The actress recalls brief encounters with her fellow TV star on set, dispelling decades-old rumors of tension.
At 94, Barbara Eden, beloved for her role as Jeannie in the iconic 1960s sitcom I Dream of Jeannie, has once again set the record straight about rumors of a rivalry with Elizabeth Montgomery, star of Bewitched. In a recent interview with Fox News Digital, Eden firmly denied any bad blood between the two actresses, despite speculation that persisted for decades while their hit shows aired.
“Remember, the only time we saw each other was at six in the morning,” Eden said. “So we weren’t exactly ‘Chatty Cathy’ at that hour. At least I’m not. It was a ‘hello, goodbye, nice to see you’ kind of thing.”
Both actresses were major figures in 1960s television. Montgomery played Samantha Stephens, a modern witch living a suburban life with her mortal husband, in Bewitched, which aired on ABC from 1964 to 1972. Eden portrayed Jeannie, a magical genie who changes an astronaut’s life, in I Dream of Jeannie, broadcast on NBC from 1965 to 1970. Despite similarities—both shows featured women with magical powers, visual effects, and comedic tones—Eden insists there was no conflict.
“I enjoyed being around her,” Eden said. “We didn’t have much time to talk or become friends, but she was always very nice. There was no rivalry, just respect and kindness.”
Their brief encounters happened early in the morning in the makeup room at Columbia Pictures, where both shows were filmed.
Rumors Fueled by Others
Eden noted that the rivalry rumors aren’t new. In 2013, during a 60th-anniversary special for Bewitched, she clarified that any perceived tension was invented by the media or producers. “If there was any sense of rivalry, it was made up by the producers,” she said at the time. She added that they “talked quite a bit” but didn’t form a deep friendship due to their busy schedules.
Beyond their professional overlap, Eden shared a personal connection with Montgomery: both were pregnant at the same time. “We had our babies around the same time,” she recalled. Eden welcomed her son, Matthew Ansara, in August 1965 with actor Michael Ansara. Matthew passed away in 2001 at age 35. Montgomery had three children with director William Asher: William Jr. (1964), Robert (1965), and Rebecca (1969).
Montgomery, who never addressed the rivalry rumors publicly, passed away in 1995 at age 62 due to cancer.