The rumored new 'Jeopardy!' host was accused of harassment and discrimination at his previous job, according to reports

• Rumored new "Jeopardy!" host Mike Richards faced past allegations of harassment and discrimination.
• Richards was previously a producer on "The Price is Right" for over a decade.
• Some "The Price is Right" models said Richards discriminated against them when they were pregnant.

Mike Richards, who is reportedly set to become the new permanent "Jeopardy!" host, was accused of harassment and discrimination during his previous decade-long stint as a producer on "The Price is Right," according to past news reports compiled by the Daily Beast on Thursday.

Variety reported on Wednesday that Richards, a "Jeopardy!" executive producer, was "in advanced negotiations" with Sony, the network behind the popular game show, to step in and host long term, although the deal doesn't appear to have been finalized yet. (Sony didn't immediately respond to Insider's previous request for comment on their reported negotiations with Richards.)

The show has featured a rotating cast of high-profile guest hosts, including Robin Roberts and NFL star Aaron Rodgers, for several months after Alex Trebek, the beloved "Jeopardy!" host of 36 years, died in November 2020.

Several 'The Price is Right' models claimed they faced discrimination from Mike Richards and other producers

Fan reaction to the news that Richards is the frontrunner to take over as "Jeopardy!" host has been lukewarm at best, with some expressing disappointment at the reports on social media and arguing that "Reading Rainbow" host LeVar Burton, who has actively campaigned for the position, should be the new "Jeopardy!" host instead.

Now, the Daily Beast has compiled years-old news reports from the Los Angeles Times and The Hollywood Reporter about how some "The Price is Right" models accused Richards and other producers of discrimination and harassment.

Richards was a producer on "The Price is Right" for over a decade until 2019.

In 2010, model Sharon Stirling said in a lawsuit against CBS and "The Price Is Right" producer Fremantle Media North America that she was let go by the show's producers because of her pregnancy two years prior, although she didn't specifically name Richards in her lawsuit.

That case was ultimately dismissed by a California judge because of insufficient evidence on Stirling's part, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Also in 2010, model Brandi Cochran said in a separate lawsuit against CBS and Fremantle that Richards, as executive producer, negatively reacted to news that she was pregnant with twins and that she was given less work after her pregnancy became known, according to the Daily Beast.

Cochran's suit also alleged: "Richards decided that the models' skirts should be shorter and said that he liked the models to look as if they were going out on a date. At his suggestion, models wore bikinis on the show more frequently." (During the trial, Richards denied unfavorable treatment of Cochran, according to THR.)

Richards and the other producers eventually settled out of court with Cochran, per THR.

A year later, another "Price is Right" model, Lanisha Cole, sued Richards, fellow producer Adam Sandler (not the actor), and Fremantle. Cole's suit alleged that Richards refused to talk to her directly while he was involved in a relationship with another model, the Los Angeles Times reported.

In the same lawsuit, Cole also alleged that Sandler walked in on her while she was half-naked in the dressing room and insulted her in front of her colleagues. Cole settled her suit in 2013, after Richards had been dismissed as a defendant.

Some sources allege that Richards' stint as 'Jeopardy!' guest host was also controversial behind-the-scenes

When Richards took on his role as a guest host for "Jeopardy!" in February, he told the viewers he had to step in after a previously-scheduled guest host fell through and that he hadn't been planning to take on the role.

However, The Ringer reported on Thursday that sources close to the production told them that the guest host only had a "minor conflict" and that Richards insisted on being the replacement.

One of the unnamed show sources told The Ringer that they were surprised by Richards claiming on-air that he stepped in last minute to host the show.

Representatives for "Jeopardy!" and "The Price is Right" didn't immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.