Roger Dobkowitz, a longtime producer on"The Price is Right,"is speaking out after a recent documentary series featured allegations against hostBob Barker.
Dobkowitz, who had a 36-season run on the Daytime Emmy-winning show from 1972 to 2008, weighed in on E!'s"Dirty Rotten Scandals,"a show that pulls back the curtain on classic television series through behind-the-scenes exposés.
The series' two-part segment on "The Price is Right," which aired on March 18, included allegations from several of the game show's former models, whodescribed a culture of sexual harassmentthat pervaded production during the show's early years.
In a March 29Facebook post, Dobkowitz said he initially "avoided commenting" on the docuseries because he "didn't want to add any social traction to such an obvious 'hit piece.'"
'Price is Right' allegations:Game show models allege harassment during Bob Barker era
"The 'documentary' should just quietly disappear into the bottom of a TV equivalent of a waste basket along with all the other forgotten so-called 'exposés,'" Dobkowitz, 80, continued. "There are some people in this world who will happily exaggerate and create falsehoods in order to justify a personal hateful vendetta against a person in order to draw attention to themselves."
USA TODAY has reached out to Dobkowitz and the E! network for comment.
Former 'Price is Right' producer says Bob Barker accusers are not 'brave'
Holly Hallstrom, who was a "Barker's Beauties" model from 1977 to 1995,alleged on "Dirty Rotten Scandals"that Barker often silenced women who complained about incidents of sexual harassment on set.
"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," said Hallstrom, who also accused the game show host of having an affair with fellow model Dian Parkinson.
Barker, who retired as "Price of Right" host in 2007, died in 2023.
"Making the situation worse is the fact that the accused is deceased, and therefore, making it impossible for the accused to defend himself," Dobkowitz wrote on Facebook. "The adjective 'brave' should never be used in reference to a person attacking a dead person."
Barker faced his fair share of legal troubles during his stint on the iconic game show. In 1994, Parkinson filed an $8 million sexual harassment lawsuit, though Barker denied the charges, and Parkinson withdrew the suit a year later.
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Barker later sued Hallstrom for libel and slander after she told news outlets that she was fired because she gained weight through medication. He eventually dropped the lawsuit 48 hours before trial, and Hallstrom later countersued him for wrongful termination and malicious prosecution.
"Most people in society and individuals move on with their lives, especially after courtrooms have settled disputes and they are closed," Dobkowitz continued. "When someone feels the compulsion to constantly bring it up for another 30 years is a sign that something could be wrong with their capacity to reason maturely."
'Price is Right' producer Roger Dobkowitz says game show was a 'happy place'
Dobkowitz isn't the only one standing by Barker and "The Price is Right."
In a March 18 statement to USA TODAY, Barker's longtime representative, Roger Neal, denied any allegations of sexual misconduct against Barker or the show.
"Barker was and is beloved, and people to this day love him," Neal said at the time. "He was part of the fabric of American pop culture. He was the greatest MC in TV history. I was honored to have represented him."
Dobkowitz echoed the sentiment in his Facebook post, saying the game show was a "happy place."
"Our working environment was the envy of other shows," Dobkowitz wrote. "Staff rarely quit…the dozens of women who were in our repertoire of models came back year after year, happy to be on our show."
He added, "The only unhappy people, as would be found in any company, were the ones that didn't get the raise they wanted, the ones that didn't get the promotion they thought they deserved and the ones that were terminated for not doing their job."
Dobkowitz joined the production staff of "The Price is Right" in 1972 and became a producer in 1984. During his decadeslong tenure, he created 18 of the show's pricing games and won five Daytime Emmy Awards.
"Someday, when I write my book, (if anyone still cares by then), my 36 years of observations with Bob, the models and the staff will clear up lots of misconceptions and dismiss many wrongful accusations," Dobkowitz concluded. "I was there for 36 years. I was on that stage."
Contributing: Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:'Price is Right' producer defends show after Bob Barker documentary
