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New York Post
05-08-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
‘I Dream of Jeannie' star Barbara Eden reveals she was ‘very upset' about this major storyline with Larry Hagman
Barbara Eden dreamt of a different ending for Jeannie. 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.'
Daily Mail
29-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Iconic 90s talk show host looks unrecognizable in rare snaps as she enjoys retirement
Fans of '90s talk shows were delighted to see one of the most iconic hosts of the era living her absolute best life in new snaps posted to Instagram. The daytime legend, who made history in 1983 as the first woman to host an audience-participation, issue-driven talk show, looked radiant as she cruised on a stunning boat and slurped oysters in New England. Now 90 years old and clearly embracing retirement to the fullest, the TV trailblazer showed off her legendary bawdy sense of humor by captioning the one pic, 'In New England enjoying some oysters… aren't these supposed to be an aphrodisiac?!' She's not slowing down either — the Pennsylvania native and Columbia grad recently jetted off to Paris for a girls' trip to celebrate her big birthday. In 1989, she even took home the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Talk Show Host, holding her own in the ratings alongside heavyweights like Oprah, Maury, and Jerry Springer — and becoming a style icon in the process, thanks to her signature red frames. So who is this legendary queen of daytime? If you guessed Sally Jessy Raphael… you're absolutely right! The host of The Sally Jessy Raphael Show — later shortened to Sally — has been documenting her fabulous post-career life on social media, also recently sharing a serene snap of herself lounging at the edge of a tranquil lake. 'Hope you're all enjoying your summer as much as I am #dock #summer #sjr #redglasses,' she captioned the peaceful shot. Just days earlier, she posted a pic from a marina, relaxing by the water. Sprinkled throughout her Instagram feed are vintage throwback clips from her iconic talk show, reminding fans exactly why she became a daytime legend. Toward the end of her run on daytime TV, competition for ratings heated up — particularly against the likes of Maury Povich and Jerry Springer. As a result, her show began to lean into more sensational territory, including on-air paternity test reveals and tabloid-style topics. 'The last years of doing those Maury Povich/Jerry Springer shows? I hated them,' Raphael admitted during a 2016 episode of Oprah: Where Are They Now? 'I was betrayed by some of the producers into doing that. Come to think of it, I should have fought harder for what I knew what right — what I knew that I didn't want to do,' she told Winfrey. Sally was officially canceled in 2002, but the TV icon didn't disappear. From 2005 to 2008, she hosted The Sally Jessy Raphael Radio Show on Talknet. In 2014, she returned to the screen with the Logo series Sally Jessy Rides, and in 2024, she made a surprise cameo on the animated comedy Everybody Still Hates Chris. Sally was first married to Andrew Vladimir, with whom she had two daughters; tragically, their daughter Allison died at age 33 from an accidental overdose. In 1963, she married Karl Soderlund, who became her manager, and together they raised one adopted son and three foster children, remaining married for 57 years until his passing in 2020. .
