The actress was placed for adoption at birth in Los Angeles on May 8, 1964, as her biological parents prioritized their careers over raising a child. Adopted at 24 hours old by Barbara Crane, a young actress, and Paul Gilbert, a comedian and performer, she grew up believing fabricated stories about her origins. Her adoptive parents split when she was six, but she remembered Paul fondly, describing him as loving and fair.

Paul’s death in 1976 was initially believed to be from a stroke, but she discovered at 45 that he had died by suicide. Her memoir Prairie Tale revealed she was told her birth parents, David Darlington and Kathy Wood, prioritized work over raising her. David was actually a stock car racer and painter, not the Rhodes Scholar she was led to believe, and Kathy was a dancer, not a prima ballerina.

Her godmother Mitzi shared that her adoption surprised the family, as the Gilberts hadn’t planned on adopting. Barbara explained they were undergoing fertility treatments when they received the call about the baby, and her husband insisted, “go get it.” The actress reflected on the burden of family secrets and vowed to be open with her own children. To uncover the truth about Paul’s death, she hired a detective, who found that the World War II veteran had been in severe pain and threatened suicide while in VA care.