‘Multimillionaire’ emerges to feed reporters, duck most of their questions

Ben Fox

Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2000 | 9:23 a.m.

ENCINITAS, Calif. - The star of "Who Wants to Marry a Multimillionaire," ended a day of seclusion Monday, emerging briefly to pass out pizzas to reporters and sidestep most of their questions about his new wife and his background.

"I would love to talk about all this stuff but I'm so busy. I have to feed all of you," a jovial Rick Rockwell said as he shoved pizzas into the faces of reporters, some of whom had been standing outside his home in the rain since dawn.

Rockwell, 42, returned from his Caribbean honeymoon Sunday night without his new wife, Darva Conger, 34, as Fox TV announced it was canceling a rebroadcast of the show after learning he was accused of hitting and threatening to kill an ex-girlfriend in 1991.

"At no time have I ever struck any of my girlfriends, ever, for any reason," Rockwell told KGTV in San Diego outside his home in Encinitas, a coastal city 25 miles north of San Diego.

By the time he emerged from his house again, at 6 p.m. Monday, Rockwell's demeanor had brightened considerably, and he laughed and joked with reporters but declined to say where his wife was or what their situation was.

"She's doing great. We talked a couple of minutes ago," he said.

Asked about the future of their marriage, he replied: "I don't know what's going to happen about that, but I think she's a great person."

Conger could not be reached Monday. A phone message left at her home was not immediately returned and a receptionist at the Thousand Oaks hospital where Conger had worked as an emergency room nurse said she was no longer employed there.

The sudden food giveaway occurred after three men who had stood guard outside Rockwell's home during the day promised repeatedly that he would come outside to talk. He finally emerged, for about five minutes, after a van arrived carrying 10 large cheese and pepperoni pizzas arrived.

The allegations of domestic violence were the latest controversy over a show that sparked widespread revulsion and interest. More than 22 million viewers tuned in as Rockwell selected Conger from 50 women and married her on national television.

As critics blasted the show as tasteless and demeaning, Fox executives were denying last week that the groom and bride were acquainted before the program.

Rockwell, a former comedian and real estate investor, also denied to KGTV that he knew Conger before the show or that the marriage was a publicity stunt.

"False rumors," he called them.

Conger is "doing well" and was not with him because "she's getting some much needed rest right now," Rockwell said Sunday.

Then, reading from a prepared statement, he addressed abuse allegations leveled in a 1991 restraining order application filed in Los Angeles County by Debbie Goyne, who described herself as his former fiancee who lived with Rockwell for 18 months.

Rockwell said the relationship "ended poorly" but that he would never hit a woman.

"I don't condone it under any circumstances. It goes against my core beliefs and I was not raised that way," he said. "You know, relationships have ups and downs, but getting physical for me is not an option."

Goyne, of Redondo Beach, accused 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 1991 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.

Fox executives canceled the rebroadcast of "Who Wants to be a Multimillionaire?" after hearing about the allegations Sunday and confirming them with Rockwell.

"He would not have been selected had this information been available," said a network source who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Rockwell told KGTV that he didn't tell Fox about the restraining order.

"I considered it a closed chapter in my life," he said, adding that he apologized for any embarrassment the issue had caused Goyne in recent days.

Goyne called the Redondo Beach Police Department on Sunday to complain about harassment by members of the media, Sgt. Tom MacIsaac told the Daily Breeze in Torrance.

"She asked me specifically, 'How can I stop the news media from bothering me?"' MacIsaac said. "I said, 'You can't."'