Barbara Eden is 91 and still enjoying a successful career over 50 years after ‘I Dream of Jeannie’

Barbara Eden, who is 91 years old, has been performing for an incredible 70 years and is still going strong.

The actress, singer, and producer is most known for her role in the 1965 television series “I Dream of Jeannie,” though she had been on film for eleven years before that.

Many TV generations have watched the classic 1960s sitcom I Dream of Jeannie, which tells the story of an astronaut who brings home a 2,000-year-old female genie.

Fans watched and laughed despite the ridiculous premise because of Barbara Eden, the stunning and talented actress who portrayed Jeannie.

It might be hard for fans to believe, but Barbara is 91 years old now!

She hasn’t been seen on TV in her notorious harem attire in a while, but she is still going strong and staying busy.

Barbara’s life hasn’t always been easy, though.

Barbara Eden was born in Tucson, Arizona, in the United States, in 1931. Following her parents’ divorce, she moved to San Francisco and enrolled in the Conservatory of Music to begin studying singing.

Barbara grew up in Golden Gate City, where she played in neighborhood nightclubs with local bands. But in the end, she too decided to go into acting.

“Barbara, you don’t sound like you mean a word you’re singing,” my mother remarked. “Acting is something I think you should study too,” Eden recalled.

She then decided acting was a suitable fit for her and moved to Los Angeles, where she began appearing on some of the biggest shows of the 1950s.

She made her television debut in 1955 as a semi-regular guest on The Johnny Carson Show, but her role in the cult classic fantasy sitcom “I Dream of Jeannie” is what really made her famous.

Arizonan actress Jeannie played the enticing genie that astronaut and US Air Force Captain Anthony “Tony” Nelson (played by Larry Hagman) released from her bottle.

“We simply clicked,” Our rhythms were identical. Whatever we were doing, we were getting the same truth,” Eden clarified.

“I was really in love with him. There are some actors that you have to really try to like them. then you store it in a different mental box. But I never had to do it with Larry. He was there all the time.

She played Jeannie’s mother and her mean sister in the program over her five years in the role. Jeannie became well-known because of Eden’s harem clothes, which at the time was a touch too risque for television.

In 2015, close to the show’s 50th anniversary, she told Today, “Executives at NBC got very frightened.” “They tightened their rules regarding the navel.”

Eden asserted that the myth was really spread by means of an entirely separate, far earlier interview with the Hollywood Reporter, following her friend and columnist Mike Connolly’s ridicule of her over the issue.

Mike started making fun of my belly button when he first came in, and it quickly caught on and went throughout the globe. I would tease him back and we had a nice fun with it, but I had no idea it would turn into something.

The iconic ensemble additionally contributed to Eden’s rise to fame as a TV sex symbol among a host of celebrities, including Elvis Presley and John F. Kennedy, who emailed her his phone number.

As stated in her 2011 memoir, Jeannie Out of the Bottle, the actress “binned the piece of paper, but I wish I still had it.”

Eden, who is 91 years old, has acted in more than 50 motion pictures.

In her most recent movie, My Adventures with Santa, which came out in 2019, she portrayed Mrs. Claus. Melissa Gardner made her stage debut as Melissa Gardner in the play of “Love Letters” the same year the movie was made.

“I feel so young!” Barbara continued, saying that she felt fortunate to be able to accomplish the work that she did. “I feel bad for anybody who, like my poor father, had to work in a job he didn’t enjoy every day. I take pleasure in what I do. I’m still employed.

Barbara said that she had continued to go to the gym, do spin classes, and lift weights until a few years ago. Now, a personal trainer comes to her house to help with resistance training, and they take a walk together.

The television icon declared, “I have a lot of friends.” “I’m not too bad at socializing.”

She even has a scheduled appearance in March 2022.

She remarked in jest, “If I’m around, I’ll be there; I really like it.”

In addition to writing children’s books, Barbara likes to act. Barbara, a little child, meets a “charming and wizardly Genie” who takes her on adventures that are a little bit like those in her well-known part in the novel Barbara and the Djinn, which she co-wrote.

She claims that because “now all they do is look at telephones,” she believes that her books will help kids understand the importance of reading.

Barbara brushes off the notion that “I Dream of Jeannie” would seem a little out of date to modern audiences.

This is a famous concept, come on, she said. “Twelve Hundred and One Nights”? This fantasy is really sweet and great.

And to be very honest, you know, she was in charge. She was anything but submissive.

Barbara Eden has led such an incredible life, enabled by her positive outlook and boundless enthusiasm. She is a true example of how age is simply a number.

If you also adore this iconic actress, do share.

A Scale, Suspicious Notifications, and a Person with Keys to Our House: What I Found Behind My Husband’s Lies

When Nicole started receiving mysterious notifications from the digital bathroom scale her husband brought home, she brushed it off as a glitch. But as the same numbers appeared week after week, her suspicions grew: Was Justin hiding something — or someone? What she uncovered SHOOK HER TO HER CORE.

What would you do if strange notifications started popping up on your phone? Like, ones you couldn’t explain? Because that’s exactly what happened to me, and let me tell you — it led to one hell of a discovery.

It started with a bathroom scale — a digital one. My husband, Justin, brought it home one random Saturday. “Let’s stay healthy together,” he said with this casual smile like it was no big deal. I wasn’t thrilled, but I played along. We stepped on it to “test” it out. Mine read 134.4 lbs, and his weight was 189.5 lbs.

A woman measuring her weight on a weighing scale | Source: Freepik

A woman measuring her weight on a weighing scale | Source: Freepik

“Wow, I didn’t realize I was pushing 190,” he mumbled, scratching the back of his neck.

I noticed his hand slightly trembling as he stepped off. “Justin? Are you okay?”

“Yeah, just… just surprised, that’s all.” He wouldn’t meet my eyes. “I used to be so fit in college.”

“We all change with time,” I said, touching his arm. He flinched away so subtly that I almost missed it.

I thought that might’ve been the end — just another gadget to collect dust in the bathroom. However, weeks later, these weird notifications started popping up on my phone. I’d linked the scale to an app when we first set it up, and one day, while sitting at work, I got a message:

“Unidentified user: weight 152.1 lbs.”

A shocked woman seeing her phone | Source: Midjourney

A shocked woman seeing her phone | Source: Midjourney

I thought maybe Justin had stepped on the scale. But he weighed 189.5 pounds. Then it happened again. And again. I got these notifications three times a week. Same weight. Same time. Something didn’t add up.

At dinner one night, I asked him casually, “Hey, have you been using the scale while I’m at work?”

He didn’t even look up from his plate. “Nope. It’s probably the kids playing with it.”

“Three times a week at the exact same time?” I pressed, raising an eyebrow.

“Geez, Nicole!” His fork clattered against the plate. “Why are you interrogating me about a damn scale?”

An annoyed man | Source: Midjourney

An annoyed man | Source: Midjourney

“I’m not interrogating you. I’m just asking a simple question. And the numbers are, I don’t know… weird. You weigh 189.5 pounds. But the notification said 152.1. Am I missing something?”

He shrugged, clearly annoyed. “Maybe they’re holding the dog when they weigh themselves. I don’t know, Nicole. It’s just a scale. Why are you so obsessed with this?”

That was the first red flag. Something about the way he said it — so quick and dismissive — didn’t sit right with me. But I didn’t want to start a fight over a stupid scale, so I let it go for a while.

But the notifications didn’t stop.

A doubtful woman | Source: Midjourney

A doubtful woman | Source: Midjourney

Sometimes, the weight was random — 189.5 lbs (Justin’s weight), 35.3 lbs, or even 24.2 lbs. But that damn 152.1 lbs kept popping up like a ghost that refused to leave. This happened three times a week, like clockwork.

One night, I couldn’t sleep. The numbers kept dancing in my head.

“Justin?” I whispered in the darkness.

“Mmph?” he mumbled.

“Are you happy? With us, I mean?”

He rolled over, suddenly alert. “Where is this coming from?”

A frustrated man in his bedroom | Source: Midjourney

A frustrated man in his bedroom | Source: Midjourney

“I don’t know. You just seem… distant lately. Like you’re keeping something from me.”

“Nicole,” he sighed heavily, “it’s 2 a.m. Can we not do this now?”

“When should we do it then?” I demanded, sitting up. “Because every time I try to talk to you, you shut me down!”

“How annoying can this get?!” He threw off the covers and stormed out of the bedroom, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

An anxious woman | Source: Midjourney

An anxious woman | Source: Midjourney

One evening, while Justin was at the grocery store, I decided to take the scale to customer service, convinced it was broken. But when I explained the issue, the employee ran a diagnostic test and handed it back with a shrug.

“It’s working perfectly,” he said. “Every weight logged is based on someone actually using it.”

I felt my stomach knot. Someone was ACTUALLY using it?

When I got home, I confronted Justin again. “The scale isn’t broken,” I told him. “So who keeps stepping on it? It’s clearly someone who weighs 152.1 pounds. And it’s none of us here. Not you. Not me. Not the kids. And don’t you dare tell me it’s our dog.”

He sighed, his jaw tightening. “Nicole, it’s the kids. I don’t know what else to tell you.”

A furious woman frowning | Source: Midjourney

A furious woman frowning | Source: Midjourney

“You’re sure about that?” I asked, narrowing my eyes. “Because I’ve been watching them. They’re never home at that time.”

“Are you spying on our children now?” he exploded. “What’s next? Hidden cameras?”

“Maybe I should install some!” I shot back, tears burning in my eyes. “Since you won’t give me a straight answer!”

“Nicole, drop it!” he snapped, storming upstairs to our room. “It’s not a big deal. You’re acting like this is some kind of conspiracy.”

That was red flag number two. Then came the day everything changed.

I was on a work trip, trying to focus on a meeting, when my phone buzzed with another notification: “Unidentified user: weight 152.1 lbs.”

I happened to be on the phone with my eldest son at the time. “Hey,” I asked, keeping my voice light. “Who’s messing with the scale right now?”

A cellphone on a table | Source: Pexels

A cellphone on a table | Source: Pexels

“What scale?” he asked, sounding confused.

“The one in the bathroom,” I said. “Who’s using it?”

“Mom, no one’s home except Dad,” he said. “We’re all at school. Are you okay? You sound weird.”

My heart started racing. “I’m fine, sweetie. Just… checking something.”

“Mom,” he hesitated, “is everything okay with you and Dad? We’ve noticed you guys fighting more.”

“Everything’s fine,” I lied, my voice cracking. “Just adult stuff. Don’t worry about it. Okay. Thanks, sweetie. Love you.”

After I hung up, the realization hit me like a brick: Someone else was in my house. With Justin. But who?

My brain immediately went to the worst place. WAS IT HIS MISTRESS?

A suspicious woman lost in deep thought | Source: Midjourney

A suspicious woman lost in deep thought | Source: Midjourney

I tried to call Justin, but when he picked up, his response was the same as always: “It’s the kids, Nicole. Stop overthinking it.”

“Stop lying to me!” I screamed into the phone, my hands shaking. “I just talked to them — they’re at school!”

There was a long pause. “I have to go,” he said quietly. “We’ll talk about this later.”

“Justin, don’t you dare hang up —” The line went dead.

But now, I couldn’t ignore it. Someone was sneaking into my house, using the scale, and Justin was covering it up. I needed to figure out who.

The next night, after I got home, I sat down and combed through every notification on the app. That’s when I noticed the pattern: Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Always at 1:50 p.m.

The next day was Thursday. And I knew exactly what I had to do.

A woman using her phone | Source: Midjourney

A woman using her phone | Source: Midjourney

I left work early, parked my car down the street, and waited. My heart pounded as the clock ticked closer to 1:50 p.m.

“Please let me be wrong,” I whispered, gripping the steering wheel until my knuckles turned white. “Please, please let me be wrong.”

At exactly 1:50 p.m., I got the message. And at 1:53 p.m., I saw someone walking out of my house.

From behind, they looked like a woman — lean, with a long ponytail swinging back and forth. But then they turned, and I FROZE. It wasn’t a woman. It was a MAN.

My mind raced with possibilities, each worse than the last. Was Justin living some kind of double life?

A man with a long ponytail closing a door | Source: Midjourney

A man with a long ponytail closing a door | Source: Midjourney

Furious, I jumped out of the car and marched toward him. “HEY!” I shouted. “WHO ARE YOU, AND WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING IN MY HOUSE?!”

He turned, startled. “Oh, uh… you must be Nicole. Justin’s wife.”

My stomach twisted. “What? Who are you? And why do you have keys to my house?”

He raised his hands like I was about to arrest him. “I guess Justin didn’t tell you about us,” he said sheepishly. “Please don’t judge him! He was too embarrassed to talk about it.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” I snapped. “What US?!”

A stunned woman | Source: Midjourney

A stunned woman | Source: Midjourney

“I’m Derek,” he said quickly. “Justin’s old college friend. He called me a couple of weeks ago. He’s been worried about his weight and getting out of shape. I’m a personal trainer and sports masseur.”

My head spun. “You’re… his TRAINER?”

“Yeah, I —” Derek started, but I cut him off.

“No, stop. Just stop.” I pressed my fingers to my temples, trying to make sense of it all. “You expect me to believe that my husband, who’s been acting like he’s having an affair, gave you keys to our house for… FITNESS TRAINING?”

Derek nodded, looking genuinely apologetic. “Justin didn’t want you to know because he was embarrassed about gaining weight. And the keys… look, after each session, I give him a massage to help with muscle recovery. He has to lie still for about ten to 30 minutes afterward, so he asked me to lock up when I leave. That’s why he gave me the spare keys. I’m really sorry for the confusion.”

A man smiling | Source: Midjourney

A man smiling | Source: Midjourney

He hesitated before adding, “I know how this looks, but Justin’s been going through a lot. When he lost his job —”

I stared at him, completely dumbfounded. All the sneaking around, all the gaslighting… over personal training? My husband had been fired six months ago and must’ve felt so uneasy about himself. And I didn’t even notice how he’d been depressed and how he’d gained weight.

So that’s why he bought the digital scale. I felt guilty for not noticing how much he’d been struggling, but at the same time, I was upset that he’d kept something so big from me.

A guilty woman | Source: Midjourney

A guilty woman | Source: Midjourney

When I walked into the house ten minutes later, Justin acted completely normal, like nothing had happened. “Hey,” he said casually, slipping his phone into his pocket. “You’re back?! I was just about to jump in the shower.”

I didn’t say a word, just nodded and watched him walk upstairs. My thoughts were racing, but I waited. When he came back downstairs after his shower, I was sitting on the couch, arms crossed, waiting for him.

“So,” I began, arms crossed, “how long have you been hiding Derek from me?”

His face turned pale. “You… met Derek?”

A man gaping in shock | Source: Midjourney

A man gaping in shock | Source: Midjourney

“Yeah, Justin. I met Derek. The guy with a ponytail who’s been sneaking into our house three times a week. Care to explain?”

“Nicole, I can explain everything —”

“Can you?” I interrupted, my voice shaking. “Because Derek already did. About the training sessions.”

The color drained from his face as he sighed, collapsing onto the couch. “I didn’t want you to know,” he admitted. “I’ve been feeling terrible since I lost my job. I gained weight, and I just… I didn’t want you to laugh at me.”

“Laugh at you? Justin, I thought you were CHEATING on me! You lied, gave someone keys to our house, and made me feel like I was crazy!”

“I know,” he said quietly, his head in his hands. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for it to go this far.”

A man looking guilty | Source: Midjourney

A man looking guilty | Source: Midjourney

“Do you have any idea what you put me through?” I choked out. “I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t eat. I kept imagining the worst possible scenarios!”

“I was ashamed,” he sobbed. “I failed you. Failed our family. I thought if I could just get back in shape, find a new job… maybe I could be worthy of you again.”

I stared at him, my anger softening just a little. “Justin, I’m your wife. You don’t have to hide things from me. But you sure as hell don’t get to gaslight me either.”

The next day, I decided to convey an unforgettable message to Justin.

A frustrated woman | Source: Midjourney

A frustrated woman | Source: Midjourney

The house was packed with friends and family when he got home from his evening walk. Balloons shaped like dumbbells hung from the ceiling, and a giant “Justin’s Fitness Journey” banner stretched across the living room along with his “before and after” photos.

“What… what is this?” he stammered, looking around in horror.

“A party!” I said brightly. “To celebrate your hard work. Since you went to such great lengths to hide it, I thought it deserved some extra attention.”

His face turned red as everyone clapped and cheered.

“Nicole,” he whispered, pulling me aside, “I don’t deserve this. After everything I put you through…”

“You’re right,” I said firmly. “You don’t deserve it. But you know what you do deserve? Support. Love. Understanding. All the things you were too afraid to ask for.”

A man smiling with relief | Source: Midjourney

A man smiling with relief | Source: Midjourney

“I promise,” he said, his voice cracking, “no more secrets. No more lies.”

“Good,” I smiled, squeezing his hand. “Because I already changed the locks.”

As the party continued, I leaned over and whispered, “Next time, just tell me the truth. It’s a lot easier than this.”

He nodded, squeezing my hand back. “Next time,” he promised, “we face everything together.”

A couple holding hands | Source: Unsplash

A couple holding hands | Source: Unsplash

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