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00:03remember this name you're going to be hearing a lot about him in our industry there are one
00:08of a kind here he is ladies and gentlemen and there'll never be another bob barker
00:13america thinks he's santa claus
00:18but backstage whole different thing there was sexual harassment discrimination and they were
00:26just getting away with it and then bob started having sex with diane to add that extra dynamic
00:34was like adding fuel to a fire when bob found out about diane having slept with black men
00:41the shit hit the thing and diane goes up the stairs and says i have sucked his too many times
00:51to start kissing his ass now that was the end of diane parkinson on the price is right
01:00she said i'm gonna get my attorney he was sexually harassing me that's when things got even worse
01:07once diane filed that lawsuit everything changed
01:13i was being fired and i would not be coming back she said hell no holly's legal battle was
01:21epic holly she's in the ring fighting this death match with him
01:30you ready to hear some shit
01:33i knew bob was the enemy they were only allowed to have two black contestants on the show at a
01:39time
01:41the guts that it took to defend her name against one of the most powerful men
01:47in the entertainment business they really were the unsung warriors of me too
02:07the quiz show sex scandal that is rocking hollywood parkinson alleges sexual harassment but barker claims
02:15she's a liar when diane parkinson sues him for sexual harassment that was significant because it was the
02:22first time that someone really was taking a stand then you also have a willingness of bob barker
02:29to use the media he just went on a full frontal attack to shame her it has been suggested that
02:38since i
02:38terminated this relationship that it might be a bit of the old woman scorn all you hear left and right
02:47was
02:48you know sexual harassment sexual lawsuits and it got to the point where the whole thing turned sour backstage
02:57every time you went to the studio you had to sit with lawyers
03:01and all they wanted to hear was all the bad stuff about diane and how bob could not have possibly
03:10sexually harassed diane
03:13i wanted nothing to do with it
03:17i was the only one that was asked to give a deposition that did not
03:21i didn't want to commit felony perjury
03:25which is exactly what it would have been if i'd given testimony
03:29the fact that holly did not want to testify i think that was a bad choice because if you
03:36weren't on team bob look out
03:43the situation between bob and holly was one in which he wanted her support in his legal troubles he
03:50wanted her to back him up and when she didn't do that she was punished
03:55that is when bob barker versus holly hallstrom starts
04:02so bob and one of the producers come into my dressing room i was in shock because bob would
04:10never come into my dressing room and bob told me that my weight was a problem and i explained that
04:19i was on a prescription medication but that my doctor assured me that once my hormones had balanced
04:28out the weight gain would end bob said well just do whatever it takes to lose the weight i said
04:35well
04:36that would require me going off the medication do you want me to go off the medication he said i
04:41just
04:41want you to do whatever it takes to lose the weight just lose the weight and then bob told
04:49the director i want you to shoot holly differently now only from the head up and only when absolutely
04:57necessary and i was cut out of at least 50 of the show we thought it was kind of odd
05:05we knew it
05:05wasn't just about the weight they couldn't use the well she refused to lie for me excuse to get rid
05:14of
05:14me so they said it was because of my weight that's when i knew i was being set up to
05:20be fired
05:23right in the middle of the drama that was happening between bob and holly diane dropped her lawsuit
05:29and again he was making appearances on talk shows the fact that she's dismissed the lawsuit
05:34is total vindication for me when diane parkinson dropped her lawsuit against bob barker i wasn't surprised
05:44because the powerhouse that she was up against their pockets were endless and she stepped away
05:56the last day anyone on that set saw diane was the last day she shot prices red thank you thank
06:06you i love
06:07you after that i have never talked to diane again i have no idea where she is i don't know
06:16but it's entirely
06:18possible that she signed a non-disclosure so she cannot speak so she just disappeared forever
06:40so after diane dropped the lawsuit holly lost the weight but you could feel that barker was pissed off
06:50that holly did not give a deposition and he never forgot that after we had wrapped it was late at
07:00night
07:00and barker and one of the other producers had come into my dressing room again and said my weight was
07:07still a problem and i was going to be taking early retirement when i didn't agree that's when the whole
07:16thing blew up
07:21and then the lawyers called me and started negotiating terms of my retirement and i'm like i don't want to
07:29retire there's no need for me to retire but there really was no choice barker wanted me gone
07:37i was being fired and i would not be coming back after close to 20 years on the show
07:46it devastated all the fans
07:51people who you know really loved me
07:57and you can feel that
08:02that's one of the best things about being a celebrity is you can give people
08:10excitement and and make make a moment special you know
08:17and i miss that oh yeah we gotta stop i'm gonna go on into the can ugly crime
08:32i hate that man
08:41i was young when holly had her last episode of the price is right
08:47but i think that the people who saw what was going on knew that she was getting screwed
08:54keep in mind that this is one of the most popular people on that show
08:58and so the audience is wondering what's happening the network put out press releases why holly was no
09:06longer on the show and just said that she elected to leave on her own and took her early retirement
09:13when holly heard about that she said hell no that is not the truth
09:23cbs ran bob barker's pr campaign and they were the only people being heard so i said i'm going to
09:33tell
09:34somebody the truth i didn't retire i didn't leave and i didn't quit they kicked me out so holly holstrom
09:43decides to go on hard copy and tell me exclusively what life was really like
09:49behind those big doors that the price is right and it sounded pretty damn harrowing
09:55after i had gone on hard copy and told everyone the truth i knew he would come after me
10:04and the next thing you know my lawyers called and said bob barker just filed a lawsuit against you for
10:12slander bible and defamation and after that no one spoke to me no one returned my calls
10:22they were just gone poof it was all gone
10:28it was very clear that loyalty was expected and if you didn't provide it you would be fired
10:32because despite all this that was happening barker is on top of the world this is a guy who was
10:39a
10:39national icon bob barker come on down he's still so beloved you know all american game shows looking out
10:52for animals giving everybody a chance and giving them cars it's barker that's right big bad barker big bad barker
11:04that whole world that he lives in just kisses his behind
11:11and now i am so alone gosh so alone and going through the port process by myself it was the
11:22worst
11:22thing in my whole life because with barker it was just like fighting a giant machine was overwhelming
11:35it stayed that way for a couple years
11:40and then one day linda regert she was a production assistant she called me up and she said holly i
11:49can't
11:49stand it anymore and i'm going to tell somebody the truth because i was there i heard what was said
11:56and i
11:57know he is lying so the real bob barker was really not a nice man barker wanted her to take
12:07early
12:07retirement it wasn't a conversation it was a command she was pushed out my name is linda regert and i
12:16worked on the prices right from 1993 to 2000. i started work there when i was about 40 41.
12:32that was a dream job for me
12:40barker always came to me for pretty much everything
12:43he always was really good to me until i overheard those conversations and then everything changed
12:53i would sit in my office it was right next door to holly's and the walls are very thin
12:59i overheard the very last conversation between them barker said that wanted her to take early retirement
13:06that she was going to be leaving the show and she said that she had lost most of the weight
13:10and she
13:12didn't want to take early retirement and he said well that's too bad you're going to
13:16i couldn't believe what i was hearing nobody knew that i was in there
13:22and now i had a problem because i heard everything
13:31eventually barker found out that i had overheard these conversations
13:34and my life became hell on that stage anything that i did and if it was the slightest bit off
13:41he would call me over to the center of the stage and reprimand me one time he called me a
13:48dumb
13:48bitch but nobody ever heard it because he would drop the mic he would just look into me like he
13:56was
13:56trying to burn my soul up it was just awful
13:59i was so proud to testify for holly but i had no idea that it would change my whole life
14:12once again
14:14the horns came out anyone who would speak out against them would lose just about everything and no one was
14:34safe
14:35at this time we'd already seen diane go and now holly
14:42but then barker had the nerve to sue holly for defamation of character
14:49it really was a dark period of time on the show he was just most interested in himself and his
14:57reputation so bob was just trying to clear house and you know save face
15:07his hope persona changed everyone felt it we were all really walking on eggshells
15:18because we love holly me janice everybody that was there like team holly but bob's our boss
15:26and little did we know he was gunning for us wow i'm really here and here is my dressing room
15:41i spent a lot of time right here sitting in this chair doing my hair
15:52the last time i was in this room i was fired
15:59october 19 2000 was by far probably one of the worst days of my life
16:09went downstairs and there was the associate producer telling me to go in bob barker's dressing room for a
16:18meeting bob was nowhere around it was the production company who gave us the news
16:26he will no longer be a barker beauty
16:31i was numb
16:33i couldn't even think
16:35i really couldn't um i was like did i just hear him say what i think he said
16:43i called janice as soon as i got home and she said you know that bastard fired me as well
16:53janice she was there 29 years me 10 years it was so hurtful to let go
17:04so abruptly without cause without a goodbye that was the most cowardly thing mr bob barker i think
17:13has ever done in his life
17:17in 2000 you had a half a dozen people were let go wasn't just kathleen and janice were fired
17:25there were a lot of people bob barker's longtime executive assistant and their director paul alter
17:32had been working with the company for decades in one fell swoop them and more gone and it seemed
17:38to be at a time when bob was in a lot of legal trouble and he was looking to the
17:43people around him
17:44to support him blindly and i think that when people around him didn't support him then came the retribution
17:55one by one each one of us were called into a dressing room or something
18:02the atmosphere was so tense
18:06and this lady from hr she said well thank you for your work but you're no longer needed
18:19boy that was tough that was a dream job for me
18:27the truth came out why all six of us were fired we all refused to lie to save barker's ass
18:42people lost their jobs they lost their homes they lost their careers each of these people took a stand
18:49to do the right thing and a stand that did cause some personal consequence
18:54but even at this time it would take more people to turn the tide more people speaking out and that's
19:00where claudia jordan comes in
19:04my name is claudia jordan and i was a barker's beauty from 2000 to 2003. she alleges that she's
19:11been sexually harassed been sexually harassed racially discriminated against
19:17it's one thousand percent abuse of power
19:41the second black woman in history to be on the show
19:45i moved to la with 500 to my name didn't know anybody and then finally i auditioned for the price
19:54is right
19:55and i got the job we have chosen as permanent barker's beauties claudia jordan and heather
20:04kozar we're pleased to have you with us and we hope you'll be happy with us for years to come
20:12let's just put it out there there's no way i could replace kathleen bradley
20:16i was substituting for her she's a legend so i was honored to step into the role
20:25but the more i found out about why she lost the job the less
20:30positive it was
20:40i'm so glad they were smart and just replaced me with such a beautiful person i could never replace
20:45you but it was an honor because i used to watch you and you already know this you know how
20:49i feel
20:49about you so and i just it was bittersweet i was happy to work there but i hated why because
20:56i
20:56loved you from afar and then i got to know you and i love you from up close and it
21:01just was wrong
21:01it really was and we were all done wrong all three of us i know the price is right was
21:07a place that
21:09was very much about retaliation oh yeah doing the right thing will get you kicked out doing the wrong
21:14thing get you protected for years look at phil how long he was there yeah please
21:19oh my god how he lasted so long he was a piece of work phil wayne was a producer he
21:27had been on the
21:27show for decades he was a total nepo hire his father was the original executive producer and he was just
21:35walked on in he had power he had position and he used it he was also kind of a letch
21:45he looked you up and down and knew knew he was undressing whomever he was looking at
21:51one day he asked me if i would like to have breast implants and he said yeah i'll pay for
21:57that if
21:58you'd like to have you know bigger breasts he was always saying things like that
22:06i remember one day i was at the touch-up station before you go on stage where you can like
22:10fix your
22:10makeup and just last looks and i was in the mirror and i was kind of like bent over a
22:16little bit and
22:17phil came right behind me and his face was like right here and i felt a hand
22:25on my butt he got like cupped my butt cheek and he was like nice ass
22:34and then he just walked off and i was like what like did anyone see that and i looked around
22:41and
22:41i just felt like yuck
22:46we all knew that philip was very fresh he liked the women you know very touchy feely at times
22:54he just took advantage of his position and of course bob was okay with it this area would be
23:02where the mirrors were set up this would be the mirror that was set up where i was checking my
23:06makeup and hair when phil came behind me and grabbed me i was just like this and about to go
23:12on stage
23:14having a guy that you're not romantically involved in that's not only putting his hand damn near in your
23:21butt crack it was a very powerless position i took matters into my own hands to file a formal complaints
23:32and after that moment it was never the same for me at the price is right
23:38the retaliation started immediately i would make sure to get to work on time
23:46and no matter what i did
23:49i would be like three minutes late i'm like how is this happening
23:54say the meeting was at 10 30 the clock would be like 10 33 and i'm feeling like i'm going
23:59crazy right
24:01i found out from a security guard that as soon as i walked in the lot that they were supposed
24:06to
24:07report to phil when i arrived and i found out later on the same security guard said i think he
24:12set the
24:12clocks forward so you would look like you're late and it only got worse
24:18one day i get called into bob barker's office
24:24it's me phil and bob and i thought it was about phil grabbing my behind so i was ready to
24:32like talk
24:33about it and bob barker with a very stern tone and very i was very intimidating says now claudia
24:41i understand you've been late several times and that's not acceptable here so if you're late
24:47one more time you will be suspended and if you're late again after that then you will be fired
24:55wait what wait that's that's all we're going to talk about is me being one or two minutes late not
25:01your right hand man inappropriately touching me bob cut me off and he said well he said he was sorry
25:08what more do you want claudia and phil just sat there with a smug look on his face
25:18once that happened i knew bob was the enemy he does not have my back he was going to protect
25:25phil
25:26there's a reason phil was there for 22 years just getting away with everything why did this producer
25:34believe that he could engage in the outrageous behavior that he was alleged to have engaged in
25:41well because bob barker said so
25:46i'm jeannie harrison and i'm a women's rights lawyer i handle sex abuse cases including representing women
25:56against harvey weinstein and the weinstein company i do think that there are parallels between harvey
26:03weinstein's story and bob barker's story it still is hard for people to believe that the beloved bob
26:11barker could have engaged in this kind of abusive behavior but obviously behind the scenes he was
26:20willing to leverage his power and intimidate people from speaking the truth that's when i first learned
26:28the harsh reality of hollywood in my experience price is right was much darker than anyone could imagine
26:46claudia jordan's story when it comes to the price is right is sad she was a victim of that culture
26:54of bigotry and harassment there's a lot of bad behavior at the price is right it's a good old
27:01boys club but the one man that caused me the most grief and stress and anguish was the producer
27:12he was abusing me not only physically but mentally other comments that phil would make carried on that
27:19old spirit of racism let's make a reverse oreo claudia and you get in the middle of the two you
27:25know white
27:25models
27:29telling me i'm the ass model because stereotypically black women are known to have
27:33a larger behind and i guess that's why he wanted to grab and feel it
27:43stuff like that over the course of three years will kind of weigh you down or just like damn
27:49why are you so comfortable to talk to me like that it definitely revealed an even darker side
27:55of the show and the racial profiling even down to the contestants what i'm looking for in a contestant is
28:02someone ready to have a good time with us they would go through potential audience members in
28:07the line looking for contestants i think i'll be chosen because i'm an adorable person there was
28:12stereotypes that were definitely pushed on the show negative stereotypes of of black people
28:23like the overweight black woman the extra loud ridiculous person
28:36and then i started to hear that they were only allowed to have two black contestants on the show at
28:42a
28:42time and that was a direct instruction from bob barker
28:51and to let barker know the race of the contestant that's about to come on down they would have the
29:00letter b written on the card
29:04i think he just didn't care to be that close to somebody that was not white
29:14it was pretty sad a black contestant may try to hug bob barker and he would
29:20kind of shrink away from them
29:35how shitty is that that culture of racism started at the top and trickled down i think it's very sad
29:46because these are all people that are looking to live that dream and as a fan of the show
29:50is just super unfortunate you know when you uh go through something like this and it's just
29:57multiple incidents that happen on the racism front on the sexual harassment front on the retaliation front
30:05there's only so much a girl should take
30:10they really did me dirty i wasn't gonna sit around and just let this happen to me and be a
30:15victim
30:16they messed with the wrong one
30:19i remember the day came to work and the end of every show a model goes out and has the
30:27microphone
30:27and gets to like say hello to the audience so i got the microphone and i said i just want
30:33to say
30:34something um damn i kept on feeling like this already i was like i can't do this anymore um the
30:41stuff i
30:42have to deal with behind the scenes i can't do it anymore and i'm gonna miss this but this is
30:47my last day
30:49i found the lawyer that was representing holly holly's case definitely gave me strength and especially
30:55since i have the same lawyer i felt like i had a great case and they got hit with their
30:59paperwork the
31:00next day they made my life a living hell and i was determined to return the building
31:18i was a young girl i just had a very honest dream of coming to hollywood being on television and
31:26making
31:26my family proud then to have to deal with some pervy guy putting his hands on me and then i
31:33just got
31:33to shut up and take it because bob barker who i grew up admiring watching his show did not give
31:40a
31:40shit that's not right so i sued the production company in 2004 for sexual harassment retaliation
31:54racial discrimination and a bunch of other things
32:02the production company settled with me out of court and phil wayne loses his job but gets
32:09sent off with a hefty package and that's just how this world goes boy when i tell you when i
32:17come
32:18back on my next life i need to be a man a mediocre fat ugly man that just gets away
32:24with everything
32:27but i am proud to say that mine was the only
32:31case where the perpetrator actually lost his job
32:38i heard many people try to get him out before me but apparently the show was okay with keeping him
32:44around sending the women off but i did it and i'll always be proud about that i feel like i
32:50saved
32:50some other women i've always felt like i was built to kind of fight for justice
32:58and holly's case definitely gave me strength she never gave up her fight against bob barker
33:09bob barker's defamation lawsuit against former model holly hallstrom rages on nearly five years later
33:16from the very beginning i knew that the lawsuit was going to be a long siege
33:23bob would never quit until he had played every trick in the book it's like a chess game it's like
33:31a legal maneuvering chess game and that went on for years holly hallstrom's legal battle was epic
33:41the guts that it took for her to defend her name against one of the most beloved men in bob
33:51barker
33:53great grandpa that is incredibly inspiring
34:01he really wanted to destroy you until you were as low as you could get
34:09i watched him do it to diane and i was determined he was not going to do that to me
34:17the whole thing dragged on for five years and all of a sudden he dropped the lawsuit
34:26after a five-year standoff bob barker has officially dropped his defamation lawsuit
34:30against former model holly hallstrom two three days before trial and bob barker and the price is right
34:38i dropped their defamation lawsuit against holly hallstrom reads one way to me the last thing
34:47they want is a public trial with testimony by all of the witnesses who are corroborating holly
34:55hallstrom's version of events but more importantly she doesn't back down she says i'm going to file a
35:03lawsuit against bob barker for malicious prosecution because when somebody sues you drags you through
35:12court for five years and then drops it right before it's due to go to trial that is called malicious
35:19prosecution i had a perfect case for malicious prosecution holly really was just pissed she's
35:29basically in the ring fighting this death match with him they did offer me a settlement that would
35:38include a non-disclosure agreement meaning that i could not speak publicly about the show but i knew
35:46that i was not going to sign an nda because he is a liar he is a shameless self-promoting
35:56liar this company
35:59has not fired people over the years i was fired i had truth on my side there was no justice
36:10if
36:11you can win because you have more money over the years i sold my house savings account portfolio
36:21all of it was spent just trying to stay in this lawsuit i just didn't want him to win
36:41throughout the whole 10 years of this legal battle i lost everything
36:48i was totally broke and living out of my car i would just stay with friends and family
36:57because the moment i couldn't afford to stay in this lawsuit then i would have to settle
37:04and i was not going to do that that's a real testament to holly she waited this out she's like
37:15i'm
37:15digging in my heels i believe in this plan i believe he's wrong i'm not going to settle with them
37:21and then all of a sudden the lawsuit changed 180 degrees the judge had denied the last motion and ordered
37:32it to trial
37:32and he could never never let this go to trial from that point on it was over he had to
37:42pay
37:42they gave me everything i wanted including no nda holly took a very dramatic public stand and she really
37:54wasn't doing it for recognition this was something she did for herself she did for those other women
38:00very few people had that fortitude
38:04i was always told to not speak up against the establishment it would hurt my career but
38:12my life exploded once i took a stance and stood up to the powers that be
38:20i filed my lawsuit in 2001 for wrongful termination i never got a million dollar settlement but i did
38:29have one moment of vindication at the ports house as we met in the hallway i pointed at him and
38:37i said
38:37barker one day you're going to go straight to hell as i was walking away his eyes got very very
38:45big
38:46big because nobody talks to him like that that was the best moment ever and it still is
38:55i'll show you who's the boss janice and i put in a lawsuit wrongful termination
39:02they did give us a nice little settlement oh by and large i wouldn't change a thing i am so
39:09happy and
39:10proud that i was able to be the first black model on the price is right i love you and
39:16most importantly
39:18the real truth did come out
39:26you know in 2007 barker tapes his last appearance i want to thank you very very much for inviting me
39:34into
39:34your home for the last 50 years the way that he's presenting it um is that he's in his 80s
39:45and the
39:46time has come but you know what what also is coming out is that he was pushed out at this
39:52point
39:55it took the most loyal fan base of bob barker so long to realize maybe there is a dark side
40:02to this
40:02guy but his troubles just kept mounting and mounting there was so much legal pressure on
40:12him that if he had stayed i think that the force would have been strong enough to not only blow
40:18him
40:18away with the whole show
40:28tributes are pouring in today for price is right host bob barker who died of natural causes at age
40:3399 at his hollywood hills home definitely the the fact that he had passed away i think gave certain
40:41people a sense of permission to tell this really important untold story that has tremendous relevance
40:47for right now when i look at that show now i really think of the women and i think of
40:52the
40:53stands that they took and what they were dealing with and how they won the game in the end of
40:57it
41:00these women brought some of the earliest cases of sexual harassment discrimination and retaliation
41:11against one of the most powerful men in the entertainment business they really were the unsung warriors of me too
41:21looking back now i can't believe i made it this stuff is still going on and you have to make
41:32a choice
41:34because if you choose to fight you're going to be fighting hard and for a long time
41:42but if you don't then you have to live with the fact that you have allowed yourself to be abused
41:51and that will stay in your soul
41:54so
42:23so
42:27you
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