Ex-'Price is Right' model wins suit against show
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jurors awarded nearly $777,000 Tuesday to a former "The Price is Right" model who claimed she was discriminated against by producers because of her pregnancy.
Brandi Cochran, 41, said she was rejected by the game show's producers when she tried to return to work in early 2010 after taking maternity leave.
The Superior Court jury determined her pregnancy was the reason she wasn't rehired and awarded Cochran $776,944 in the suit against producers FremantleMedia North America and The Price is Right Productions.
In their defense, producers said they were satisfied with the five models working on the show at the time Cochran sought to return.
A second phase of the trial will determine whether Cochran should be awarded punitive damages. Cochran's attorneys had asked for more than $8 million, City News Service reported.
Jurors began deliberations Thursday, telling Judge Kevin Brazile several times that they were deadlocked before reaching the verdict.
In a statement, FremantleMedia said it expects to be "fully vindicated" after an appeal, adding that it stands behind executive producer Mike Richards and the show's staff.
"We believe the verdict in this case was the result of a flawed process in which the court, among other things, refused to allow the jury to hear and consider that 40 percent of our models have been pregnant," and further "important" evidence, FremantleMedia said.
A call seeking comment from Cochran's attorney wasn't immediately returned Tuesday.
The verdict is a rare one for a program that has seen other lawsuits. Longtime host Bob Barker, who retired in 2007, was sued by some of the show's hostesses for sexual harassment and wrongful termination.
Most of the cases involving "Barker's Beauties" — the nickname given the gown-wearing women who presented prizes to contestants — ended with out-of-court settlements.
Comedian-actor Drew Carey followed Barker as the show's host.
Brandi Cochran, 41, said she was rejected by the game show's producers when she tried to return to work in early 2010 after taking maternity leave.
The Superior Court jury determined her pregnancy was the reason she wasn't rehired and awarded Cochran $776,944 in the suit against producers FremantleMedia North America and The Price is Right Productions.
In their defense, producers said they were satisfied with the five models working on the show at the time Cochran sought to return.
A second phase of the trial will determine whether Cochran should be awarded punitive damages. Cochran's attorneys had asked for more than $8 million, City News Service reported.
Jurors began deliberations Thursday, telling Judge Kevin Brazile several times that they were deadlocked before reaching the verdict.
In a statement, FremantleMedia said it expects to be "fully vindicated" after an appeal, adding that it stands behind executive producer Mike Richards and the show's staff.
"We believe the verdict in this case was the result of a flawed process in which the court, among other things, refused to allow the jury to hear and consider that 40 percent of our models have been pregnant," and further "important" evidence, FremantleMedia said.
A call seeking comment from Cochran's attorney wasn't immediately returned Tuesday.
The verdict is a rare one for a program that has seen other lawsuits. Longtime host Bob Barker, who retired in 2007, was sued by some of the show's hostesses for sexual harassment and wrongful termination.
Most of the cases involving "Barker's Beauties" — the nickname given the gown-wearing women who presented prizes to contestants — ended with out-of-court settlements.
Comedian-actor Drew Carey followed Barker as the show's host.
Why a picture of Drew and not a picture of Brandi?
Another stupid lawsuit.
It will be interesting how this plays out further/
I don't get it. Are they saying she was gone too long and they were happier with her replacement? Are they saying her pregnancy changed her body and she wasn't up to ''Bobs Beauties'' standards?
 @LipsÂ
Â
Â
No they are saying that they didn't replace her and found that they didn't need her "(they) were satisfied with the five models working on the show".
Â
Unfortunately for "The Price is Right" the law explicitly states you need to allow them to return if they follow the FMLA (I don't know if California has what Oregon does but Oregon has more restrictive laws). That regulation requires an employer to hire back a person on FMLA as long as they meet all the criteria.
Â
They should have taken her back, and then fired her. They would have been in fine with the law and still dropped down to the "five models" they felt were all they needed.
Â
Â
Drew Carey is just a creepy as Bob Barker, don't be fooled by all that fat he lost...
Why is this stupid thing on the air? Wait, stupid people that watch !!
 @Rob C 503 The ones that watch it are probably the same ones that voted for Obama, the ones that don't work and sponge off the government.
@scoreboard @Rob C 503
Trust me, there are as many stupid Republicans as there are stupid Democrats. What is it with you people who just wait for something, anything, that you think you can attach a political comment to?Â
 @scoreboard  @Rob C 503 Well, I know my grandmother used to watch when she was in her 70s and 80s collecting social security. I guess she was one of those "sponges". What a lazy woman...she should've been out there working just so scoreboard could rest easy. How selfish of her.
 @Harvey 1701  @Rob C 503 Oh please.....
Â
Are you serious? That comment is ridiculous. If your grandmother worked (and base on your comments, I'm sure she did) then she earned the right. You know the people I'm talking about. (Shaking my head)
@scoreboard .........not everything has to be politicized. Especially stupid television programming.
@scoreboard @Rob C 503 I voted for Obama. I do not watch that silly crap. I have a full time job AND am paying for my own classes @ chemeketa. So, what the hell is your point? Not all democrats fit into your fanciful way of thinking.
 @iamtroglodite  Well good for you! You should be proud but you and I both know who I am talking about.
@Rob C 503 I agree 100%. My big issue is with reality shows and so called survivor shows. There is no reality in them. I don't even pay for cable anymore; I can't stand paying to watch nothing.
I agree and disagree. I work during the day (fortunately I work from home) and don't watch the day time TV crap and very little network TV in the evening. However, I have found many good shows on non-network channels such as Discovery, A&E, History, etc. There are some good shows on but only if you pay for it. However, there is more crap than good stuff by a wide margin.