'Little House on the Prairie' Star Bonnie Bartlett Admits to Months-Long Affair With 'Boring' Actor
Boy Meets World star William Daniels and Little House on the Prairie star Bonnie Bartlett are ready to celebrate 75 years of marriage. Bartlett once revealed having had an affair at the start of their marriage, with a new interview clarifying their "open marriage."
According to her memoir, Middle of the Rainbow, the actor admitted her affair lasted for months and started a few years into her marriage to Daniels. The two actors got married in 1951 after having originally met as students at university. Her book details that she was looking for a "kinder and gentler" man in 1959 and started an affair with a "slightly boring" actor.
Who the actor in question is, fans might never know, as Bartlett doesn't divulge the person's name. She did admit that "the sex was good." She also adds that she "never felt guilty" because she didn't feel "tied to fidelity." The same also applied to Daniels, as the couple reportedly had an open marriage.
Things changed when Williams had his own affair in the '70s with a producer that "devastated" the Little House on the Prairie actor. It pushed her to realize that she couldn't "tolerate" seeing other people during their marriage.
Related: Jamie-Lynn Sigler Reveals Truth Behind 2009 Split from ‘Entourage' Star: ‘He Deserved More'
Ahead of their 75th wedding anniversary, Daniels and Bartlett spoke with the Daily Mail, clearing up the confusion about their open marriage.
"There was never any discussion as to what we were going to do, but in 75 years, the two of you together, you know, it would be abnormal if you … weren't attracted occasionally to other people," she shared, adding that "there have been times, yeah, both of us, on both sides."
Bartlett added that she and Daniels never sat down to talk about those things or sat down to "make rules." They simply lived their lives based on their work and what worked best for them. She admits that their lives went on, but "never got unhinged," and their lives did "go in different directions occasionally."
Daniels and Bartlett are the oldest active married couple in Hollywood, with the Boy Meets World star having celebrated his 99th birthday in late March. The St. Elsewhere star will soon celebrate her 96th birthday on June 20. The two actors have two adopted sons and four grandchildren.
Copyright 2026 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
This story was originally published May 19, 2026 at 1:16 PM.