LITTLE ROCK — Barbara Eden said she’s been bottled up long enough. The 75-year-old former star of I Dream of Jeannie is writing a memoir to be published by Crown Archetype. Crown Archetype Vice President Tina Constable said Jeannie Out of the Bottle will be published next spring. Eden co-starred with Larry Hagman in the ’60s TV series about a beautiful genie named Jeannie. Hagman played the astronaut who finds her on a beach andis constantly trying to keep her existence a secret. She said Tuesday in a statement that “it’s time for me to pop the cork and talk about the amazing people I’ve been fortunate enough to meet along the way.” Archetype is an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group of Random House Inc.
Thousands of Czechs are protesting plans to place a Michael Jackson statue in Prague. A group of fans plans to erect a 6-foot column with a bronze bust of the late pop star in Letna Park, where Jackson held a concert in 1996. They want to unveil it Aug. 29 to mark what would have been Jackson’s 52nd birthday. City authorities have approved the project. By Tuesday, more than 2,000 people had joined a Facebook protestclaiming it makes no sense to put the statue in the park because Jackson had no connection with the Czech Republic. “Michael Jackson - rest in peace, and leave our Letna alone!” one Facebook message said. A Prague art gallery has proposed putting a statue by a Czech contemporary artist there instead.
Front Section, Pages 2 on 06/30/2010