Barbara Eden, 78-Year Old Star of "I Dream of Jeannie," Puts Costume Back On At European Charity Event

Barbara Eden, the 78-year-old star of the 1960s sitcom, "I Dream of Jeannie," rocked her character's iconic pink crop top, harem pants and braided up-do, to the delight of attendees at the Life Ball in Vienna.

With her trademark head nod and wink, "I Dream of Jeannie" star the magical girl from the bottle was back in business.

Eden, who packed up her "Jeannie" costume in 1970 after the show ended a five-season run, showed off her toned midriff as she appeared onstage next to President Bill Clinton and mingled with other celebrities, including Sir Elton John, Olympic diver Greg Louganis and Fergie, as reported by the Daily Mail.com.

The Life Ball is billed as Europe's biggest charity event and raises money to promote HIV and AIDS awareness.

Eden spent five years and 139 episodes starring on the sixties sitcom the TV legend still looked fabulous while baring her impressive midriff in the pink chiffon costume and tiny red velvet bolero.

The former blonde bombshell even made sure to wear her star-making role's classic braided blonde ponytail wig, scarf hat, and silver kitten heels.

Originally designed by Gwen Wakeling with colors selected by Eden, the Jeannie costume caused controversy with the censors due to the slightly exposed navel.

Before her big entrance, the aging beauty walked the glamorous event's magenta carpet in a glittery gold gown featuring a thigh-high slit and matching bolero.

Rather than a gold purse, Barbara clutched a replica of the purple genie's bottle from her famous show.

The sitcom's premise involved a 2,000-year-old genie being rescued by a handsome astronaut, who rubs her bottle after crash landing his shuttle on a beach.


Dallas star Larry Hagman, who passed away from throat cancer last November, played Captain Tony Nelson opposite the then 31-year-old starlet.

Meant to compete with the rival series Bewitched, I Dream of Jeannie was created by Sidney Sheldon and aired on NBC in 1965.

The series, which was a mild hit at the time, became hugely popular during decades of syndication, according to the Daily Mail.

Tags
world news
Join the Discussion

Latest Photo Gallery

Real Time Analytics