Step aside, Aladdin—there’s only one genie the world still dreams of!
Barbara Eden, the iconic star who brought I Dream of Jeannie to life, turned 92 on August 23, 2023—and she looks as radiant as ever.
Eden captured hearts nearly six decades ago as the bubbly blonde genie who made millions wish they had a magical bottle of their own. Since her debut in 1965, her timeless charm has kept fans under her spell.
But behind the sparkle of stardom, Eden faced her share of heartbreak. In 2001, she suffered an unimaginable loss when her only son died of a heroin overdose—proof that even those who seem to live a fairy tale are not immune to life’s deepest sorrows.
Born during the Great Depression, Eden defied the odds and turned humble beginnings into Hollywood success. By 1956, she was appearing in both films (A Private’s Affair, Twelve Hours to Kill) and beloved TV shows (The Johnny Carson Show, I Love Lucy).
In 1960, she starred alongside Elvis Presley in Flaming Star, introducing her talent to audiences around the globe. But it was in 1965, when she stepped into a genie costume and popped out of a bottle on screen, that Barbara Eden truly became a legend.
Eden won over audiences with her unforgettable portrayal of Jeannie, the enchanting genie she played for five seasons on the beloved sitcom I Dream of Jeannie, opposite Larry Hagman as her straight-laced love interest, Captain Tony Nelson.
In 1965—the same year she rocketed to superstardom—Eden and her then-husband, actor Michael Ansara (best known for his role in the 1960s series Broken Arrow), welcomed their son, Matthew Ansara, born on August 29.
Tragically, when Matthew was just nine years old, Eden and Ansara ended their 15-year marriage. Eden later shared that the divorce marked a turning point in her son’s life, steering him toward a difficult path with substance abuse.
The Harper Valley PTA star recalled first noticing signs of trouble in 1984, when 19-year-old Matthew moved in with his father after Eden remarried. When he later returned to live with her following her second divorce, she became alarmed—he was sleeping excessively and pretending to be enrolled in college. It was then she realized something was deeply wrong.
“Matthew never admitted to Mike or me that he was using heroin—he didn’t want to hurt us,” Eden revealed. “But we could see the signs. He was sluggish, losing weight, staying out all night. I insisted he check into a rehab center, and when he completed a month-long program, I welcomed him back home.”
But the relief was short-lived.
“He started using again,” she said. “The professionals told us something I’ll never forget: when your child is addicted, they become the drug. They are no longer the person you raised—and they can no longer live under your roof.”
With unimaginable pain, Eden made the decision to lock her son out when he was just 20 years old. “It was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.”
Matthew had begun using drugs at just 10 years old and would spend the next 12 years cycling in and out of rehab. Despite their divorce, Eden and her ex-husband, actor Michael Ansara, stayed in close contact, united in their love for their son and their efforts to support his recovery.
“Sometimes, when he visited, he’d joke, ‘Here I am—better lock up everything,’” Eden recalled, referring to the times he stole from them. “But when he was sober, he’d look at us and say, ‘I’m so sorry. I love you more than anyone in the world.’”
During a brief period of recovery at age 27, Matthew found a glimpse of normalcy—he got married and enrolled in creative writing classes at UCLA. But, as Eden heartbreakingly recalled, “the cycle began again,” and soon after, his wife left.
Things quickly spiraled downward. Eden remembered confronting her son during this time. “He got angry, started throwing things, and stormed out,” she said. Months went by without a word. When she finally found him, Matthew had been living on the streets.
Then came the call that changed everything.
“One day, not long after the separation, he called me—he sounded half-dead—and said, ‘Mom, I’m sick,’” Eden said. Desperate to reach him, she drove to a rough neighborhood in Venice, California, accompanied by Mike’s wife and a friend. “We found him in his apartment, unconscious from an overdose.”
The scene was harrowing. His living conditions were “filthy,” she said. “He weighed 200 pounds, but the three of us managed to lift him, get him into the car, and take him to the hospital. That trip saved his life.”
At 29 he was diagnosed with clinical depression and was on medication, that didn’t help.
By the time he was 31, Matthew had found sobriety once again and was beginning to follow in his parents’ footsteps. He landed a leading role in the 2001 film To Protect and Serve, and had a supporting role in Con Games, which was released later that year—after his death.
That September, Matthew was engaged to be married to what Eden described as a “wonderful girl,” and for a while, things seemed genuinely hopeful.
“One day he told me, ‘Life is great, Mom. I can’t believe I spent so many years not being awake to how green the trees are,’” Eden recalled, a bittersweet memory of a son who, for a fleeting moment, had rediscovered joy.
Barbara Eden son cause of death
Not long after their hopeful conversation, Barbara Eden’s world shattered.
At 3 a.m. on June 26, she was jolted awake by a phone call no parent should ever receive. Just six hours earlier, police had found her son, 35-year-old Matthew Ansara—an amateur bodybuilder—slumped over the steering wheel of his truck. Alongside him were vials of anabolic steroids, which he had been using to prepare for upcoming competitions.
The autopsy revealed the tragic cause: an accidental drug overdose.
“He was gone,” Eden said. “He had injected a dose of unusually pure heroin. It was too much for his heart to handle.” Reflecting on his all-or-nothing personality, she added, “Even when he was getting healthy, he did it like an addict—obsessively. He was never able to do anything in moderation.”
Still mourning the loss of her only child, Barbara Eden—author, singer, and actress—continues to search for meaning. Married to architect Jon Eicholtz since 1991, she remains candid about the pain of losing Matthew.
“Matthew took the divorce terribly,” she reflected. “He wanted his mommy and daddy to stay together. If I could do it all over again, I might have waited until he was older. But then I remind myself—so many kids from divorced families don’t become addicts.” She paused before adding, “He won so many battles… but in the end, he lost his personal war.”
Matthew’s father, Michael Ansara, passed away in 2013 at the age of 91 from complications related to Alzheimer’s. Father and son now rest side by side at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles.
As for Eden, she may have retired Jeannie’s iconic pink harem costume, but she never truly left the spotlight. In recent years, she has charmed audiences on shows like Worst Cooks in America: Celebrity Edition and in the 2019 holiday film My Adventures with Santa, where she played Mrs. Claus. That same year, she returned to the stage in the play Love Letters—a testament to her enduring passion for performing.
First, we’d like to wish the beautiful Barbara Eden a very happy birthday!
Next, we cannot imagine a parent’s pain of losing a child and we are so sorry for her loss. If someone you know is struggling with addictions, please contact your local alcohol or drug abuse hotline–it could save their life.
Please share this story and let’s give Eden some warm wishes and the love she deserves!