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Bob Barker experienced a profound period of grief following the death of his wife, Dorothy Jo Gideon, as revealed by his former colleagues from “The Price Is Right” in the new docuseries “Dirty Rotten Scandal” on E!. According to producer Barbara Hunter, Barker was deeply affected and even contemplated ending his own life after Gideon passed away in 1981, just two months after being diagnosed with lung cancer.
Hunter shared these insights with People, highlighting the significant emotional toll that Gideon’s passing had on Barker. Holly Halstrom, a model from the game show, also recounted Barker’s intense devastation and described his struggle through a protracted period of mourning.
Despite this initial profound sadness, Halstrom noted a shift in Barker’s demeanor. She claimed that he eventually transformed into a social figure, embracing his role as the star of the most popular daytime show. With Dorothy Jo no longer by his side to ground him, Barker reportedly began to relish his newfound social freedom.
One of the game show’s models Holly Halstrom recalled Barker being “really … devastated” by the loss and enduring a “long period of mourning.”
However, she alleged, “Then, all of a sudden, he became Mr. Man About Town. He knew he was the star of the biggest show in daytime, and Dorothy Jo wasn’t there anymore, keeping him reined in.
“It was like he was unleashed and turned into this narcissistic egomaniac,” Halstrom continued.
Barker and Gideon were high school sweethearts, with the duo tying the knot in January 1945.
The couple had been married 36 years when the 57-year-old lost her lung cancer battle.
Barker moved on with girlfriend Nancy Burnet after Gideon’s death, but did not remarry.
The longtime couple became an item in 1983, and Burnet honored her late partner in a touching statement after he died of natural causes at 99 in 2023.
“We were great friends over these 40 years,” she told Page Six at the time. “He will be missed.”
Barker was the longest-running host of “The Price Is Right,” emceeing the show between 1972 and 2007.
In “Dirty Rotten Scandal,” Halstrom addressed an alleged affair Barker had with model Dian Parkinson amid his relationship with Burnet.
“It took a toll,” she said (via USA Today). “There was fighting on the sets, yelling, and it was massive. And it ultimately, I think, destroyed ‘The Price is Right.’”
Halstrom, additionally, accused Barker of silencing women who complained of sexual harassment.
“If anyone had gone to Bob because Bob was in charge of the show and said, ‘I have a problem. I have a complaint,’ he would have told her to get over it or look for a new job,” she said.
“Dirty Rotten Scandal” premieres on E! Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET.