Who was Charles Donald Fegert? The story of Barbara Eden's second husband
Barbara Eden's second husband, Charles Donald Fegert, was an advertising executive from Chicago. The ex-couple had a troubled five-year marriage that ended in divorce in 1982 after the salesman reportedly became abusive to the actress.
Source: Getty Images
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- Charles Fegert was Barbara Eden's second husband from 1977 to 1982.
- Fegert was an influential executive in the Chicago newspaper industry when he met Eden in the mid-1970s.
- After their divorce, Barbara found her forever partner in real estate developer John Eicholtz, while Fegert lived a quiet life until he died in 2002.
Charles Donald Fegert's profile summary
Full name | Charles 'Chuck' Donald Fegert |
Date of birth | November 8, 1930 |
Place of birth | Chicago, Illinois, United States |
Date of death | September 25, 2002 |
Age at death | 71 years old |
Ex-wife | Barbara Eden (1977 to 1982) |
Parents | Charles Fegert, Virginia A. Henold Coppinger |
Siblings | Craig Lewis Fegert |
Profession | Advertising executive, salesman |
Charles Donald Fegert was a Chicago advertising executive
Barbara Eden's second husband was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Charles 'Moon' Fegert and Virginia A. Henold Coppinger. He had a younger brother, Craig Lewis Fegert, who passed away in June 1980 at age 24.
Charles Fegert started his career as a salesman. He rose the ranks to become vice president of marketing and advertising at the Chicago Sun-Times. He also worked for the Chicago Daily News.
Source: Original
Charles Fegert's marriage to Barbara Eden
Barbara Eden met her ex-husband, Charles Fegert, in Chicago in the mid-70s, shortly after her divorce from her first spouse, Michael Ansara. The actress shared in her 2011 memoir, Jeannie Out of the Bottle, that she initially hated Fegert's personality and found him to be "rude and aggressive."
Eden warmed up to the advertising executive when he kept sending flowers and calling her frequently. The pair tied the knot on September 3, 1977, in Long Grove, Chicago.
The I Dream of Jeannie actress relocated from Los Angeles to live with Fegert in Chicago. Before making the big move to the Midwest, Barbara had just lost custody of her son, Matthew Ansara, to her ex-husband, Michael. She told the Chicago Tribune in 1989 that she "cried a lot."
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Why Barbara divorced Charles Fegert
Charles Fegert and Barbara Eden's marriage ended in 1982 after five years. In her 2011 autobiography, the Flaming Star actress described him as a brilliant salesman, but "he was insecure." She ended the relationship when Fegert started treating her horribly.
When I met Chuck Fegert in 1977, I was lonely. He was handsome, intelligent and initially loads of fun. But once we married, he began to run with a crowd that drank and used cocaine. He then became abusive, so I left.
Is Charles Donald Fegert still alive?
The newspaper executive passed away on September 25, 2002, in Chicago, according to Find a Grave. He was 71 years old. Charles Fegert's cause of death was not made public.
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How many husbands did Barbara Eden have?
The 'Brass Bottle' actress has been married three times. Barbara Eden met her first husband, Michael Ansara, in 1957 on a blind date set up by her publicist, according to her 2011 memoir. The actors tied the knot in January 1958 and welcomed their son, Matthew Ansara, in August 1965.
Barbara Eden and Michael Ansara were married for 16 years before their divorce in 1974. The ex-couple, unfortunately, lost their son Matthew in June 2001 at 35 after an accidental drug intoxication. Ansara passed away 12 years later in July 2013 at the age of 91.
The actress married her third husband, architect and real estate developer Jon Eicholtz, in January 1991. Barbara told Closer Weekly in August 2021 that the secret to their long-term marriage is enjoying each other's company.
You don't necessarily have to like the same things... He loves to watch the Angels... I love him. And I like him. So I'll watch with him.
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Where is Barbara Eden today?
At the age of 94, Barbara Eden is still active in Hollywood after telling People in 2021 that she will not retire but will "do what I do until I can't". While discussing what keeps her going in her 90s, the actress told Forbes in July 2025:
I don't think I want to embrace the bad. I don't do that. It's so much more fun to be on the plus side, you know? The best things happen when you expect it.
The 'I Dream of Jeannie' actress resides in the Benedict Canyon area of Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, with her husband, Jon Eicholtz, and their dog Bentley. Barbara lives in the home that she purchased in 1977.
Source: Getty Images
Conclusion
Charles Donald Fegert lived in the limelight during his five-year marriage to a young Barbara Eden, who was at the height of her fame after starring in the classic 'I Dream of Jeannie' sitcom. Little is known about the salesman's later years in the Midwest.
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Source: Briefly News
