http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/022100/marry.sml

Fox last night decided to yank a rebroadcast of its wildly popular Who Wants to Marry a Multimillionaire? special after disturbing revelations about made-for-TV groom Rick Rockwell's past.

The move was prompted by reports that Rockwell, a standup comedian, was once accused of roughing up and threatening to kill a girlfriend.

"Fox has become aware of information regarding Mr. Rockwell's past," the network said last night.

"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 one-hour repeat had been set to air tomorrow night, exactly a week after 23 million viewers tuned in to watch Rockwell, 43, choose a bride from a group of strangers.

He picked Persian Gulf War veteran and emergency-room nurse Darva Conger, 34. The two of them were scheduled to return from a honeymoon cruise last night.

Surprising details about Rockwell's life, from his starring role in a sequel to "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes" to the modest dimensions of his San Diego home, have been surfacing all week.

The real bombshell dropped Saturday, when a Web site called thesmokinggun.com dug up court documents filed by Rockwell's onetime fiancie Debbie Goyne.

"On several occasions Rick Rockwell threw me around and slapped me and hit me in my face," she wrote in the 1991 petition. "Recently, he said he would find me and kill me."

Goyne also alleged that Rockwell twice entered her home without permission and vandalized her car.

"Having lived with and known Rick for over 11/2 years, it is my belief that his elevator doesn't go all the way to the top floor," she said. "He is a person who experiences severe emotional highs and lows."

At the time, a Los Angeles judge issued a restraining order, barring Rockwell from approaching Goyne for six months. Goyne could not be reached for comment yesterday.

Rockwell's relatives said they didn't know anything about the restraining order.

"I don't know if it's true or not. How can I have a reaction to it?" said his brother, Gary Balkey.

Other questions have been raised about Rockwell.

Friends and family expressed shock that he was a multimillionaire, although Fox insisted he's worth at least $2 million on paper, with $750,000 of it in liquid assets.

And an ex-girlfriend claims Rockwell bragged he was doing the show to boost his career and could easily get the marriage annulled.

-- LOL (@ .), February 21, 2000

Answers

Notable Quotes They really said it -- notable quotes from the news:

``At the end of those two hours, if you turned down the volume of your TV and you listened real carefully, you could hear Western civilization crumbling around you.''

-- ROBERT THOMPSON, director of Syracuse University's Center for the Study of Popular Television, on Fox's ``Who Wants to Marry a Multi- Millionaire'' special.

-- 6mo (me@work.com), February 21, 2000.

You get what you pay for.....or not.....

-- Alice (looking@glass.com), February 21, 2000.

BWWWWWWaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhAAAaaaaaaaa. WHEN IT IS FOX (ONE OF THE SMUTTIEST CHANNELS ON TV) is anyone surprised that they DON'T UNDERSTAND MARRIAGE??!! WELLLLL DUHHHHHH! blonde bimbo meets the ax murderer and is anyone surprised. so much for the intelligence of fox watchers too!

-- tt (cuddluppy@aol.com), February 21, 2000.

Maybe they can come up with a sequel called "Who Wants to Marry a Rich Woman?"

-- Charles Underwood Farley (c@u.f), February 21, 2000.

Charles, if I heard correctly on Burden of Proof (CNN) today, Fox is planning just such a variant (if that's the correct word). Either way, I can't help but think that anyone who agrees to be on such a show is just a few bricks shy of a load to begin with. They'll probably be very happy together.

-- I'm Here, I'm There (I'm Everywhere@so.beware), February 21, 2000.

From today's New York Times Op-Ed page (hope this works):

-- (fox@wants.cash), February 21, 2000.

My 7 year old nephew watched the show and said "Look, that man won a woman on a gameshow!"

-- Babylon 5 (@ .), February 21, 2000.

Wonder where the bride went. Nowhere in sight today. I'm sure Fox is relieved about all the disclaimers they must have made her sign.....

-- Gia (laureltree7@hotmail.com), February 22, 2000.