Melissa Gilbert Rips Into ‘Cruel’ NYC Politician Over Horse Carriage Law

Melissa Gilbert furiously called out New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, accusing her of single-handedly blocking a crucial law.

The “Little House on the Prairie” star branded Adams as “cruel” for her actions toward the law, which is reportedly aimed at ending the horse-drawn carriage business.

Melissa Gilbert’s recent remarks come months after she opened up about ditching Los Angeles for NYC, noting that the former was not a great place for her to “age.”

Gilbert had some harsh words for NYC council speaker Adrienne Adams over the Ryder law, which is meant to help phase out horse-drawn carriages in Central Park next year.

The actress took to Instagram to deliver a blunt, direct message to Speaker Adams, demanding immediate action on the legislation.

She said that Adams is “single-handedly blocking Ryder’s Law — even going so far as to block a hearing on it. That is unacceptably cruel, corrupt, and undemocratic.”

“The people of New York have a right to a hearing,” the 61-year-old actress noted in the video. “We already know that a super-majority of New Yorkers support Ryder’s Law, as does the Central Park Conservancy. Meanwhile, horses continue to collapse and drop dead. They’re even running wild and injuring people in the park.”

Gilbert added, “Speaker Adams, this insanity must stop. As a resident of New York, I demand you schedule a hearing immediately so that the people can vote on Ryder’s Law.”

Ryder’s law aims to put an end to the controversial and often criticized horse-drawn carriage businesses by June 2026.

It will primarily operate around Central Park in 2026, but will see its carriages pulled off and replaced with electric carriages.

Gilbert is not the only one who has lent a voice to this cause, as stars such as Billie Eilish and Joaquin Phoenix have shown support for the law.

According to Fox News, “Sopranos” star Edie Falco also once penned a letter, shared by PETA, to Adams, urging the politician to “stop blocking Ryder’s Law from moving forward” to ensure another horse does not get “worked to death.”

Back in January, Gilbert shared why she left Los Angeles for New York City, as she labeled California an “anti-aging” environment.

The 61-year-old said, “I just didn’t feel like that was a safe place for me to age. It’s so anti-aging, which is one of my least favorite expressions in the world. Anti-aging means dead.”

Gilbert explained that while she lived in California, she felt pressured to “not get any older and stay a size 2 or 4 or whatever [she] was at that time.”

However, she witnessed a significant change to her worldview when she moved to the East Coast.

“I went from, ‘Oh God, I better not get older!’ to ‘Oh God, I’m so glad I’m older!'” she told Page Six. “I love the age I am right now. Sixty has been the most incredible year, just to look back on all the things I’ve done and to know that I’ve earned my opinions, I have value, I am wise.”

The actress added, “I have done so much, and I continue to do it, and it’s not over by any stretch of the imagination.”

Gilbert became a household name when she starred as  9-year-old Laura Ingalls on “Little House on the Prairie.”

During a chat on the “Hey Dude… The 90s Called!” podcast earlier this year, she reminisced about her audition for the role in the series.

“I would change into my audition uniform, which was just overalls and a flannel shirt and tennis shoes,” she recalled, according to People Magazine. “And whatever dirt was on my face at the time or food or whatever, it was just left there. My mom would throw my hair into pigtails, and then I’d just go in and sit on the floor and do my homework until they called me in.

“That’s what happened with the ‘Little House audition,'” Gilbert added. “The first audition, it was like a room full of girls with their mom primping and making barrel curls on their fingers, you know, and straightening their pinafores. And I came in all raggedy and dirty and messy.”

In October, Gilbert took to TikTok, where she opened up about her first day on the set of “Little House on the Prairie,” recounting the memorable event.

“First day on location, the first day on the actual set, it was like the best game of pretend anyone’s ever played,” the actress said, while donning a prairie dress reminiscent of her costume on the beloved show.

Gilbert recalled how lively the set of the show was on the first day, noting that there were “horses and cows,” along with other cast members, and that despite how busy things were, it was still an “intimate” affair.

“It was just the Ingalls family, and we were all getting to know each other,” she shared, adding that that was the same day she was given the nickname, “half pint,” on the set.

“Little House On The Prairie” went on to run for nine seasons, with Gilbert’s character appearing in 190 episodes out of the show’s 204.