Melissa Gilbert recalls 'horrible' side of dating Rob Lowe

Melissa Gilbert has opened up about a "horrible" aspect of her relationship with Rob Lowe.

The actors first got together when they were teenagers in 1981 and went on to break up and reconcile more than once before finally calling time on the relationship in 1987.

This week, Melissa, 61, reflected on an aspect of the romance she described as "horrible". While she, at 17, had already starred in the hit TV series Little House on the Prairie, Rob's star was only just beginning to rise when they started dating.

Melissa said once Rob, also 61, hit the big time with movies including 1983's The Outsiders, women started hitting on her boyfriend directly in front of her.

"I don't think I was prepared for the stuff that came with (Rob's newfound fame), necessarily," Melissa told Jennie Garth's I Choose Me podcast.

"I was prepared for all of the having to go to premieres and things and award shows and all of that. But I wasn't prepared for the fandom and, frankly, the girls."

She added the attention was worse than unnerving.

"It was like I didn't exist," Melissa said. "They'd just push right past me and stick phone numbers in his pockets and stuff. To say it was disconcerting is doing it a big disservice. It was horrible."