Even though The Price Is Right ranks among the most beloved game shows in television history, not every moment captured on camera brings joy. For Janice Pennington, a prominent model and former star of the show alongside Bob Barker, a devastating incident during filming drastically altered the direction of her career. In 1988, while on set, Janice was struck by a moving camera, which caused her to tumble into the contestants’ seating area. The impact was severe enough to render her unconscious, illustrating the unexpected dangers that can arise even in a light-hearted game show environment. Shockingly, despite the critical nature of Janice’s injury and her connection to someone Bob Barker knew personally, production continued while she was rushed to the hospital. After a lengthy delay of 45 minutes, attributed to her careful transfer to a stretcher and subsequent ambulance ride, the cameras resumed rolling. Following two extensive surgeries, Pennington was left with one shoulder an inch shorter than the other and noticeable scars, making it impossible for her to wear swimsuits on set again.

Janice Pennington’s Dismissal from ‘The Price Is Right’: A Shocking Turn of Events

Following the traumatic events she endured on The Price Is Right—particularly the repercussions of her surgery, which effectively ended her career as a model—Janice Pennington faced yet another unexpected hurdle. In October 2000, after an impressive 29-year tenure on the show alongside the iconic Bob Barker, Janice received the shocking news that she was being let go, as reported by The LA Times. This abrupt decision not only devastated her but also raised questions about the show’s internal dynamics.

Janice expressed disappointment over the lack of communication from Bob Barker after her departure, stating that despite their nearly three-decade collaboration, he never reached out to her after she was dismissed. “My manager contacted Barker the day after my termination and left a message, but he never returned our call.” There was no farewell, no acknowledgment during an episode of The Price Is Right, and no communication to her manager, despite Janice’s claims that her manager made several attempts to connect. Barker, however, countered by asserting that he did return her manager’s call, but only after Janice agreed to sign a settlement that silenced her about her dismissal from The Price Is Right.

There are two conflicting narratives surrounding the fallout between Janice Pennington and Bob Barker. “[Pearson Television] did not want me to become involved in any way. But on the very day Janice signed the agreement, I left a message on her answering machine and told her that I wanted to explain why I had not called even sooner. And she has not returned my call.” Barker contended that it was Janice’s choice not to initiate further contact. However, Pennington maintained that their communication had dwindled significantly since the summer prior to her dismissal. Regardless of the details, the situation escalated swiftly, and Janice Pennington was not the only model with a troubled relationship with Bob Barker who lost her position on The Price Is Right.

Multiple Models Were Dismissed Over the Years Amid Controversy

Another well-known assistant on the show, Kathleen Bradley, was also terminated on the same day as Janice Pennington. Intriguingly, Kathleen attributed her firing, along with Janice’s, directly to Bob Barker’s influence. She believed that both she and Janice were dismissed from The Price Is Right as retaliation for their testimonies in a wrongful termination lawsuit brought by a former colleague, Holly Hallstrom. Holly alleged that her dismissal was due to weight gain, a claim that Bob Barker firmly denied.

Kathleen Bradley characterized their dismissals as a form of “retaliation.” She asserted that Bob Barker was upset because their testimonies contradicted his narrative. “If I [hadn’t] had to testify, I would still be a Barker’s Beauty,” Bradley expressed in an interview with The LA Times. Bob Barker responded to these allegations by labeling them “totally unfounded,” asserting it was not within his authority to make such decisions. Both Janice and Kathleen reported that they received no adequate explanation for their firings and were not afforded a proper farewell from either Barker or the production team. Fans of The Price Is Right can stream episodes on Paramount Plus in the US.

Source: LA Times