Abuse allegations against “Millionaire” groom cause Fox to scrap rebroadcast

Monday, Feb. 21, 2000 | 9:04 a.m.

"In light of that new information, the network feels that to rebroadcast the special would be inappropriate, and consequently we have removed it from our schedule," the network said in a statement Sunday.

The cancellation was ordered by Fox Television Network chairman Sandy Grushow.

The repeat was to air Tuesday night, a week after Rockwell, a real estate investor and motivational speaker, chose a bride from a group of 50 women he had never met. The two-hour special drew a huge audience. Viewership grew from 10 million viewers in the program's first half-hour to an enormous 22.8 million in the final half-hour.

Rockwell, 42, and his new wife, emergency room nurse Darva Conger, 34, had been scheduled to return from their Caribbean cruise honeymoon Sunday night and were unavailable for comment.

But Fox contacted Rockwell, and he confirmed a restraining order had been issued against him nine years ago, The New York Times reported today.

Rockwell denied the accusations, CBS News reported today. "Relationships have ups and downs but getting physical, for me, is not an option," Rockwell told CBS.

On Saturday, the Web site TheSmokingGun.com posted court records filed against Rockwell by Debbie Goyne, who described herself as his former fiancee. She said she lived with Rockwell for more than 18 months.

Goyne's 1991 petition accuses Rockwell of shoving and slapping her, twice entering her home without permission and vandalizing her car after she broke off their engagement.

"Recently, he said he would find me and kill me," her court papers alleged.

A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge issued a restraining order prohibiting Rockwell from coming within 100 yards of Goyne for six months.

Goyne could not immediately be reached for comment. The documents listed Goyne's Redondo Beach address from nine years ago. But a phone listed to a D. Goyne in Redondo Beach was not in service today.

It was unclear how the "Millionaire" cancellation would affect Fox's plans for another such special in May, the next sweeps period.

The special sparked plenty of controversy because of its premise and format, which included women parading around in bathing suits and wedding dresses for Rockwell, who was not shown on camera until the end of the show.

Fox said it checked out Rockwell's financial records and determined he was worth "at least $2 million."

Rockwell was born Richard Balkey in Pittsburgh and now lives near San Diego. From the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s, he was a regular on the Southern California comedy club circuit and appeared on a comedy show on KFMB-TV as a geeky beach bum.

Rockwell has bought and sold several Southern California properties in recent years and told Fox he is a real estate developer.