Not everything was sunshine and rainbows on The Price Is Right set with host Bob Barker.
A new docuseries titled Dirty Rotten Scandals: The Price Is Right is revealing the behind-the-scenes drama from the popular television series, from sexual harassment claims to Bob Barker’s grief at losing his wife.
Dirty Rotten Scandals Docuseries
The Dirty Rotten Scandals: The Price Is Right docuseries is a two-part episode that features a behind-the-scenes look at the television show.
It premiered on Wednesday, March 18th, on E! with two back-to-back episodes.
Holly Hallstrom vs. Bob Barker
Holly Hallstrom was one of the biggest guest stars on the docuseries. She shared with People the events that led up to her being fired from the show after being one of “Barker’s Beauties” for nearly two decades.
It all started when Dian Parkinson sued Bob Barker for sexual harassment after their affair, and Hallstrom refused to lie in court.
“I was the only one that was asked to give a deposition and did not. … didn’t want to commit felony perjury, which is exactly what it would have been if I gave a testimony,” she shared.
“I was on [Barker’s] s–t list and I knew it.”
While they couldn’t fire Hallstrom for not testifying on Barker’s behalf, they went a different route to get her off the show.
“So instead, Barker said I was overweight, and that’s why I was off the show. I was not surprised that he used that as the excuse, the reason, the justification for firing me, but when I asked why I was fired, I told them, ‘I was told it was because my weight was a problem.'”
Bob Barker received hate mail and discontent from viewers, leading him to claim Hallstrom was lying. It only intensified Barker’s wishes to get rid of Hallstrom, and he told her she would be taking an “early retirement.”
“…then lawyers called me and started negotiating the terms of retirment and I said, ‘But I don’t want to retire. There’s no need for me to retire.’ But there was really no choice,” Hallstrom revealed.
“Barker wanted me gone. I was being fired and I wouldn’t be coming back, after nearly 20 years on the show. I was devastated.”
Hallstrom Legal Battle
Hallstrom, not barred by a non-disclosure agreement, went to Hard Copy and told her story. It prompted a legal storm between the two, ending with Hallstrom getting a settlement from Barker after wiping her out with legal fees.
After he died in 2023, Hallstrom finally felt it was time to speak out without worry of backlash from the TV host.
“To be able to say, ‘This is what is happening in our industry and it’s been this way since the beginning,’ and to speak out and have an audience to hear it, it was so liberating. It was like the weight of the world was off my shoulders that I didn’t even realize I’d been carrying for 30 years.”
Barker and His Wife’s Death
Hallstrom’s story wasn’t the only topic covered on the docuseries.
It also delved into Bob Barker’s struggles after his wife Dorothy Jo Barker died in 1981. The couple met in high school, eloping in 1945.
The couple had a few different jobs before Barker landed his gig as host of The Price Is Right in 1972, and Dorothy Jo became the host’s “biggest cheerleader.”
However, in early 1981, Dorothy Jo’s years as a lifelong smoker caught up to her, and she was diagnosed with lung cancer. Just months later, she passed away. She was only 57 years old.
“They went to Hawaii in August and she was diagnosed with lung cancer and died two months later,” Barbara Hunter, a producer on the show, shared. “Bob really went into a funk after that. He was ready to take his own life. That’s what he shared with me.”
Hallstrom also spoke on Dorothy Jo’s death, stating, “He was devastated, really, by her death. There was a long period of mourning. And then, all of a sudden, he became Mr. Man About Town, you know?”
She added, “He knew he was the star of the biggest show in daytime, and Dorothy Jo wasn’t there anymore, keeping him reined in. It was like he was unleashed and turned into this narcissistic egomaniac.”
This shifted when Barker met and dated Nancy Nurnet, with whom he stayed until he died in 2023.
Sexual Harassment on Set
The third main piece of the Dirty Rotten Scandals docuseries was the sexual harassment on set during the early years.
Former models Kathleen Bradley and Holly Hallstrom spoke out, along with former producer Barbara Hunter. Bradley shared that many men often ogled the women on set.
Hunter shared, “I was in the elevator, and one of the men just stuck their hands right on my boobs. I had to push him away, I didn’t say anything. It became instinct to know how to handle it.”
Hunter tried to report the conduct to the higher-ups, but it was no use. “When I reported this guy to the producers, to my surprise, no action was taken. I was really taken aback. This was really sexual harassment.”
However, Roger Neal, Barker’s longtime representative, spoke out against the claims.
In a statement to USA Today, he said, “Barker was and is beloved, and people to this day love him. He was part of the fabric of American pop culture. He was the greatest MC in TV history. I was honored to have represented him.”
Hallstrom also accused Barker of silencing women who complained about harassment.
“If anyone had gone to Bob because Bob was in charge of the show and said, ‘I have a problem. I have a complaint.’ He would have told her to get over it or look for a new job,” Hallstrom shared.