Charles Donald Fegert is best known today as the second husband of actress Barbara Eden, the star of I Dream of Jeannie. His own career, however, developed far from Hollywood. Fegert worked in the Chicago newspaper industry and rose through advertising and marketing positions at the Chicago Sun Times and Chicago Daily News.

By the time he married Eden in 1977, Fegert had already established himself as a senior newspaper executive. A 1972 entry in the Congressional Record identified him as the advertising manager of both Chicago newspapers. Later records described him as a vice president of Field Enterprises and, by 1980, as executive vice president of the Chicago Sun Times.

His marriage to Eden lasted from 1977 until 1983. Eden later discussed the relationship in her memoir Jeannie Out of the Bottle, describing serious problems within the marriage. Those statements provide Eden’s account of the relationship, while independent records establish the marriage, divorce and Fegert’s professional career.

Quick Bio

Encyclopedia.com records Eden’s marriage to Fegert from 1977 to 1983 and identifies him as a publishing executive. Biography.com also records the same marriage and divorce period.

Charles Donald Fegert’s Newspaper Career

The clearest records about Charles Donald Fegert come from his work in Chicago newspapers.

In February 1972, the Congressional Record identified Fegert as the advertising manager of the Chicago Sun Times and Chicago Daily News. His name appeared during a discussion about an advertising policy adopted by the two newspapers.

The position placed him in the commercial side of major Chicago newspapers. Advertising played an important role in newspaper revenue, and an advertising manager dealt with business clients and commercial policies.

Fegert’s career continued to advance during the 1970s. By 1977, contemporary coverage described him as a marketing executive for the Chicago Sun Times. Other reports identified him as a vice president of Field Enterprises, the company associated with the newspapers.

The career progression continued after his marriage to Eden. In 1980, The Washington Post identified Fegert as executive vice president of the Chicago Sun Times. The newspaper used the same title when mentioning him in 1981.

His professional record therefore predates his connection with Hollywood by several years. Eden’s fame later made his name more recognizable to entertainment readers, but newspaper management was the main documented focus of his working life.

The Chicago Sun Times and Chicago Daily News

The Chicago Sun Times and Chicago Daily News were important newspapers in Chicago during Fegert’s career.

Fegert worked for both publications in advertising. His 1972 position gave him responsibility within the commercial operation of the newspapers at a time when print advertising remained a major part of the newspaper business.

The Chicago Daily News closed in 1978. The Chicago Sun Times continued, and Fegert remained associated with the newspaper during its later corporate years.

His position at the Sun Times also brought him into contact with prominent business and political figures. Newspaper executives often appeared in civic and professional settings even when they were not public celebrities.

Fegert’s career was therefore established before his marriage to Eden. He did not enter the newspaper business because of his relationship with an actress. The professional record shows the opposite.

Charles Donald Fegert and Barbara Eden

Barbara Eden was already a major television star when she met Fegert.

Born in 1931, Eden built a career in film and television before receiving her most famous role as Jeannie in the NBC sitcom I Dream of Jeannie. The series ran from 1965 to 1970 and made her one of the most recognizable actresses on American television.

Fegert came from a different professional world. His career centered on newspaper advertising and corporate management in Chicago.

The couple became engaged in 1977. A contemporary photograph from that year identified Eden as Fegert’s fiancée and described him as a marketing executive for the Chicago Sun Times.

They married on September 3, 1977, in Long Grove, Illinois.

The wedding brought together two very different public identities. Eden was a television celebrity whose face was familiar to millions of viewers. Fegert was a newspaper executive whose professional reputation existed largely within the Chicago media business.

At the time of their marriage, Eden was already an established star, while Fegert had his own senior position in the newspaper industry.

What Did Barbara Eden Say About the Marriage?

Eden later wrote about her marriage to Fegert in her memoir Jeannie Out of the Bottle.

She described their early relationship positively. In later interviews, she recalled being attracted to him and described him as intelligent and handsome when they first met.

Her account of the marriage later became much more serious.

Eden said that Fegert became involved with people who used drugs and that his behavior changed after their marriage. She also described alcohol and cocaine use around him and alleged that the relationship became abusive.

These statements come from Eden’s memoir and interviews. They should be attributed to her rather than presented as independently established facts because Fegert did not publish a comparable public account and the available records do not provide a court finding that confirms every allegation.

Eden’s account nevertheless explains why she later described the marriage as an unhappy period in her life.

Why Did Charles Fegert and Barbara Eden Divorce?

The marriage ended after several years.

Eden and Fegert married in 1977 and divorced in 1983 according to established biographical references. Some sources refer to the separation as taking place earlier, which accounts for occasional differences in dates found in secondary articles.

Eden connected the breakup to the problems she described in her memoir. She said that Fegert’s behavior and substance use became serious problems and that she eventually decided to leave the marriage.

The couple did not have children together.

After the divorce, Eden continued her career in television, theater and film. Fegert remained much less visible in popular media.

Charles Donald Fegert’s Later Life

Information about Charles Donald Fegert after his divorce from Eden is limited.

Unlike Eden, he did not maintain a long public career in entertainment. He also did not publish an autobiography or memoir explaining his life after the marriage.

Contemporary newspaper records provide the clearest information about his professional life during the early 1980s. The Washington Post identified him as executive vice president of the Chicago Sun Times in 1980 and again in 1981.

Later accounts of his private life are less reliable. Numerous websites repeat details about his family, finances, health and personal circumstances without strong primary sources. Those claims are difficult to verify and are not necessary to understand his documented life.

Public genealogical records place his death in 2002. A confirmed cause of death is not established in the reliable sources available for this biography.

Family and Children

Fegert and Barbara Eden had no children together.

Eden had one son, Matthew Ansara, from her first marriage to actor Michael Ansara. Matthew was born before Eden married Fegert.

Information about Fegert’s other possible family relationships is limited in reliable public records. Some online biographies make claims about children or earlier family relationships, but those details are not sufficiently documented to treat as established facts.

The strongest public record centers on his professional career and his marriage to Eden.

Charles Donald Fegert’s Professional Facts

• Charles Donald Fegert worked in newspaper advertising and marketing.
• The 1972 Congressional Record identified him as advertising manager for the Chicago Sun Times and Chicago Daily News.
• He later became a senior executive associated with Field Enterprises.
• Contemporary reports described him as a marketing executive for the Chicago Sun Times in 1977.
• He married Barbara Eden on September 3, 1977.
• Eden was already famous for I Dream of Jeannie when they married.
• The couple had no children together.
• The Washington Post identified him as executive vice president of the Chicago Sun Times in 1980.
• The newspaper also identified him by that title in 1981.
• Eden discussed the marriage in her memoir Jeannie Out of the Bottle.
• Eden described serious problems in the marriage in later accounts.
• Established biographical sources record the divorce in 1983.
• Public genealogical records place his death in 2002.

Did Charles Donald Fegert Work for the Chicago Sun Times?

Yes. His newspaper career is one of the best documented parts of his life. The 1972 Congressional Record identified him as advertising manager for the Chicago Sun Times and Chicago Daily News. Later sources described him in senior executive roles at the Sun Times.

How Long Were Charles Fegert and Barbara Eden Married?

Barbara Eden and Fegert married on September 3, 1977. Established biographical sources record their divorce in 1983. Their marriage lasted about six years.

Did Charles Fegert and Barbara Eden Have Children?

No. The couple did not have children together. Eden had one son, Matthew Ansara, from her earlier marriage to actor Michael Ansara.

What Did Barbara Eden Say About Charles Fegert?

Eden later described the marriage in her memoir and interviews. She said that problems involving alcohol, drugs and Fegert’s behavior contributed to the breakdown of the relationship. She also described the relationship as abusive. These statements represent Eden’s account and should not be treated as independent findings.

When Did Charles Donald Fegert Die?

Public genealogical records place Fegert’s death in 2002. Reliable sources do not establish a confirmed cause of death, so claims about the circumstances should be treated cautiously.

Charles Donald Fegert’s Place in Barbara Eden’s Story

Fegert occupies a specific place in the biography of Barbara Eden. He was her second husband, and their marriage took place after she had already become famous as Jeannie in I Dream of Jeannie.

His own career tells a different story. He spent years working in Chicago newspapers and rose from an advertising management position to senior executive roles. His 1972 appearance in the Congressional Record shows that he was already an established newspaper professional before his relationship with Eden received public attention.

The marriage brought his name into entertainment coverage, but it represented only one part of his life. His professional career was rooted in Chicago media, while Eden remained connected to television, theater and film.

Their marriage ended in 1983. Eden later wrote openly about the difficulties she experienced during the relationship. Fegert, by contrast, left little public material about his personal perspective.

That difference explains why so much of his modern biography centers on Eden. Her career remained visible for decades, while Fegert’s newspaper career became part of an earlier era of American print media.

The documented record ultimately leaves a straightforward picture: a Chicago newspaper executive who reached a senior corporate position, married one of television’s most recognizable actresses in 1977, divorced her six years later, and largely disappeared from the public spotlight afterward.