Holly Hallstrom, who spent nearly two decades showcasing prizes on “The Price Is Right,” is breaking her silence about what she calls a toxic culture behind one of America’s most beloved game shows. The 72-year-old former model alleges she was terminated in 1995 not because of weight gain, as producers claimed, but because she refused to publicly defend host Bob Barker against a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by a fellow model.
Hallstrom’s account is at the center of E!’s new documentary series “Dirty Rotten Scandals,” which premiered on March 18, 2025, with two back-to-back episodes dedicated to the long-running game show. The series revisits decades-old allegations that have resurfaced with new urgency following Barker’s death in 2023 at age 99, as Fox News reported.
The trouble began in 1994, when model Dian Parkinson filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against Barker, alleging she had been forced to have sex with him to keep her job. The suit sought $8 million in damages, according to Global News. Hallstrom says she was the only employee asked to give a deposition in Parkinson’s case — and she refused, telling interviewers she did not want to commit perjury.
That refusal, Hallstrom alleges, put her squarely on Barker’s bad side. Within a year, she was let go. The official explanation pointed to weight gain caused by medication, but Hallstrom has long maintained the real reason was her unwillingness to back Barker publicly. “I was on his s–t list,” she told Parade.
What followed was a protracted legal battle. After Hallstrom spoke to the tabloid show “Hard Copy” about her firing, Barker sued her for defamation. He dropped that lawsuit shortly before it was set to go to trial in 2000. Hallstrom then countersued for malicious prosecution, and the case ended in a settlement reportedly worth millions in 2005. Throughout the process, she declined settlement offers that would have required her to sign a nondisclosure agreement — a decision she says was deliberate.
Hallstrom explained that she waited to speak publicly in the documentary until after Barker’s death because, in her words, he had “successfully squashed that other side of the story” whenever she tried to speak out before, as Page Six reported. Barker hosted “The Price Is Right” for 35 years, ending his legendary run in 2007, and remained a powerful figure in the television industry throughout.
The documentary also features accounts from other former models who describe a hostile work environment. Kathleen Bradley, who became the first full-time Black model on the show in 1990, recalled hearing that production staff used the N-word during meetings when models were not present, according to BET. Former model Claudia Jordan said in the docuseries that Hallstrom’s courage gave her the strength to file her own lawsuit against former producer Phil Wayne Rossi for racial discrimination, hostile work environment, sexual harassment, and wrongful termination.
Meanwhile, the network reportedly implemented what became known as a “10-Second Rule” — banning men from staring at models for more than 10 seconds rather than prohibiting the behavior outright, according to LittleThings. Critics say the policy exemplified how the show’s management addressed symptoms rather than root causes.
Not everyone agrees with the portrait being painted. Barker’s representative Roger Neal told USA Today that Barker “was and is beloved” and denied the harassment allegations, calling the late host “the greatest MC in TV history.” Fremantle, the production company behind “The Price Is Right,” had not publicly commented on the allegations as of the most recent reports.
Journalist David Kushner, who wrote a 2024 Business Insider article about allegations of sexual harassment against Barker, contributed reporting that helped shape the documentary’s development. The show’s co-creator, Mark Goodson, died in 1992 — two years before Parkinson’s lawsuit was filed — leaving a leadership vacuum that several former employees say Barker exploited.
For Hallstrom, the experience of making the documentary was cathartic but emotionally exhausting. She told TV Insider that it dredged up memories from the worst time of her life. Still, she said she felt compelled to finally tell her story without the legal and professional pressures that had silenced her for decades.
The revelations add a complicated chapter to the legacy of one of television’s most iconic programs. As more former employees come forward, the gap between the show’s cheerful on-screen persona and the alleged reality behind the curtain continues to widen — raising questions about accountability in an industry that long rewarded silence.
