusing Michael Landon of being a sexist bully on set. Grassle discloses all the secrets of her private life and Hollywood career in her new memoir, Bright Lights, Prairie Dust: Reflections on Life, Loss, and Love from Little House’s Ma.

The show, which ran from 1974 to 1982, was a huge success and has remained popular with audiences for many years.

Grassle has spoken about her time on “Little House on the Prairie” in interviews and public appearances, and she has expressed regret about working with the show’s creator and star, Michael Landon.

According to Grassle, Landon was very demanding and had a temper, and he would often become angry and confrontational on set.

She has said that he would frequently raise his voice and swear at the cast and crew, and that he would berate and belittle people who did not meet his expectations.

In addition to his temper, Grassle has also said that Landon was condescending and dismissive of others.

She has said that he would often make derogatory comments about people’s appearances or abilities, and that he would belittle their contributions to the show.

Furthermore, Grassle has said that Landon was not always supportive of the cast and crew.

She has said that he would often take credit for other people’s ideas and work, and that he would not give credit where it was due.

She has also said that he would often exclude people from important meetings and discussions, and that he would not listen to their suggestions or feedback.

Ms. Grassle, now 79, was a virtual unknown when she earned her coveted role on the program, which aired from 1974 to 1983, and was “thrilled” to act opposite the small-screen superstar.

Since she was unhappily married to actor Leon Russom (the first of her three prior husbands), whom she divorced in 1970, it was a particularly trying time for her. Meanwhile, the money she made on stage was little.

However, she claims that her dream role turned into a nightmare when she asked Landon, who also directed the series, for a pay raise after the first season’s ratings success.

Landon allegedly said no, saying that she should be paid the same as the child performers — and that she wasn’t as well-known as she thought she was.

Grassle said Michael Landon (left) underpaid her, using the excuse that her earnings should correspond with those of the child actors.
NBCUniversal via Getty Images

“I felt insulted as his co-star on a hit series,” she adds. “I didn’t want to gouge anybody, but I expected a fair wage.”

He began cutting her scenes and leaving her out of storylines after that, she claimed.

Landon, who died of cancer at the age of 54 in 1991, “targeted” her at that time, she claims. Ms. Grassle, who is now a political activist, claims that his “increasingly foul language and rude conduct” became so bad that he openly mocked her figure and facial expressions.

When the on-set male employees egged him on during sequences shot in the Ingalls’ primitive bedroom, these tendencies regularly appeared.

“Mike would say ‘c__’ and make disgusting jokes about how a woman smelled after sex,” she recalls, adding that it made her want to “disappear.”

‘It was almost like I was frozen,’ she said. ‘But, as a woman in the 1970s film industry, I was so accustomed to these putdowns, it never occurred to me to sharply rebuke him. I kept up the professionalism. I’d be the good girl, play the part and hope.’

Despite everything, Grassle says she’s glad the two reconciled before Landon’s death from pancreatic cancer in 1991, following a series of trials and tribulations and facing her own demons. She is still an advocate for working women fighting for what they deserve today.

A number of other stars have also complained about Landon’s behavior on set.

For example, Melissa Gilbert, who played Laura Ingalls on “Little House on the Prairie,” has said that Landon was difficult to work with and that he could be very demanding. She has said that Landon would often raise his voice and swear at the cast and crew, and that he could be very critical and unforgiving of mistakes.

Additionally, Melissa Sue Anderson, who played Mary Ingalls on “Little House on the Prairie,” has also said that Landon was difficult to work with. She has said that Landon was very controlling and that he would often dictate how the show was filmed and edited. She has also said that Landon was not always supportive of the cast and crew, and that he could be dismissive of their suggestions and ideas.

Before “Little House on the Prairie,” Grassle had a successful career as a stage actress. She began her career in the 1960s, performing in theater productions in New York City and across the United States.

She won critical acclaim for her performances.

After “Little House on the Prairie,” Grassle continued to act and perform in both theater and television.

She appeared in a number of stage productions, including “The Crucible” and “The Glass Menagerie,” and she also guest-starred on television shows like “Murder, She Wrote” and “Touched by an Angel.”

In recent years, Grassle has retired from acting, and she now lives in California with her husband. She remains a beloved figure in the entertainment industry.