Barbara Eden—best known as the enchanting genie from I Dream of Jeannie—turned 92 on August 23, 2023. With a radiant smile and timeless beauty, Eden still shines in the hearts of fans across generations. But while she brought magic to television screens, her personal life was marked by tragedy, loss, and a battle no attorney or rehab specialist could have fully prepared her for: the heartbreaking death of her only son, Matthew Ansara.
Born during the Great Depression, Eden rose from poverty to Hollywood stardom. In the 1950s and ’60s, she graced films like A Private’s Affair and Flaming Star with Elvis Presley. Then came the role that made her iconic: Jeannie, the charming genie who captured Captain Tony Nelson’s heart—and the imaginations of millions.
But behind her pink harem costume and dazzling TV presence, Eden was fighting an unimaginable private war.
A Mother’s Worst Nightmare
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In 1965, as I Dream of Jeannie premiered, Eden gave birth to her son, Matthew Ansara, with then-husband and actor Michael Ansara. For years, her family life seemed as picture-perfect as a sitcom. But when Eden and Ansara divorced after 15 years of marriage, things began to unravel for Matthew.
Eden believes her son’s struggles with addiction were rooted in their separation. “Matthew took it horribly,” she once said. “He wanted his mommy and daddy to stay together.”
His journey into substance use began shockingly early—at just 10 years old. And from that moment on, it became a long, painful cycle of treatment, relapse, rehab, and temporary recovery.
Barbara Eden, US actress, in costume in a publicity portrait for the US television series, ‘I Dream of Jeannie’, circa 1967. The sitcom starred Eden as ‘Jeannie’. (Photo by Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images)
A Battle No Attorney Could Win
In 1984, Eden realized something was deeply wrong. At just 19, Matthew was sleeping excessively, losing weight, and lying about college. “Matthew never told Mike and me that he was using heroin—he didn’t want to hurt us,” Eden revealed. But their parental instincts led them to take action. She insisted he enter rehab, and after a brief stay, allowed him to return home.
But addiction has a grip that even the best legal claim or recovery program can’t always loosen. He started using again. Eden remembered what the professionals told her: When your child is using drugs, he has become the drug. And so, at 20, she made the heartbreaking decision to lock him out.
“It was the hardest thing I ever had to do,” she said.
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A Cycle of Hope and Relapse
Despite years of setbacks, Matthew never gave up entirely. He married briefly, studied creative writing at UCLA, and took roles in films like To Protect and Serve and Con Games. During sober periods, Eden said he was warm, kind, and apologetic. “When he was sober, he’d tell us, ‘I’m so sorry. I love you more than anyone in the world.’”
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Yet addiction lurked around every corner. At 29, he was diagnosed with clinical depression—a common dual diagnosis in those battling substance use. Medication was prescribed, but it didn’t help.
One night, Matthew called his mother from a rough part of Venice, California. “Mom, I’m sick,” he said. She and a few others found him unconscious, overdosed, in a filthy apartment. They saved his life that time.
But fate would strike again.
The Night That Changed Everything
Just as hope seemed to be on the horizon—Matthew was clean again, in love, and planning a wedding—tragedy hit. On June 26, 2001, Barbara Eden received a call at 3 a.m. No mother ever wants to hear what she heard.
Matthew, 35, had been found slumped over in his truck. Autopsy reports confirmed he died from an accidental heroin overdose. Police also found vials of anabolic steroids in the vehicle—evidence of his obsessive bodybuilding routine.
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“Even when he was getting in shape, he did it like an addict—obsessively. He was unable to do anything in moderation,” Eden said.
Matthew was laid to rest next to his father, Michael Ansara, at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles. The pain of losing a child is one no attorney, no matter how experienced, can ever truly mitigate.
What Eden’s Story Teaches Us About Recovery
Barbara Eden’s journey is a sobering reminder that addiction is a disease—not a moral failing. Even with financial resources, loving parents, and access to treatment, recovery was never linear for Matthew. Like many parents, Eden was left asking herself the unanswerable: What more could I have done?
“If I had to do it over, I would have waited until he was older [to divorce]. But then I remind myself that so many kids from divorced homes don’t become addicts.”
The guilt never fully disappears. But Eden’s honesty is powerful—and necessary. Stories like hers bring awareness to the reality of addiction and the limits of even the strongest family support systems.
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A Life of Love, Loss, and Legacy
Despite the devastating loss of her son, Eden has continued to work, advocate for recovery awareness, and even bring smiles to audiences with appearances on shows like Worst Cooks in America: Celebrity Edition and the 2019 Christmas film My Adventures with Santa.
Her message remains clear: if someone you love is struggling, seek help. Whether it’s through local resources, attorneys who specialize in family advocacy, or treatment centers, support matters.
And as Barbara Eden turns another year older, we’re reminded that behind every Hollywood smile is a human being, sometimes fighting invisible wars.
Let’s honor Barbara Eden not just for the magic she brought to our screens, but for her resilience, honesty, and the enduring love she holds for her son.
