Barbara Eden, the iconic actress who made the world dream of genies, celebrated her 92nd birthday on August 23, and she still looks stunning.
Nearly 60 years after she first appeared on I Dream of Jeannie, Eden remains beloved by fans. But while she brought magic to the screen, she faced a heartbreaking tragedy in real life—losing her only son, Matthew, to a heroin overdose in 2001.
Born during the Great Depression, Eden turned a humble beginning into a glamorous Hollywood career. She started acting in the 1950s, appearing in films like A Private’s Affair and Twelve Hours to Kill, as well as TV shows such as I Love Lucy. In 1960, she starred alongside Elvis Presley in Flaming Star, before achieving superstardom in 1965 as Jeannie in I Dream of Jeannie.
That same year, Eden and her husband, actor Michael Ansara, welcomed their son, Matthew. However, their divorce when he was nine deeply affected him. By 19, he was showing signs of drug addiction, something Eden first noticed when he moved back in with her after living with his father.
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She recalled that Matthew never admitted to using heroin but exhibited signs like weight loss and sluggishness. After an initial stint in rehab, he relapsed. Experts advised Eden that an addict “becomes the drug” and must be held accountable. Heartbreakingly, she had to lock him out at age 20, one of the hardest decisions she ever made.
For 12 years, Matthew struggled with addiction, bouncing between treatment centers. Even when he visited, he would joke about locking up valuables but, in sober moments, expressed deep love for his parents.
At 27, he briefly turned his life around, got married, and studied creative writing at UCLA, but his addiction resurfaced, leading to his divorce. He later disappeared for months, living on the streets. When Eden finally found him, he was unconscious from an overdose.
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At 29, he was diagnosed with clinical depression and prescribed medication, though it didn’t seem to help. By 31, he was sober again and following in his parents’ footsteps, landing a starring role in the 2001 film To Protect and Serve. He was engaged and excited for the future, telling his mother, “Life is great, Mom. I can’t believe I spent so many years not being awake to how green the trees are.”
But soon after, tragedy struck. On June 26, police found 35-year-old Matthew slumped over the wheel of his truck, with vials of anabolic steroids nearby. The autopsy revealed he had died from an accidental heroin overdose. Eden later said that even in fitness, her son was obsessive, unable to do anything in moderation.
Eden, now married to Jon Eicholtz since 1991, continues to search for answers, wondering if their divorce had a lasting impact on Matthew’s struggles. “He won a lot of battles. But he lost his personal war,” she reflected.
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Matthew is buried next to his father, Michael Ansara, who passed away in 2013. As for Eden, though she retired Jeannie’s pink harem suit, she remains active, appearing in shows like Worst Cooks in America: Celebrity Edition and the 2019 film My Adventures with Santa.
As we celebrate Barbara Eden’s incredible life and career, we also acknowledge the unimaginable pain of losing a child. If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, please reach out to a local support hotline—it could save a life.
