Barbara Eden Says Her Alleged Feud With Elizabeth Montgomery Was All Made Up

Barbara Eden and Elizabeth Montgomery were fan-favorite female stars of the ‘60s, each playing the lead in similarly themed shows about witches and magic. Soon enough, rumors of a feud between them started to make the rounds, but Eden said decades later that it was made up.

Another top actress of the time, Sally Field, also testified that the ladies seemed sweet and cordial when she shared a dressing room with them. Sally said Eden would sing non-stop, while Elizabeth was more of a talker who hardly shuts up.

Barbara Eden accuses producers of pushing the feud narrative

Eden debunked the rivalry between her and Elizabeth, adding that the producers must have pushed the idea of one. Elizabeth did have issues with I Dream of Jeannie writers for its similarity with Bewitched, but it never translated to personal problems with either side.

Bewitched outlasted I Dream of Jeannie with three seasons more, ending in 1972. Fans did a lot of comparing the two ladies, from their talent to who looked more beautiful, and this may have fueled the assumption that they competed and never got along.

Barbara Eden and Elizabeth Montgomery actually connected quite a lot

Elizabeth and Eden had a warm relationship, and the latter recalled how they saw each other every morning, got pregnant, and had their kids around the same time in the ‘60s. Eden added that they chatted a lot and shared much more in common than people thought.

While Eden turned 93 in August, this year marked the 29th anniversary of Elizabeth’s passing from colon cancer. She passed away at 62 after suffering from the disease undetected until she took ill while filming Deadline for Murder: From the Files of Edna Buchanan in 1995. By the time Elizabeth received her medical report, it was already too late, as the cancer already spread to her liver.