Former models on The Price Is Right have spoken out about an alleged culture of sexual harassment on the set of the long-running game show during the tenure of the late host Bob Barker. The revelations come in E!'s Dirty Rotten Scandals docuseries.
Kathleen Bradley, one of the models known as “Barker’s Beauties,” recalled in a teaser clip that crew members would “gawk” at the models. She described an incident where a stagehand would “rub up against us, joking around,” which she considered totally inappropriate. When she reported the behaviour to producers, no action was taken, she claimed.
Bradley said she took matters into her own hands by deliberately striking the stagehand in the groin with a golf club during a practice swing. Fellow model Holly Hallstrom alleged that those who complained to Barker were told to “get over it or look for a new job.”
Hallstrom also revealed that after many complaints about staff staring at the models, a “10-second rule” was introduced, limiting how long a person could stare. She described the rule as a “joke” and an “appeasement” designed to silence complaints without real change.
In 1994, Barker was sued by model Dian Parkinson, who alleged that he coerced her into a sexual relationship under threat of losing her job. Barker denied the allegations, claiming the relationship was consensual. Parkinson later withdrew the lawsuit, citing its mental health impact. Hallstrom said the alleged relationship had a toxic effect on the show’s atmosphere.
Dirty Rotten Scandals: The Price Is Right premieres on E! on Wednesday, March 18 at 9pm ET/PT.
