Melissa Gilbert Hit With Tax Lien

The Little House on the Prairie star's lien, which was filed on 3 February (15), relates to taxes from 2011 to 2013, and she has blamed the Great Recession of 2007 to 2009 for causing her struggles.

A statement issued by Gilbert to The Detroit News reads, "Like so many people across the nation, the recession hit me hard. That, plus a (past) divorce and a dearth of acting opportunities the last few years, created a perfect storm of financial difficulty for me."

Her husband,Timothy Busfield, adds, "(The debt) has more to do with the housing crash and divorce in the past. It's a product of what happened with the economy. It's unfortunate and it's been happening a lot. It's not a big deal."

Gilbert has set up a payment plan to clear the debt.

She continues, "I've set up an instalment plan to fully pay off my debt and will continue to work as hard as I can to erase this debt and dig myself out of this hole. I am absolutely positive that I can do it."

Gilbert divorced actor Bruce Boxleitner in 2011 and went on to wed actor Busfield in 2013.