Holly Anne Hallstrom (born August 24, 1952) is an American former model. She appeared on the daytime game show The Price Is Right from 1977 to 1995 as one of the "Barker's Beauties" models.
The Price Is Right
On January 3, 1977, Hallstrom joined the cast of The Price Is Right as the third model after Anitra Ford left the program the previous fall. Hallstrom appeared, along with Janice Pennington and Dian Parkinson, as one of the principal models on all versions of the show from 1977 through the early 1990s.
Hallstrom briefly left the program in 1983 to pursue an acting career but rejoined the cast in 1984.
Departure and lawsuit
In October 1995, host Bob Barker dismissed Hallstrom from The Price Is Right, purportedly because she had gained because of a prescription medication that she was taking. Hallstrom later alleged that the real reason for her dismissal was her refusal to support Barker when model Dian Parkinson sued him for sexual harassment. Hallstrom claimed that Barker ordered her to appear on talk shows and solicit interviews to assert that Parkinson was lying, and that he pressured her to misrepresent her memory of certain events. Hallstrom, who did not wish to become involved in Barker's dispute with Parkinson or perjure herself, claimed that she refused and was dismissed from the show. In response to angry letters from The Price Is Right fans after Hallstrom's dismissal, Barker sued her for libel and slander (Barker v. Hallstrom), claiming that she was lying, but he dropped the suit 48 hours before the trial was to begin. The court declared Hallstrom the prevailing party and ordered Barker to pay Hallstrom's legal fees. Barker, in a 2002 interview with Larry King, stated that Hallstrom was fired in a business decision; by the time of Hallstrom's dismissal, the show had four permanent models, and with Mark Goodson dying in 1992, his son Jonathan Goodson was looking to make the series more profitable as they prepared to sell. In the same interview, Barker stated that if her weight had been the reason for her firing, "we would've fired her years ago." She has also started a foundation for people who have suffered wrongful or malicious workplace conditions and who do not have the resources to confront powerful individuals or companies. Barker, in 2002, also spoke positively of Pennington in his interview with King, particularly in contrast to his legal troubles with Parkinson and Hallstrom.
Other game show appearances
Hallstrom also appeared several times as a guest panelist on Match Game. In the early 1990s, she made several appearances on Family Feud with her The Price Is Right co-stars, most of whom played against the cast of The Young and the Restless.
Personal life
Holly had a relationship with John Darby who had a role in The Young and The Restless. The relationship lasted about two years from 1984 to 1986.