‘I Dream of Jeannie' star Barbara Eden reveals she was ‘very upset' about this major storyline with Larry Hagman
After starring as the 2,000-year-old spirit, who is freed from her bottle by NASA astronaut Tony Nelson (Larry Hagman) on 'I Dream of Jeannie,' the actress, 93, recently revealed one major qualm.
Eden was not on board with the Season 5 decision to have Jeannie marry her 'master' Tony, especially since her character became so independent and empowering to housewives everywhere.
Advertisement
11 Barbara Eden in 'I Dream of Jeannie.'
Courtesy Everett Collection
11 Larry Hagman and Barbara Eden during 2nd Annual TV Land Awards.
WireImage
'I was very upset about it,' she told Forbes in an interview published on Saturday, 'not that anybody would listen to me.'
Advertisement
When asked if she brought her concerns to any of the producers, Eden admitted she did not.
'No, I didn't. I guess if I had asserted myself, yes, I would have, but I didn't. I talked about it; I said, 'This is ridiculous. She can't marry you. It's ridiculous,' but it was okay. It was still funny. People could relate, one way or another,' she explained.
11 Jack Smith, Barbara Eden, and Larry Hagman in 'The Wedding' which aired December 2, 1969.
Courtesy Everett Collection
The sitcom's creator, Sidney Sheldon, meanwhile, agreed with Eden.
Advertisement
'What finally killed us was the head of our network, in the fifth year, saying, 'You have to get them married,'' Sheldon told the Television Academy in 2018.
'I Dream of Jeannie' ran for five seasons from 1965 to 1970, with Jeannie and Tony's wedding airing on December 3, 1969.
11 Larry Hagman and Barbara Eden in the wedding episode.
Courtesy Everett Collection
In 2016, Eden explained the impact her character had on women.
Advertisement
'She was a very independent creature. And very strong. In fact, I've had young women come up to me and say it empowered them,' the actress said on 'Oprah: Where Are They Now?' at the time.
Earlier this year, Eden shared another shocking revelation about the beloved show.
11 A still from 'I Dream of Jeannie.'
Courtesy Everett Collection
While on Jennie Garth's 'I Choose Me' podcast, the 'Woman Hunter' alum said she loved wearing Jeannie's genie outfit, which consisted of pink and red pants, a bralette, a headpiece and a cropped jacket, and 'never' felt objectified.
However, the star did confess that 'the first year of 'Jeannie,' I was pregnant.'
She and her then-husband, Michael Ansara, 'had tried to have a baby for so long,' Eden recalled. 'Finally, I was pregnant. And I found out the same day that they told me that 'Jeannie' was going to go on the air.'
11 Larry Hagman as Anthony 'Tony' Nelson, Barbara Eden as Jeannie.
NBCUniversal via Getty Images
She called Sheldon and told him, 'I have to talk to you. I really have to talk to you in person.'
Advertisement
Eden recounted how she went to where he was having dinner, and despite her future on 'Jeannie' being up in the air, she was 'so happy.'
'I was happy about the show too, but more happy that I was pregnant,' Eden gushed. 'I sat down there with a big grin on my face and said, 'You know, I'm pregnant, and I can't do your show.''
11 Larry Hagman and Barbara Eden in Season 4 of 'I Dream of Jeannie.'
Courtesy Everett Collection
She added, 'I couldn't keep the smile off my face.'
Advertisement
Eden explained she told Sheldon, 'I just had to let you know so you could recast it.'
That wasn't what the television writer, who died at age 89 in 2007, had in mind, though. Sheldon told her to give it a couple of days so they could 'see if we can work this out.'
11 Barbara Eden as Jeannie.
Getty Images
The team ended up going forward with Eden and finding creative ways to hide her pregnancy.
Advertisement
'I remember one time on the set, I came into work, and there was a bikini,' she reminisced. 'I looked at it, and I said, 'I can't wear that.''
The costume designer ended up telling Season 1 director Gene Nelson.
11 Barbara Eden best known for her starring role of 'Jeannie.'
Getty Images
'And Gene, who happened to have been a very good friend of mine at the time, walked up to my dressing room and said, 'Barbara, you're never a diva. Why don't you put on the bathing suit?''
Advertisement
'I said, 'Gene, I am pregnant,'' Eden recalled to Garth.
'I put it on, and Gene came to the door, and he went, 'Uh-oh. Oh, I see what you mean. I see what you mean,'' she went on. So, 'they put a tire on my tummy.'
11 Barbara Eden in 2024.
Getty Images for Marcel Remus
Eden explained that they added towels on top of the tire to hide the object.
The actress noted that 'I Dream of Jeannie' mostly used 'lots of material' in front of her to hide her baby bump.
Eden gave birth to her son Matthew Ansara in August 1965.
11 Barbara Eden as Jeannie, Larry Hagman as Anthony 'Tony' Nelson.
NBCUniversal via Getty Images
He died in 2001 at the age of 35 due to an accidental drug overdose.
'When Matthew was clean and sober, he was such a beautiful human being, inside and out,' Eden told People in 2021. 'Drugs are inexplicable. It's so frustrating.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNBC
18 hours ago
- CNBC
41-year-old ex-Navy SEAL who became a Harvard-trained doctor: A ‘healthy amount' of insecurity can make you highly successful
Plenty of people try to conceal their insecurities, especially at work. You may not want your boss to know that you're terrified of public speaking before leading a big pitch meeting, or to tell your work bestie that you're worried about making a mistake on the job. But those feelings of doubt can help you become highly successful, according to Jonny Kim, a 41-year-old from Los Angeles with a lengthy resume: He participated in over 100 combat missions as a U.S. Navy SEAL, then got a medical degree from Harvard Medical School and flew to the International Space Station on April 8 as a NASA astronaut. Kim spent some of those Navy missions as a combat medic. In that role, he got comfortable knowing he didn't always have the answers, but it was his job to do all he could to save people's lives anyway, he said on bestselling author Simon Sinek's "A Bit of Optimism" podcast, in an episode that aired on August 5. "I think insecurity is something that we've all dealt with and it's a part of being human," said Kim. "I think a little tinge of healthy insecurity keeps the humility in check or keeps the ego in check." "Being unconfident in my abilities" during that time was a defining moment in his life, Kim added, driving him to pursue his degree in medicine and dedicate the rest of his career to be of service to insecurity can feel isolating, the average U.S. adult experiences a lack of confidence five times per day, says a February 2023 survey of 2,000 Americans by OnePoll. Real estate millionaire Barbara Corcoran, a longtime judge on ABC's "Shark Tank," says she sees the trait as an unexpected workplace strength: It means you care about what you're doing and want to put your best foot forward, she said at Fiverr's Bridge the Gap webinar in March 2023. On the TV show, "I look for a [competitor] who's mostly insecure, because I know I've got myself a winner," said Corcoran. "They have the ambition. They're going to work twice as hard, which, I think, is the great upside to feeling like you're an impostor." "The more successful someone is, the more self-doubt they have, because that's what drives them," she added. "I've never met a secure person who was a stellar star." When you catch yourself in a moment of insecurity, you can reply to your own brain with a few helpful phrases, Headspace mindfulness and meditation teacher Dora Kamau told CNBC Make It in February 2023: You can also express your emotions to someone you trust, instead of harboring them in your mind — or, if you'd rather keep them private, write them down on paper, Kamau added. Either way, expressing your emotions helps your thoughts "live outside of your body," she said — helping you process them without fixating on them.
New York Post
20 hours ago
- New York Post
Danielle Spencer, child star from ‘What's Happening!!', dead at 60
Danielle Spencer, the former child star best known for her role in 'What's Happening!!', has died. She was 60. Spencer's death was announced by her co-star Haywood Nelson on Tuesday. 'Dr. Dee, our brilliant, loving, positive, pragmatic warrior, without fail, has finally found her release from the clutches of this world and a body,' Nelson wrote on Instagram. Advertisement 3 Danielle Spencer. ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection 3 Danielle Spencer. ©ABC/Courtesy Everett Collection 'We celebrate Danielle Spencer and her contributions as we regret to inform her departure and transition from a long battle with cancer,' his statement continued. 'We have lost a daughter, sister, family member, 'What's Happening' cast member, veterinarian animal rights proponent and healer, and cancer heroine. Our Shero.' Advertisement Nelson wrote in conclusion, 'Danielle is loved. She will be missed in this form and forever embraced.' 3 The cast of 'What's Happening!!' Courtesy Everett Collection Spencer played Dee Thomas, the sassy younger sister of the Thomas family, on 'What's Happening!!', which aired on ABC from 1976 to 1979. The show was loosely based on the 1975 film 'Cooley High.' This story is developing…
New York Post
a day ago
- New York Post
Sharon Stone makes rare red carpet appearance with her 3 sons at ‘Nobody 2' premiere
Sharon Stone is a proud boy mom. The actress, 67, was joined by her three sons, Roan, 25, Laird, 20, and Quinn, 19, for a rare red carpet appearance at Monday's premiere of her new film, 'Nobody 2,' in Los Angeles. Stone wore a navy dress, glasses and a gold bangle bracelet as she posed for pictures with her boys, who all wore suits. Advertisement 10 Sharon Stone with her three sons at the 'Nobody 2' premiere in Los Angeles. WireImage 10 Sharon Stone poses with her sons on the 'Nobody 2' red carpet. WireImage 10 Roan Stone, Quinn Stone, Sharon Stone and Laird Stone attend the 'Nobody 2' premiere on August 11. WireImage Advertisement Roan had on a pink suit, Laird opted for a gray suit, and Quinn went with a navy pinstripe suit. Along with her kids, Stone took photos with her co-stars Bob Odenkirk and Christopher Lloyd. 10 Sharon Stone attends the premiere for her new film 'Nobody 2.' FilmMagic 10 Sharon Stone joined by her sons Roan, Quinn and Laird at the 'Nobody 2' red carpet premiere. Sil / Advertisement The action thriller, also starring Connie Nielson, RZA, Colin Hanks, Michael Ironside and John Ortiz, is a sequel to 2021's 'Nobody,' which follows a family man (Odenkirk) who returns to his former life as an assassin. 10 Christopher Lloyd, Bob Odenkirk and Sharon Stone attend the 'Nobody 2' premiere on Aug. 11. FilmMagic 10 Sharon Stone at the 'Nobody 2' premiere in Los Angeles. FilmMagic Stone adopted her oldest son with her ex-husband, Phil Bronstein, in 2000. After the pair divorced in 2004, she adopted Laird in 2005 and Quinn in 2006. Advertisement The Oscar nominee and Bronstein initially shared custody of Roan, but Roan ended up primarily living with his dad in San Francisco during the school year. Stone tried, and failed, to challenge the agreement. 10 A throwback photo of Sharon Stone with her sons. Sharon Stone/Instagram 'It broke my heart,' she said on the Table for Two with Bruce Bozzi podcast in 2023 about losing custody of Roan. 'I ended up in the Mayo Clinic with extra heartbeats in the upper and lower chambers of my heart.' Stone alleged that her role in the erotic thriller 'Basic Instinct' affected her custody of Roan. 10 Sharon Stone with her sons Roan, Laird and Quinn. Sharon Stone/Instagram 'When the judge asked my child – my tiny little boy, 'Do you know your mother makes sex movies?' This kind of abuse by the system, that it was considered what kind of parent I was because I made that movie,' she said. 'People are walking around with no clothes on at all on regular TV now and you saw maybe like a sixteenth of a second of possible nudity of me – and I lost custody of my child,' Stone added. 10 Sharon Stone attends the Max Mara Cruise fashion show in June 2025. Getty Images Advertisement Stone, who has been a single mom since her divorce, has maintained a close bond with her boys. In May, Stone shared a throwback photo of her sons swimming in the pool to celebrate Mother's Day. 'They boys, now young men, have made my Mother's Day EVERYTHING 🥰,' she wrote. 'Nobody 2' is in theaters Friday.
