Melissa Francis

Melissa Francis started acting before she could walk. At six months old, she appeared in a commercial for Johnson & Johnson shampoo. Her most recognizable role as a child was Cassandra Cooper Ingalls on *Little House on the Prairie*, which she played for two seasons in 1981 and 1982. She also appeared in several other TV shows and movies during her childhood.

After her acting days, Melissa shifted to journalism. She graduated from Harvard University in 1995 with a bachelor's degree in economics. She worked as a reporter for CNBC and CNET before joining Fox Business Network as an anchor in 2012. Two years later, she became a recurring co-host on Fox News Channel's *Outnumbered* and anchored its *Happening Now* newscast.

In late October 2020, reports surfaced that Fox News had let her go, declining to renew a contract that had expired a year earlier. She then filed a discrimination lawsuit, claiming she was underpaid compared to her male colleagues. The case settled in June 2022 for $15 million. Melissa has also authored two books: *Diary of a Stage Mother's Daughter* (2012) and *Lessons From the Prairie* (2017). The first detailed her tumultuous relationship with her controlling mother; the second reflected on her time on the Prairie. She was born in Los Angeles and has been active in her fields since 1973. At 53, she remains a straight, American former actress and journalist with blonde hair and brown eyes, standing 5'6" with a slim build.