For generations of television fans, Barbara Eden will always be remembered as the magical star of I Dream of Jeannie. Now 93, Eden has shared her grief after losing her dear friend and fellow TV legend, WKRP in Cincinnati actress Loni Anderson. Anderson passed away on August 3 at a Los Angeles hospital following a prolonged illness. She was 79.
In a candid conversation with Fox News Digital, Barbara Eden admitted, “I feel very lonely now that she’s not here. I miss her—I really miss her. I miss everything about Loni. She was just a very special, kind, sweet, good mother. You can’t say anything bad about her.” The two first met in 1981 while filming a Bob Hope television special, and from that moment, a lifelong friendship blossomed.
Barbara Eden and Loni Anderson’s Lasting Friendship
Barbara Eden fondly recalled the day she met Loni Anderson during that Bob Hope special. She laughed while remembering how Anderson encouraged her to change out of white hosiery for a nurse’s costume, insisting she should ask for skin-colored ones instead. “I didn’t even know her then,” Eden explained, “but we had such a good laugh later about it. She was what my mother would call a ‘good egg.’”
That first encounter led to decades of friendship, one that saw the women support each other both personally and professionally. Publicist Harlan Boll confirmed the bond between them, saying Eden “probably knew her better than most.” Eden even included Anderson as a speaker during a tribute event in her honor, underscoring how much she valued their relationship.
Remembering Loni Anderson’s Legacy
Barbara Eden praised her friend not only for her talent but also for her devotion to motherhood. She described Anderson as fun, witty, and warmhearted, noting how she balanced her glamorous public image with her role as a caring mother to her children. “She was a friend,” Eden said simply, adding that Anderson’s kindness and humor left a lasting mark on everyone she knew.
Other stars, including Morgan Fairchild, echoed those sentiments. Fairchild, who worked with Anderson on both Bob Hope specials and a recent Lifetime film, remembered her as gracious, radiant, and endlessly kind. For Eden, the loss is deeply personal, as she explained, “I am truly at a loss for words… Loni, you were one in a trillion.” Together, Barbara Eden and Loni Anderson represented an era of television that celebrated both glamour and heart, and their friendship stands as a reminder of the bonds that endure long after the cameras stop rolling.