Hollywood
Showcase Showdown
Did CBS oust Bob Barker because of one too many lawsuits?
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BEAUTIES AND THE BEAST Bob Barker, seen here with a fresh crop of "Barker's Beauties," has weathered multiple lawsuits over the last 13 years as the host and executive producer of The Price is Right. The latest coincides rather curiously with his unexpected retirement
Iconic emcee Bob Barker was once known to his coworkers as just plain Bob. Genial, joking, dyed-hair Bob, who despite his quick-witted sarcasm and as-seen-on-TV superego, lived to give overweight housewives a grab at his "$100 pocket." Over the last few weeks, the 83-year-old host has bid farewell to The Price is Right and received a hero's send-off, marked by laudatory newspaper articles and not one but two prime-time specials
But as the final episode airs June 15 and the last jiggly undergrad comes on down, so does something else. A new Price is Right lawsuit is being prepared—the ninth over the past 13 years—which claims that as the show's executive producer, "just Bob" was actually an egomaniacal manager, presiding over a set that was a working gal's nightmare.
"The day that Debbie quit and CBS realized they were about to be pulled into an ugly racism lawsuit, I heard that Mr. Barker was immediately told he'd be taking early retirement," says ex-Barker Beauty Holly HallstromThe latest complaint comes from CBS prize administrator Debbie Curling, who resigned from the network in October after refusing to sign a CBS business conduct agreement with a nondisclosure clause. (The agreement, Curling's lawyer claims, was presented to her after she began complaining to CBS.) Barker, who had signed a five year extension to his own contract in early 2006, announced his surprise retirement within hours of Curling's resignation—a coincidence that has at least one former employee speculating that CBS, faced with the prospect of another Price is Right legal battle, may have forced Barker off the air.
"Because the ratings were good, FremantleMedia [the show's production company] has been willing to spend a fortune, paying women huge sums to drop their suits against Barker," says longtime Price model Holly Hallstrom, who received a multimillion dollar settlement in her countersuit against Barker and the show in 2005. But unlike previous claims, which for the most part were levied against Price's various production companies, individual producers, or Bob himself, this time CBS stands squarely in the crosshairs. "As soon as CBS was dragged into a Barker legal scandal, Barker's time on the show was over," says Hallstrom. "The day that Debbie quit and CBS realized they were about to be pulled into an ugly racism lawsuit, I heard that Mr. Barker was immediately told he'd be taking early retirement. I find the irony of that so rich, because those are the exact words Barker used when he fired me [in 1995.]"
Though CBS dismisses Hallstrom's account as "flat-out inaccurate," Barker's recent behavior does seem to suggest that he may not have been entirely ready to go. The host told the Associated Press that he would be willing to stay "for a few more months" as the search for an emcee continues—an odd offer for a man whose sudden departure created the opening in the first place. If he had a choice, that is, why wouldn't he have waited for CBS to find a replacement? And why did he claim, after the taping of his final show, that he didn't "want to walk out on CBS or the company if they're [still seeking a new host], because they've been too good to me?"
It's unlikely the network will take Barker up on his offer to return, no matter how well his farewell specials have scored with fans. The problem isn't just the bad press another lawsuit might bring: Over the course of Barker's two-decade tenure as executive producer, lawsuits from female employees—most accusing the host of harassing and vindictive behavior—have cost the show millions of dollars in settlements and legal fees.
FINAL PRICE After 35 years hosting Price, Barker told Entertainment Tonight he'd had an "epiphany" and "just suddenly thought, Now's the time to retire."
Among other claims, the suit currently being prepared charges that the show, under Barker's supervision as executive producer, limited the number of black contestants chosen per episode, and that off-camera and with Bob's knowledge, the Price set was a place where offensive and discriminatory remarks, including those against blacks, gays, and other minorities, were tolerated. At the center of Curling's allegations is producer Phillip Wayne Rossi. According to one employee, who was let go from Price, Rossi did "all of Barker's dirty work, including firings." Curling alleges that Rossi sexually harassed her over the span of two decades. In one incident, according to Curling's lawyer, Nick Alden, Rossi whispered to Curling, who is multiracial, "How would you like to be made love to by a white man?"
Bob Barker was "absolutely involved" and complicit in Rossi's on-set behavior, according to Alden. In exchange for Rossi's fealty, the attorney suggests that Barker ensured Rossi's job security and overlooked his inappropriate treatment of Curling and other women.
"Nothing happens on that set that Barker doesn't know about," says Alden.
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LOVELY PARTING GIFTS At left, Playmate Dian Parkinson, who left the show in 1993. At right, Parkinson, Hallstrom, Pennington, and Barker, in happier times
When presented with the rumors about Barker's exit and other specific claims, CBS director of media relations Cindy Marshall offered the following via e-mail: "These comments represent misguided speculation from misinformed sources in an article shamefully timed to Mr. Barker's final episode. Any suggestion that CBS forced Mr. Barker to retire for any reason is flat-out inaccurate."
While Barker did not respond to repeated requests for comment, his publicist, Henri Bollinger, has characterized previous allegations as publicity stunts. "Barker has been dragged into every one of these situations, not because he was responsible for the direct actions, but because he's a big name," he told CourtTV in 2004. "When lawyers just sue the production company, they get no attention."
Indeed, Curling's attorney Nick Alden has received his fair share of attention over the years, as he bears the somewhat dubious distinction of having represented almost every female complainant who's gone up against The Price is Right.
But Alden claims the women came to him because he knows the territory. And, though Barker's camp dismisses him as an opportunist, his history with Price might just offer him a unique vantage point on Barker's pattern of behavior. According to Alden, not only did Barker know what was going on backstage, his own indiscretions fostered the sexually charged and hostile corporate culture.
Barker's on-set trysts with blonde Barker Beauty Dian Parkinson, which she alleged were demanded by Barker in exchange for job security (and—Hallstrom and Alden claim—granting the model permission to pose for Playboy), are a well-documented part of that culture. Though staff members were forbidden from talking publicly about the affair, details of the heated courtship are now emerging.
"She storms out, slams the door, and screams: 'I've sucked his dick too many times to start kissing his ass now!' I thought, Who writes for this girl?"
"One day, Dian and Bob had a huge fight in his dressing room," recalls former production assistant Mark Wayne, (who is also brother of ex-producer Phillip Rossi.) The then 69-year-old Barker was angry over Dian's second Playboy striptease. "She storms out, slams the door, and screams: 'I've sucked his dick too many times to start kissing his ass now!' I thought, Who writes for this girl?" Parkinson left Barker with one shapely figure: an $8 million sexual harassment lawsuit. Though she dropped her suit in April of 1995, claiming that she couldn't compete with Barker's more substantial financial resources, the host's trouble had just begun.
Parkinson's allegations set off a firestorm. In 1995, Hallstrom also sued Bob Barker, claiming that after she refused to defend the host against Parkinson's allegations, he'd used her 14-pound weight gain as an excuse to fire her. Though Barker sued Hallstrom for libel and slander in 1995, the court declared the model the "prevailing party" when Barker dropped his suit in 2000. Hallstrom was awarded a settlement in excess of $3 million for her 1996 countersuit against the host and his show.
But the model wasn't entirely satisfied. "I wanted America to know I was the one telling the truth," she says. "But Barker refused to go to trial, and they kept throwing so much money at me that I finally settled."
The pattern of retribution for offering (or not offering) unflattering testimony repeated itself, or so claimed spokesmodels Janice Pennington and Kathleen Bradley, who were fired in 2000, shortly after being subpoenaed to testify in Hallstrom's case. Both women threatened to sue Barker for wrongful termination and both received an undisclosed out-of-court settlement. Production assistant Linda Riegert and longtime Barker assistant Sherrell Paris were also fired in 2000 after testifying in Hallstrom's deposition. Editorial assistant Sharon Friem did not testify in Hallstrom's case, but she alleges she was let go along with the women who did testify because Friem turned down the emcee's alleged sexual advances.
THE PRICE IS RIFE with allegations of discrimination
Kathleen Bradley recalls being afraid of Barker's retribution. She claims that when she disagreed with Barker's recollections of Hallstrom's dismissal, the host became infuriated and accused her of lying. After that, she says, "I thought, Oh, shit. I was the next one out of there. Bob said [to staffers], 'Kathleen is doing drugs and alcohol on the set ... I know I smelled alcohol.' It was a witch-hunt."
Barker has denied wrongdoing in every single case and claimed that he wanted to see each suit to trial but that "various companies" behind the show opted to settle. "These were frivolous lawsuits based on distortions, exaggerations, or outright falsehoods," he said. In 2000 he told the L.A. Times that his models' problems "have nothing to do with the show or with me. It's all in the minds of the women."
Women, it seems, have always been at the heart of Barker's successes and struggles. But none of his original Barker's Beauties—who helped craft his smooth operator image—appeared in either of his farewell specials. In fact, the few women to share the host's spotlight in his recent CBS tribute were present in memory only—his deceased mother, Tilly Valandra, and the woman Barker credits for all of his successes, late wife Dorothy Jo Barker, whom Price alums describe as "the one true love of Barker's life."
Barbara Hunter, Price's only female producer from 1978 to 1984 and one of Bob's close friends during her 12 years on the show, recalls, "He never lived on his own. From his mom, he married [high school sweetheart] Dorothy Jo," who, she adds, "took care of him." (At age 6, Barker's father, an electrical power foreman, died after falling from a utility pole.) Barker confided in Hunter, she says, because he "just trusted women. That's the kind of figure he was closest to."
Dorothy Jo Barker not only guided her husband's career, she anchored his ego. After more than 30 years of marriage, she had a keen insight into the man, once saying, "I love Bob Barker, and Bob Barker loves Bob Barker." By the dawn of disco, this was truer than ever, and staffers lightheartedly joked about Bob's big head.
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COME ON DOWN This contestant might not need to win a trip
But while his wife was still alive, he was more gracious and even-tempered. "He was wonderful," says former associate producer Andy Selig, who left the show after a five-year stint in 1977. "My wife and I socialized with him and Dorothy Jo, who was very, very warm. And I'd do things to make Bob happy. The first thing I did was put a sign on his dressing room door that read 'WGMC'—'World's Greatest Emcee.' And then a few months later I put a light on it to illuminate it. He loved it."
"Bob always paid me lovely compliments and always treated me like an equal performer. He was very sweet," says Anitra Ford, a model-actress who, until leaving Hollywood in 1976, mimed showcase skits with "the lovely Janice" Pennington and Parkinson.
The '70s and early '80s really were the good old days, staffers say. But Barker changed irrevocably in 1981, when his life partner and fellow animal lover, Dorothy Jo, died of lung cancer.
"The only woman he'd take criticism from is Dorothy Jo," Hunter says. "I don't think any woman has had that power over him since." She adds, "Since then, there's no one to tell him not to be mean."
Barker's unchecked ego and his desire to be the alpha celebrity on The Price is Right might explain why he claimed the recent line-up of nameless rotating models to be the show's best prize pointers ever. "I was warned many times by producers not to upstage Bob," says Playboy Playmate-turned-actress Nikki Ziering. The former wife of Dancing with the Stars' Ian Ziering was one of Price's final "permanent" models, and one of few at the time not to sue or be paid off. Though she got along well with Barker, she was canned in 2002 after three years. She later heard it was "because Bob didn't like all the attention I was getting." Ziering, along with other Barker Beauties who didn't litigate or receive settlements, also didn't appear in his farewell specials.
THIN IS IN The stick mic burned out long before his legend ever did
Still, Barker has his staunch defenders. Ziering remembers Bob as "very professional" and says "never even once did I feel there was anything [sexually] inappropriate from him. We were never allowed to wear bikinis on the show. Because of the Dian Parkinson lawsuit, I think it was him trying to protect his image."
Heather Kozar, another Playboy Playmate cast in 2001, says an often-cranky Barker kept a strategic distance from his models. "Bob was standoffish. He would turn it on for the camera and then turn it off—he was a showman."
Many of his this week's send-offs revered Barker's showmanship, and used words like "legendary" to describe the perma-tanned TV host's 35-year tenure. On June 7, Barker described his own ideal legacy to the Today show, saying "I would like to be remembered as a man who loved living things and did everything he could do to make it better for animals."
But some close to Barker, like former producer and confidante Barbara Hunter, who has maintained contact with him in recent years, reveal a sadder side to Barker's twilight. Without the option of continuing as host, his options may be limited: "He has nothing in his life but Price and maybe his animal rights stuff," she says.
Production assistant Mark Wayne puts a finer point on it: "Bob's not sensitive to the human condition," he says. "That's why his best friends are dogs."
Chris Mann is writing a tell-all book exposing the uncensored Price is
Right story.
Related: Hollywood
Posted by: ouman on June 13, 2007 1:45 PM
Let's also not forget what touched off the lawsuits-and that was Dian Parkinson's failed blackmail attempt against Bob which led Bob to admit the relationship he had with Dian before the media. So I guess if Holly's defense was supporting Dian I guess this means Holly supports blackmail too?!
Don't forget to write about these issues too Mr. Mann!!
Posted by: ouman on June 13, 2007 2:05 PM
Thank goodness we are finally hearing the other side of the Bob Barker publicity machine! I loved that show until he fired Janice and Kathlene for being too old, what a hypocrite! I hope that they get a great new host and make Price Is Right fun again like it used to be! I say "Have Holly be the host!"
Posted by: stilavictor on June 13, 2007 11:08 PM
Thank goodness we are finally hearing the other side of the Bob Barker publicity machine! I loved that show until he fired Janice and Kathlene for being too old, what a hypocrite! I hope that they get a great new host and make Price Is Right fun again like it used to be! I say "Have Holly be the host!"
Posted by: stilavictor on June 14, 2007 12:58 AM
ouman makes a very good point in that what started all these lawsuits was Dian's failed blackmail attempt. How come the media doesn't acknowledge this fact!? I too recall that Jonathan Goodson received the letter of Dian wanting money in exchange of having the relationship with Bob hushed up.
Kudos to Bob for exposing her and shame on these models for continually trying to extort money from the man.
Posted by: gpxo on June 14, 2007 11:03 AM
I love the quote from Diane! Whata vixen! Does anyone know what she's doing now? Radar is so cool, more articles like this!
Posted by: surfhed on June 14, 2007 11:17 AM
I grew up watching the show and always liked the models. I was sad when Bob fired them, but now I'm happy for them knowing they sued hijm and won all that money. I guess the price was right!
Posted by: MnJ on June 14, 2007 11:26 AM
I grew up watching the show and always liked the models. I was sad when Bob fired them, but now I'm happy for them knowing they sued hijm and won all that money. I guess the price was right!
Posted by: MnJ on June 14, 2007 11:53 AM
Mr. Mann,
I bought, read and thoroughly enjoyed "Come and Knock On Our Door." I found it to be an exceptionally well-researched account that strived to give every viewpoint in the unpleasant series of events on the "Three's" set.
I have no reason to believe that your forthcoming book on "The Price is Right" will not be an equally good, FAIR account of things.
What dissapoints me is that you would attempt to exploit Barker's final week on the air to raise interest in the book.
Okay, so Bob Barker isn't everyone's lovable Grandpa offstage. The fact remains that he entertained Americans day-in-day-out for 50 years, and he's earned a peaceful, celebratory retirement (forced or otherwise). Would it have killed you to wait on this story one more week?
Posted by: Jason W. on June 15, 2007 12:07 PM
Jason W.,
Thank you for your comments and nice words about my Three's Company book. I'm so glad you liked it and found it to be fair and accurate. As you know, John Ritter and Joyce DeWitt liked it so much that they endorsed it in numerous TV interviews--even though even they had bones to pick with each other in that book. Ironically, I think their airing their feelings of hurt, frustration, etc. in the book gave them an opportunity to understand each other, reunite and heal before it was too late. I'm proud of that.
The decision to run this story at this time was based in large part due to its newsworthiness. Mr. Barker made comments last week after his last taping indicating his interest in remaining with this show. I was stunned that CBS had not yet publicly responded to his offer, given his 35 years of service and the popularity of his primetime specials. He also recently told USA Today that Janice, Kathleen, Holly and Dian caused many problems and are "disgusting," and his specials last month did not show clips of any former cast members. The media did not include anyone else's side of the story--at least not that I have seen during this news cycle--but I made several efforts to get Mr. Barker to comment, as well as Roger Dobkowitz, Fremantle and Jonathan Goodson. They all declined comment. So the story was run with as much balance as possible, even pulling in glowing comments about Mr. Barker from those who worked with him in the 1970s and humanizing him, in my opinion, with Barbara Hunter's comments about Dorothy Jo and Mr. Barker's mom. I really tried to show as much of the picture in the limited space this article allows.
I find it striking that the media has not widely reported that Mr. Barker retired only months after signing a five-year contract extension, and after telling ET how much he loved doing the show. So I tried to ask some of the questions that apparently hadn't been asked. With the story coming out this week, it gives CBS, Mr. Barker and Fremantle an opportunity to respond at the height of media and public interest, and tell longtime viewers such as myself why Mr. Barker wasn't immediately taken up on his offer to return for a few months. Why shouldn't this be addressed now, before he is no longer on CBS and the media in general returns to obsessing over Brittney Spears?
I grew up watching this show and absolutely loved Bob Barker. My relatives lived down the street from him and Dorothy Jo, and one of my happiest childhood memories was meeting him during my summer vacation with my aunt and uncle in 1982. He is a legend, and he's deserved every accolade for his unparalleled career accomplishments. I merely wanted to give texture to the story, report some breaking developments, quote some longtime employees whose contributions have been entirely overlooked, connect the dots and show the many dimensions to an icon. I delivered the story on time to my editors, and I applaud Radar for publishing an in-depth piece illustrating a number of the many behind-the-scenes challenges Mr. Barker has survived, while not shying away from the other sides of the story. This article does not take away from his brilliance as the host and star of the longest running game show in TV history.
Thank you again for your comments. I think you'll be happy with the book, which I've been working on for years.
Posted by: ChrisMann on June 15, 2007 2:10 PM
Chris,
Thanks for such a considerate, classy reply. You do raise some good points--and you reminded me about the unfortunate omission of previous "Price is Right" performers in those primetime tribute specials, which is frustrating.
I appreciate your efforts and I will indeed be in line to pick up this book when it comes out.
Jason
Posted by: Jason W. on June 15, 2007 4:57 PM
The idol hath feet of clay.
Posted by: Texgotham on June 17, 2007 8:40 AM
...and a heart of stone, it doth appear.
Posted by: Swann on June 17, 2007 3:16 PM
I like Bob Barker. He has always been a good example for American youth, unlike gangsta rapers who use the term bitches and hoes like it was everyday vocabulary. OOPS!!, excuse me. We're talking about black ARTISTS, I forgot.
Anyway, Bob gave many of his Barker's Beauties a chance at name recognition not often available to those with only beauty as an obvious talent.
And let's face it, whether your a guy or gal, you must admit, his models were what America views as good looking, well built, classy women. Not stick figures or bimbos dressed like whores.
Yea for Bob. He had a great run & will be hard to replace. I'd like to see Chuck Wollery who use to do the "Love Connection" since he has a great personality when interacting with contestants that's similar to Bob's.
Posted by: mytfast on June 19, 2007 3:44 PM
My best friend worked on Price for years. She was outstanding at her job, made a good salary, had children. Unfortunately she had the bad luck misfortune to be in the dressing room next-door when Bob Barker fired Holly because of her weight (a fact he would later deny because of negative audience backlash, then claim Holly was lying and sue her for slander).
What do you do when you know that if you tell the truth, you'll lose your job? I watched my dear friend go thru Hell because of Bob Barker. She was a smoking gun in the "who's telling the truth, Bob or Holly" drama. She was pressured to change her testimony in order to back Bob, to lie and ignore what she had heard. Her job was threatened. (Would YOU lie to keep your job?)
In the end my friend testified truthfully and lost her job, as did other Price employees whose testimonies, along with evidence clearly showed that Barker did in fact fire Holly because of her weight (duh!). Models Janice and Kathleen were NOT fired for being old, as the Price mythology explains it, but rather for the facts they told at their depositions. Their testimony along with others devastated Barker's lawsuit against Holly. Barker was livid. Heads rolled. People lost their jobs. And for what? In the end Barker wasn't about to go to court and lose, so he dumped his lawsuit. Holly was declared the winner, and got millions.
But it didn't end there. Firing someone for refusing to perjure themselves is ILLEGAL, as is firing someone for refusing to provide sex or be sexually harassed, or creating a work environment where people can be humiliated and discriminated against because they are African American. These are all things that Bob Barker has been sued for in the last ten years, and he has never won any. Millions of corporate dollars have been spent in out-of-court settlements to make the charges against him go away. In the business world it's well known that it's "better to settle" if you know you're going to lose.
But as sweet as all that settlement money was for those people who were illegally fired, how hard must it have it been these past weeks watching the CBS/Barker media machine proclaiming Bob a daytime TV hero? ("Pay no attention to those lawsuits behind the curtain!") The man ruled that show with an iron fist. What about the people who lost their jobs because they wouldn't lie for this man, or have sex with him? And why was there only one reporter in the entire media who could dig back far enough (thirty years) to find an original Price castmember to say something nice about Bob Barker now?
Finally there is Chris Mann's article in Radar. For those people who actually know Bob Barker, Mann's article is a surprisingly accurate portrayal of the real person. Bob Barker is a game show host that is beloved by his TV audience, but not well liked by people who work for him. He IS mean, vindictive and sadly alone. Mann presented an in depth portrait of the man. Radar reported many sides of a newsworthy story, for those who care to know. ( If you want to know more about The Price Is Right, the testimonies, evidence, rulings, etc. are all public record now, and available at Los Angeles Superior Court and accessible online.) Go and see for yourself. Or be glad that there are reporters like Mann who get behind the scenes, get the interviews and report ALL the facts fairly and accurately. And be grateful that there is an independent outlet like Radar Magazine that can tell the story beyond a network press release.
A word of warning: If you don't like what you've read in Radar, you're probably not going to like all that's coming. There's another lawsuit against Bob Barker in the works that's based on racism. Now that he's off Price there are books by people from the cast and crew, in the courtrooms, a behind-the-scenes TV movie, etc., able now to tell the real stories of the Price Is Right......stay tuned.
Posted by: WLALady on June 21, 2007 1:45 PM
I've been a gamer my whole life. I really love TPIR and watched it always but since Bob fired the original models the show went downhill. The models were a big part of the show then, not now. Everybody agrees that the show isn't good as it used to be. When I read the Radar story I was interested in TPIR again for the first time in years. I think what went on backstange that caused the show to go downhill is more interesting than the same old TPIR history. I also notice that not many gamers are interested in bob anymore. Maybe it's true that what's left of his audience is blue-hairs that are dying off. I agree with "stilavictor" that Price Is Right is the greatest game show ever, now let's get a new host with great models and put it back the way it was. PS Does anyone know when Chriss Mann's book is coming out and where can we get it?
Posted by: CynMal on June 23, 2007 1:02 PM
First off to WLA Lady -
If the "TPIR" worker you are talking about is Linda Reigert/Dunphy, I know exactly who you are talking about, as I am a friend of hers from finding out about her from eBay, and from what you said, it sounds EXACTLY what she has told me over the past year about the Barker mess.
Now this message is for Chris Mann...
I know you through reading your book about "Three's Company" (to which I have a copy), and from reading it, I believe you to be a credible and thourough writer. I also know that you are writing a book about the behind the scenes mess that Barker made on "TPIR" via Linda Reigert/Dunphy, who is a close e-mail friend of mine, and whom I support on her side of the story.
I tried writing to Steve Beverly (who runs the website tvgameshows.net), and unfortunately, he was siding with Rich Fields and Randy West (both whom are probably Barker 'yes men') in saying that the newest lawsuit filed against Barker and company was 'without merit' to which I told him "what else were they going to say - they didn't want to kill a ratings cash cow while it was hot, now would they?" The same can be said of Roger Dobkowitz, who I loved when he was on "Match Game", but now, I see that his loyalty is now to Barker, and to no one else.
I remember watching the first episode of "TPIR" on Sept. 4th, 1972, and up till 2000, I had always respected Bob Barker, and everytime he was introduced, I always thought in my mind 'the man, the legend, the a-hole (just kidding)' - after Janice and Kathleen were let go in 2000, I left out the 'just kidding' part, as it sounds like Barker was behaving like an a-hole (and then some!) to my favorite ladies on the show. At first, I believed him when he was talking about his problems with his 'relationship' with Dian Parkinson, and that their relationship was 'consentual' - but now from reading the piece from your article, I'm kind of wondering if that was actually so, and maybe that Janice and Holly didn't actually know the whole story behind their 'relationship' after all, even though Kathleen was still friends with her at that time. I also never bought the BS that Barker tried to dish out that model Holly Hallstrom was fat - I watched the show until she was fired (more or less) in 1995, and I NEVER noticed one iota that she was EVER fat in the least! Barker also said that she wasn't 'easy to get along' compared with the other ladies - if that were the case, then how come Janice, Kathleen, and Linda all testified in her behalf when her trial came to be? They just wouldn't have done it for the hell of it to risk their jobs for nothing! Finally, Janice got the most raw end of this deal, as she stuck through the show through thick and thin, through losing her first husband, surviving a dehabilitating shoulder injury by a camera at CBS Studios, and all of the BS with the litigations, and what does she get - not one damn thing from CBS, Pearson Television, or Bob Barker himself - not even a chance to tell her loyal fans goodbye on the show, and to me, that's just plain 'dirty pool.' I couldn't watch the show after Janice and Kathleen were terminated, as it just wasn't the same without Janice handing the microphone to Barker, or her being the cashier on 'Grocery Game.' Both Janice and Kathleen still 'had the looks' before they left in 2000, so to say that they should have been fired because they were older is just a bunch of BS on the "TPIR" front.
Even though a lot of people disagree with me about the classic ladies of the show on the GSN links, and Steve Beverly doesn't buy into all that happened, let me tell you something Chris - I am in yours (and the ladies) corner 100% now, so if you would like any insight on the show from a person who used to be a big fan of "TPIR" (and still is a friend and a BIG fan to the ladies of "TPIR"), I'd be glad to help you out with your book in anyway that I can.
Linda Reigert/Dunphy told me that she interviewed you for your book, and that she trusted you - I also remember that if you were able to coax Joyce DeWitt out of obscurity, as well as Anitra Ford (who hasn't been heard from since 1976 on "TPIR"), you must be doing something right, so don't hesitate to contact me if you need any help whatsoever - the truth needs to be told!
(By the way, "TPIR" was one of my favorite game shows, before I 'rediscovered' my most favorite game show "Match Game", via repeats on the old Game Show Network - and I just LOVED it when Brett and Charles got after Barker on his later guest celebrity appearances on the show!)
Stay in the fight Chris - me and the ladies of the show salute and support you 100%!
Posted by: DENo1MatchGameFan on July 5, 2007 7:51 PM
It has now come to a situation where one is scared to hire or work with women, because of their frivolous and ridiculous law suits. It was Isiah Thomas, now it is Bob Barker. Who knows who next.
Men have been and are being bashed unnecessarily.
I sent a question to Nancy Grace and CNN about her comments on credibility issues relating to sexual harrassment law suits by women. Up till date, they refused to answer.
Posted by: jam_1955 on October 5, 2007 8:34 AM
Of course he fired Holly, Kathleen and Janice. They're models. People want to see hot young models. Not old saggy ass ones. Networks want to attract a younger demographic which appeals to advertisers. 80 year old viewers don't do much shopping.
Posted by: pistolpete44 on October 5, 2007 9:16 AM
Yes pistolpete44, based on your theory of audience demographics Bob Barker should have been retired in the 1970s!
Posted by: Stila Victor on October 5, 2007 12:28 PM
Found this on Golden-Road.net
Hallstrom received millions of dollars to NOT force Bob Barker into public court which, after ten years of litigation, was certainly a financial and moral victory for Hallstrom and yes, in the legal world...a HUGE win.
Corporations don't spend millions of dollars paying off false allegations, if they did they'd be writing checks all day long. Hush money is not cheaper than litigation against false allegations. In our judicial system Barker has legal recourse against any and all false or frivolous lawsuits. A person who is genuinely falsely sued can go to court, win his case, recoup his expenses, and then collect financial remuneration under Malicious Prosecution. The fact that Bob Barker has never availed himself of his legal recourse, or challenged his accusers in court, tells me that there are darker reasons as to why all these lawsuits are always paid off out of court. While Barker publicly insists that he "wanted to fight" the allegations but that "the company settled", it turns out that's false. In 2005 Hallstrom openly challenged Barker by offering to exempt him from her settlement, thus allowing the two of them to continue to trial in open court. Barker declined, and participated in the settlement.
Obviously there was something rotten on TPIR for many years. To date, ten women have lost their jobs. The one consistent factor in all these women's firings is that Bob Barker was behind it.
In studying these cases, and their common denominator, I have come across some interesting statistics. Of the ten women who were fired, either after testifying when Barker sued Hallstrom, or after complaining of abuse/harassment on the set, two were paid NOT to file suit; Pennington and Bradley (probably because as on camera talent their lawsuits would attract major media attention as did Parkinson's and Hallstrom's). Parkinson, Hallstrom, Paris, Friem, Jordan, and Henry all received financial settlement to dismiss their suits against Barker (Riegert, and now Curling, are still pending). Hallstrom is the only one who did not sign a Non-Disclosure clause as a condition of her settlement. Of the ten women, Nick Alden represents two, Riegert and Hallstrom, and now Curling. Alden's client have received the largest settlements, including Barker's court ordered payment of Hallstrom's considerable legal bills after Hallstrom was declared the Prevailing Party in Barker's lawsuit against her. I gotta say, if I were suing Bob Barker, Alden would be the only phone call I'd make!
Obviously Freemantle, Barker and now CBS are all fighting at great expense to salvage their considerable investment in TPIR and the image of Bob Barker. But still, the evidence, the lawsuits and the payoffs just keep mounting!
AUTHOR UNKNOWN
Posted by: Stila Victor on October 8, 2007 1:06 PM
Bob Barker paid off Holly Hallstrom's legal fees AND $3million dollars to NOT take him to court. Jeeees, what did he think it was going to cost him if it WENT to court?!?!
Posted by: wonwhuknos on October 8, 2007 2:32 PM
I'm sorry but Holly Hallstrom is lying like a sleeping dog!! To start Hallstrom verbally accepted early retirement-she was NOT fired-particularly by Bob who does not have the power to do so.
Secondly, Holly's defense at the time on why she reneged on her retirement offer was that SHE believes that it was due to weight gain in regards to medication she was taking-it also certainly WAS NOT about supporting Dian. Not once in her first lawsuit does she ever mention that her job loss was due to supporting Dian,all one has to do is dig out the old "Hard Copy" episode from 1995 to hear Holly's whining sob story about losing her job due to weight gain to KNOW that she's lying!!
Barker and the company's defense at that time and is still maintained today is that Holly was let go due to economic downsizing. Bob also further stated at the time that if weight gain was the issue of her dismissal, Holly would have been let go long ago. For Holly to reverse her reasons and place that on Bob is truly dispicable but not surprising.
Furthermore, it was only after Holly filed an appeal concerning the earlier ruling(a day after Bob dropped his lawsuit) that the defense of her supporting Dian became an issue that was because the weight gain issue was ruled invalid and unproven on HER part!!