Bob Barker had suicidal thoughts after wife’s death, producer says

Bob Barker, the longtime host of “The Price Is Right,” allegedly went through some major personality changes after the death of his wife, Dorothy Jo Gideon, in 1982.

In E!’s documentary series “Dirty Rotten Scandals,” those closest to Barker at the time described the sudden change in demeanor and the mental health struggles the televangelist was experiencing amid his grief.

“{Bob and Dorothy Jo]went to Hawaii in August and he was diagnosed with lung cancer and died two months later,” Barbara Hunter, a former producer of the game show, said in the episode. “Bob really went crazy after that. He was ready to take his own life. He shared that with me.”

DARK TRUTH REVEALE ABOUT THE ERA OF FORMER ‘THE PRICE IS RIGHT’ MODEL BOB BARKER

“It’s gone through a lot of changes,” former model Holly Hallstrom, who named the awards one of “Barker’s Beauties,” told Fox News Digital before the premiere. “At first he was grieving, so that was a big change. The set was very gloomy, much bleaker. But then it became like you were living in Barkerland, where he was the supreme ruler of the universe, and not in a good way.”

The couple were married for 36 years until Gideon’s death from lung cancer in 1982 at the age of 56. Two years later, Barker began dating Nancy Burnet, with whom he remained until her death in 2023.

Elsewhere in the documentary, Hallstrom detailed the hostile work environment, sexual harassment and discrimination she witnessed during her time on the program.

Hallstrom appeared on the show from 1977 until he was fired in 1995, a decision he said was due to weight gain resulting from medication use. But Hallstrom claims she was actually dismissed after refusing to publicly support Barker when fellow model Dian Parkinson filed a lawsuit. sexual harassment case against him in 1994.

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Holly Hallstrom, Bob Barker and Janice Pennington attend a party to celebrate Pennington’s book “Husband, Lover, Spy” at Spago in West Hollywood on January 13, 1994. Hallstrom was fired in 1995. (Ron Galella Collection via Ron Galella, Ltd./Getty Images)

Barker has consistently denied any wrongdoing and maintained that any intercourse was consensual.

“I want people to know the whole story, not just Barker’s side,” Hallstrom told Fox News Digital. “After all these years, people who only listen to one side will listen to the other side, and our side is documented testimony in court. You can’t argue with that.”

Hallstrom said that was the moment when “everything got really bad.”

“I thought the whole situation was terrible, all the publicity, the media attention. I thought it was tacky. I was pleased [co-creator] Mark Goodson was dead [in 1992]. “Hallstrom would be very upset to see this kind of tacky scandal on a family show,” he said.

Bob Barker hosted “The Right Price” for 35 years. (Getty Images)

“I didn’t want to be involved in this at all,” Hallstrom said. “Barker wanted us to go on all these talk shows and say that he was the victim and that Dian was lying. I didn’t join because I didn’t want to and I thought it was tacky. And also because I couldn’t honestly say, ‘Oh yeah, Dian’s lying’ or ‘Oh no, Dian’s not lying’. I wasn’t in those talks.”

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Parkinson withdrew his case in 1995. His lawyer at the time said the legal battle had become emotionally and financially draining and was affecting his physical health. Barker maintained that their relationship was consensual.

Hallstrom doesn’t watch old clips of himself today; it’s a reminder of an episode he now looks at in a very different way. Still, he says he has no regrets about taking the chance and auditioning for the show.

Barker won 19 Emmys in his time for “The Price is Right.” (Jesse Grant)

“I see myself and I see someone who tries hard to look elegant and poised like a professional model,” she said. “But I also see a young woman having a great time entertaining people. Those were the happiest parts of my job, the hours we got to film in front of audiences.”

“No matter what happened behind the scenes, I still felt the happiness of the audience,” he said. “And being in this position, bringing happiness to people, is a gift. Everything that happened behind the scenes was worth it.”

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Barker hosted the iconic game show for 35 years and became executive producer of the series in 1988. As outstanding game show host, he has won 19 Daytime Emmy Awards, more than any other host. Barker also won four Emmys as executive producer of the series, which is the longest-running game show in history.

Barker retires from presenting after 50-year career in television “The Price is Reasonable” In 2007. After retiring, she returned to the show three times, including a 2013 appearance celebrating her 90th birthday.