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Dirty Rotten Scandals - Season 1 - Episode 06: The Price Is Right 2
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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
00:13american thinks he's santa claus but backstage whole different thing there was sexual harassment
00:24discrimination and they were just getting away with it and then bob started having sex with diane
00:32to add that extra dynamic was like adding fuel to a fire when bob found out about diane having
00:40slept with black men the hit the thing and diane goes up the stairs and says i have sucked his
00:49too many times to start kissing his ass now that was the end of diane parkinson on the price is
00:57right
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 i was being fired and i would not be coming back
01:16she said hell no holly's legal battle was epic holly she's in the ring fighting this death match with
01:27him you already hear some i knew bob was the enemy they were only allowed to have two black contestants
01:38on the show at a time step forward please the guts that it took to defend her name against one
01:45of the
01:45most powerful men in the entertainment business they really were the unsung warriors of me too
02:08the quiz show sex scandal that is rocking hollywood parkinson alleges sexual harassment but barker
02:14claims she claims she's a liar when diane parkinson sues him for sexual harassment that was significant
02:21because it was the first time that someone really was taking a stand then you also have the willingness
02:28of bob barker to use the media he just went on a full frontal attack to shame her it has
02:37been suggested
02:38that since i terminated this relationship that it uh might be a bit of the old woman scorn all you
02:47hear left and right was you know sexual harassment sexual lawsuits and it got to the point where the
02:53the whole thing turned sour backstage every time you went to the studio you had to sit with lawyers
03:02and all they wanted to hear was all the bad stuff about diane and how bob could not have possibly
03:09sexually harassed diane
03:14i wanted nothing to do with it i was the only one that was asked to give a deposition that
03:21did not
03:22i didn't want to commit felony perjury which is exactly what it would have been if i'd given
03:28testimony the fact that holly did not want to testify i think that was a bad choice because
03:35if you weren't on team bob look out the situation between bob and holly was one in which he wanted
03:47her support in his legal troubles he wanted her to back him up and when she didn't do that she
03:54was
03:54punished that 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
04:20i was on a prescription medication but that my doctor assured me that once
04:25my hormones had balanced out the weight gain would end bob said well just do whatever it takes to
04:34lose the weight i said well that would require me going off the medication do you want me to go
04:39off the
04:40medication he said i just want you to do whatever it takes to lose the weight just lose the weight
04:46and then bob told the director i want you to shoot holly differently now
04:53only from the head up and only when absolutely necessary and i was cut out of at least 50 percent
05:01of the show we thought it was kind of odd we knew it wasn't just about the weight they couldn't
05:09use the
05:10well she refused to lie for me excuse to get rid of me so they said it was because of
05:16my weight
05:18that's when i knew i was being set up to be fired right in the middle of the drama that
05:25was happening
05:25between bob and holly diane dropped her lawsuit and again he was making appearances on talk shows
05:31the fact that she's dismissed the lawsuit is total vindication for me when diane parkinson dropped her
05:40lawsuit against bob barker i wasn't surprised because the powerhouse that she was up against their pockets
05:49were endless and she stepped away the last day anyone on that set saw diane was the last day she
06:03shot price
06:04this is right thank you thank you i love you after that i have never talked to diane again
06:12i have no idea where she is i don't know
06:16but it's entirely possible that she signed a non-disclosure so she cannot speak so she just
06:25disappeared forever
06:40so after diane got the lawsuit holly lost the weight
06:46but you could feel that barker was pissed off
06:50that holly did not give a deposition and he never forgot that
06:57after we had wrapped it was late at night and barker and one of the other producers had come
07:04into my dressing room again and said my weight was still a problem and i was going to be taking
07:10early
07:10retirement when i didn't agree that's when the whole thing blew up
07:21and then the lawyers called me and started negotiating terms of my retirement and i'm like
07:28i don't want to retire there's no need for me to retire but there really was no choice
07:34barker wanted me gone i was being fired and i would not be coming back after close to 20 years
07:44on the show it devastated all the fans
07:51people who you know really loved me and you can feel that
08:02that's one of the best things about being a celebrity is you can give people excitement and
08:12and make make make a moment special you know
08:17and i miss that oh yeah we gotta stop i'm gonna go ahead into the can ugly cry
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
09:04why holly was no longer on the show and just said that she elected to leave on her own and
09:11took
09:11her early retirement when 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
09:31so i said i'm going to tell somebody the truth i didn't retire i didn't leave and i didn't quit
09:40they kicked me out so holly holstrom decides to go on hard copy and tell me exclusively what life was
09:48really like behind those big doors at 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 libel 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
10:52out for animals giving everybody a chance and giving them cars it's barker that's right big bad barker big bad
11:00barker
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 court process by myself it was the
11:22worst thing
11:23in 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
11:57and 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.
12:33that 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 didn'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 and my life became hell on that
13:37stage anything that i did and if it was the slightest bit off he would call me over to the
13:44center of the
13:44stage and reprimand me one time he called me a dumb but nobody ever heard it because he would drop
13:52the mic
13:54he would just look into me like he was trying to burn my soul up it was just awful
14:03i was so proud to testify for holly but i had no idea that it would change my whole life
14:12once again the horns came out anyone who would speak out against them would lose just about everything
14:21and no one was safe
14:34at this time we'd already seen diango 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 whole persona changed everyone felt it we were all really walking on egg shells
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
15:32wow i'm really here and here is my dressing room
15:42i 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 19th 2000 was by far probably one of the worst days of my life
16:10i went downstairs and there was the associate producer telling me to go in bob barker's dressing room
16:18for a meeting bob was nowhere around it was the production company who gave us the news
16:25the news he will no longer be a barker beauty
16:31i was numb i couldn't even think i really couldn't um i was like did i just hear him say
16:40what i think he said
16:44i 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 so abruptly
17:05without cause without a goodbye that was the most cowardly thing mr bob barker i think has ever done in
17:14his life
17:18in 2000 you had a half a dozen people were let go wasn't just kathleen and janice who 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
17:52retribution one by one each one of us were called into a dressing room or something
18:02the atmosphere was so tense and this lady from hr she said well thank you for your work but
18:11you're no longer needed
18:19boy that was tough that was a dream job for me
18:27eventually the truth came out why all six of us were fired we all refused to lie to save barker's
18:37ass
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 but even at this time it
18:55would take more people to turn the tide more people speaking out and that's where 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 been
19:11sexually harassed racially discriminated against it's 1000 abuse of power
19:23you're ready to hear you're ready to hear you're ready to hear some shit
19:34my name is claudia jordan and i was a barker's beauty from 2000 to 2003
19:41the second black woman in history to be on the show i moved to la with 500 to my name
19:50didn't know anybody and then finally i auditioned for the price is right
19:56and 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
20:37it's happy time
20:40what's up i'm so glad they were smart and just replaced me with such a beautiful person i could
20:45never replace you but it was an honor because i used to watch you and you already know this
20:49you know how i feel about you so and i just it was bittersweet i was happy to work there
20:54but i hated why because i loved you from afar and then i got to know you and i love
20:59you from up close
21:00and it just was wrong it really was and we were all done wrong all three of us i know
21:06the price is right was a place that was very much about retaliation oh yeah doing the right thing
21:13will get you kicked out doing the wrong thing get you protected for years look at phil how long he
21:17was
21:17there yeah please oh my god how he lasted so long he was a piece of work phil wayne was
21:26a producer he had
21:27been on the show for decades he was a total nepo hire his father was the original executive producer and
21:34he was just walked on in he had power he had position and he used it he was also kind
21:43of a lech
21:45he looked you up and down and knew knew he was undressing whomever he was looking at one day he
21:51asked
21:52me if i would like to have breast implants and he said yeah i'll pay for that if you'd like
21:58to have
21:59you know bigger breasts he was always saying things like that i remember one day i was at the
22:07touch-up station before you go on stage where you can like fix your makeup and just last looks
22:11and i was in the mirror and i was kind of like bent over a little bit and phil came
22:18right behind me and
22:19his face was like right here and i felt a hand on my butt he got like cupped my butt
22:28cheek and he was
22:29like nice ass and then he just walked off and i was like what like did anyone see that and
22:41i looked around
22:41and i just felt like yuck we all knew that philip was very fresh she liked the women you know
22:51very
22:52touchy-feely at times he just took advantage of his position and of course bob was okay with it
23:01this area would be where the mirrors were set up this would be the mirror that was set up where
23:06i was
23:06checking my makeup and hair when phil came behind me and grabbed me i was just like this
23:11and about to go on stage having a guy that you're not romantically involved in that's not only putting
23:20his hand damn near your butt crack it was a very powerless position i took matters into my own hands
23:30to file a formal complaint and after that moment it was never the same for me at the price is
23:35right
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
24:00crazy 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 rocker'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
24:33talk about it and bob rocker 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 and 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 boys
27:02club
27:02But 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.
27:16All the comments that Phil would make carried on that old spirit of racism.
27:21Let's make a reverse Oreo, Claudia, and you get in the middle of the two, you know, white models.
27:29Telling me I'm the ass model, because stereotypically, black women are known to have a larger behind.
27:35And I guess that's why he wanted to grab it 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?
27:51It definitely revealed an even darker side of the show.
27:56And the racial profiling, even down to the contestants.
28:00What I'm looking for in a contestant is someone ready to have a good time with us.
28:04They would go through potential audience members in the line looking for contestants.
28:08I think I'll be chosen because I'm an adorable person.
28:11It was stereotypes that were definitely pushed on the show.
28:17Negative stereotypes of black people.
28:20I know, not far.
28:23Like the overweight black woman.
28:27The 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 time.
28:44And 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.
29:16A black contestant may try to hug Bob Barker and he would kind of shrink away from them.
29:35How shitty is that?
29:37That culture of racism started at the top.
29:43And trickled down.
29:45And trickled down.
29:45I think it's very sad because these are all people that are looking to live that dream.
29:49And as a fan of the show, it's just super unfortunate.
29:53You know, when you go through something like this and it's just multiple incidents that happen on the racism front,
30:00on the sexual harassment front, on the retaliation front, there's only so much a girl should take.
30:10They really did me dirty.
30:12I wasn't going to sit around and just let this happen to me and be a victim.
30:16They messed with the wrong one.
30:19I remember the day.
30:21Came to work.
30:23And the end of every show, a model goes out and has the microphone and gets to, like, say hello
30:29to the audience.
30:30So I got the microphone.
30:32And I said, I just want to say something.
30:35Um, damn, I kept on feeling like this already.
30:39I was like, I can't do this anymore.
30:41Um, the stuff I have to deal with behind the scenes, I can't do it anymore.
30:44And I'm going to miss this, but this is my last day.
30:49I found the lawyer that was representing Holly.
30:53Holly's case definitely gave me strength, and especially since I have the same lawyer.
30:57I felt like I had a great case, and they got hit with their paperwork the next day.
31:01They made my life a living hell.
31:03And I was determined to return the favor.
31:18I was a young girl.
31:20I just had a very honest dream of coming to Hollywood, being on television and making my family proud, then
31:28to have to deal with some pervy guy putting his hands on me.
31:32And then I just got to shut up and take it, because Bob Barker, who I grew up admiring, watching
31:38his show, did not give a shit.
31:42That's not right.
31:48So I sued the production company in 2004 for sexual harassment, retaliation, racial 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 sent off with
32:10a hefty package.
32:13And that's just how this world goes.
32:16Boy, when I tell you, when I come back on my next life, I need to be a man, a
32:20mediocre, fat, ugly man that just gets away with everything.
32:27But I am proud to say that mine was the only case 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
32:43around, sending the women off.
32:46But I did it, and I'll always be proud about that.
32:49I feel like I saved some other women.
32:53I've always felt like I was built to kind of fight for justice.
32:59And Holly's case definitely gave me strength.
33:01She 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.
33:29It's like a chess game.
33:31It's like a legal maneuvering chess game.
33:34And that went on for years.
33:38Holly 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.
33:51Big Bob, Big Bob, Big Bob!
33:54That 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.
34:12And I was determined he was not going to do that to me.
34:17The whole thing dragged on for five years.
34:22And all of a sudden, he dropped the lawsuit.
34:26After a five-year standoff, Bob Barker has officially dropped his defamation lawsuit against former model Holly Hallstrom.
34:33Two, three days before trial and Bob Barker and the Price is Right drop their defamation lawsuit against Holly Hallstrom
34:43reads one way to me.
34:46The last thing they want is a public trial with testimony by all of the witnesses who are corroborating Holly
34:55Hallstrom's version of events.
34:58But more importantly, she doesn't back down.
35:01She says, I'm going to file a lawsuit against Bob Barker for malicious prosecution.
35:09Because when somebody sues you, drags you through court for five years, and then drops it right before it's due
35:16to go to trial, that is called malicious prosecution.
35:21I had a perfect case for malicious prosecution.
35:25Holly really was just pissed.
35:28She's basically in the ring fighting this deathmatch with him.
35:35They did offer me a settlement that would include a nondisclosure agreement, meaning that I could not speak publicly about
35:44the show.
35:45I knew that I was not going to sign an NDA because he is a liar.
35:52He is a shameless, self-promoting liar.
35:57This company has not fired people over the years.
36:03I was fired.
36:05I had truth on my side.
36:07There was no justice if you can win because you have more money.
36:15Over the years, I sold my house, savings account, portfolio, all of it was spent just trying to stay in
36:26this lawsuit.
36:27I just didn't want him to win.
36:41Throughout the whole ten years of this legal battle, I lost everything.
36:48I was totally broke and living out of my car.
36:53I would just stay with friends and family because the moment I couldn't afford to stay in this lawsuit, then
37:03I would have to settle.
37:05And I was not going to do that.
37:10That's a real testament to Holly.
37:12She waited this out.
37:14She's like, I'm digging in my heels.
37:16I believe in this plan.
37:18I believe he's wrong.
37:19I'm not going to settle with them.
37:21And then, all of a sudden, the lawsuit changed 180 degrees.
37:28The judge had denied the last motion and ordered it to trial.
37:33And he could never, never let this go to trial.
37:38From that point on, it was over.
37:41He had to pay.
37:42They gave me everything I wanted, including no NDA.
37:49Holly took a very dramatic public stand.
37:53And she really wasn't doing it for recognition.
37:57This was something she did for herself.
37:59She did for those other women.
38:01Very few people had that fortitude.
38:04I was always told to not speak up against the establishment.
38:09It would hurt my career.
38:11But my 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.
38:25I never got a million-dollar settlement.
38:28But I did have one moment of vindication at the Ports House as we met in the hallway.
38:35I pointed at him and I said,
38:38Barker, one day you're going to go straight to hell.
38:42As I was walking away, his eyes got very, very big.
38:47Because nobody talks to him like that.
38:49That was the best moment ever.
38:51And it still is.
38:55I'll show you who's the boss.
38:58Janice and I put in a lawsuit.
39:00Wrongful termination.
39:02They did give us a nice little settlement.
39:04Oh!
39:06By and large, I wouldn't change a thing.
39:08I am so happy and proud that I was able to be the first black model on The Price is
39:14Right.
39:15I love you.
39:16And most importantly, the real truth did come out.
39:26You know, in 2007, Barker tapes his last appearance.
39:29I want to thank you very, very much for inviting me into your home for the last 50 years.
39:40The way that he's presenting it is that he's in his 80s and the time has come.
39:47But, you know, what also is coming out is that he was pushed out at this point.
39:55It took the most loyal fan base of Bob Barker so long to realize maybe there is a dark side
40:02to this guy.
40:04But his troubles just kept mounting and mounting.
40:08There was so much legal pressure on him that if he had stayed, I think that the force would have
40:17been strong enough to not only blow him away, but the whole show.
40:28Tributes are pouring in today for Price is Right host Bob Barker, who died of natural causes at age 99
40:34at his Hollywood Hills home.
40:37Definitely, the fact that he had passed away, I think, gave certain people a sense of permission to tell this
40:44really important untold story that has tremendous relevance for right now.
40:49When I look at that show now, I really think of the women and I think of the stands that
40:53they took and what they were dealing with and how they won the game in the end of it.
40:59These women brought some of the earliest cases of sexual harassment, discrimination, and retaliation against one of the most powerful
41:13men in the entertainment business.
41:17They really were the unsung warriors of me, too.
41:22Looking back now, I can't believe I made it.
41:28This stuff is still going on and you have to make a choice because if you choose to fight, you're
41:37going to be fighting hard and for a long time.
41:41But if you don't, then you have to live with the fact that you have allowed yourself to be abused
41:51and that will stain your soul.
42:10God bless you.
42:27Thank you, guys.
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