It’s been two decades since the passing of Barbara Eden's cherished son, Matthew Ansara, in June 2001 at the young age of 35. But for Barbara, the love and memories of her son remain as vibrant as ever. In a heartfelt conversation with Closer, the iconic star of "I Dream of Jeannie" opens up about how she keeps Matthew’s legacy alive and honors his memory.
When asked about her son, the 90-year-old actress gets emotional, her voice trembling with love and nostalgia. "You're going to make me cry... I have his pictures all around me," she shares tenderly. Barbara insists that she keeps Matthew’s spirit alive by never pretending he wasn’t there. "He was an incredible human being," she says with pride, remembering the "beautiful young man" that Matthew was.
Turning Pain into Purpose
Matthew tragically passed away from a heroin overdose after battling addiction for years. In the wake of her loss, Barbara sought ways to channel her grief into meaningful action. "For a long time after Matthew’s death, I tried to turn the pain into purpose," she recalls. "I would go out and talk to parents about drugs—their use and what to do about them. Because so many of us, myself included, were totally unaware of the dangers lurking in our kids' lives," she explains with sincerity.
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Reflecting on Motherhood
During that period, Barbara also reflected deeply on her role as a mother. She wondered if there was anything she could have done differently to help Matthew. Growing up, Barbara was taught to respect her mother's privacy, which influenced her parenting style. "My mom didn’t go through my drawers, and I didn’t go through hers. It was all about mutual respect," she says. But now, with the wisdom of hindsight, she believes a more hands-on approach might have made a difference. "You should open those drawers. You should know what they're doing every minute. I thought I did, but I didn’t. And I think if we had known sooner, we could have addressed the issue earlier," she reflects.
