Former Barker’s Beauty claims she was fired for refusing to commit 'perjury'

Holly Hallstrom, a prominent figure on The Price Is Right from 1977 to 1995, has described a profound sense of liberation after finally sharing the truth behind her controversial departure.

Speaking to PEOPLE regarding the E! docuseries Dirty Rotten Scandals, the former "Barker’s Beauty" detailed a decades-long struggle involving allegations of weight discrimination and legal retribution.

Hallstrom maintains that her 1995 dismissal was a direct consequence of her refusal to support host Bob Barker during sexual harassment litigation brought by her colleague, Dian Parkinson.

The television personality explained that she was pressured to provide testimony exonerating Barker, an act she resisted to avoid "felony perjury."

Consequently, she was told her weight was the justification for her firing. Hallstrom remarked: "I refused to testify in court, to commit felony perjury for him. That was the final straw, but it's against the law to fire an employee for failing to testify on your behalf in a court of law. So they could not fire me for that."

Following her dismissal, Barker launched a defamation lawsuit against Hallstrom that lasted years and "wiped her out financially."

In 2000, Barker dropped his suit shortly before the matter was set to go to trial, which led Hallstrom to successfully sue him for malicious prosecution.

She chose to remain quiet for many years to avoid further litigious "insanity" until after Barker’s death in 2023.

Reflecting on the opportunity to finally speak out, she stated: "They say the truth will set you free. Man, it set me free. Absolutely, 100%."