Darva Conger
Encyclopedia
Darva Conger is a former emergency room nurse who was selected as the winner of the reality television
show Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire?
, in 2000.
In the show, which aired as a single two-hour broadcast, on February 15, 2000, 50 women competed to be the bride of an unknown millionaire they did not see during the show, except in silhouette. At the end of the show, "millionaire" Rick Rockwell chose Conger to be his wife and married her on the spot. In addition to being wed to Rockwell, Conger also won a 3-carat (600 mg) diamond ring and more than US$100,000 in prizes. After the honeymoon
, it was announced that Conger was seeking an annulment
, saying Rockwell had misrepresented himself. The annulment was finalized on April 5, 2000. Conger was the focus of media attention for not only winning the "contest" but also for getting an annulment so quickly after the marriage.
After the show aired, Conger made numerous public comments about how she was offended by Rockwell's forcibly kissing her on stage, that they never consummated their marriage, and how the entire episode went against her set of morals. She posed nude for Playboy
magazine in the August 2000 issue. In February 2001, Conger and Rockwell appeared on The Larry King Show and sparred over comments each of them had made about the other, but Conger also said that she should not have appeared on the program at all and was overly harsh in her statements about Rockwell.
She later married physician assistant Jim Arellano in 2003 with whom she had one son, Cassius, who was later diagnosed with autism. They divorced in 2009 and she and her son currently live in Northern California while she works as an anesthetic nurse.
Conger previously served in the U.S. Air Force. At one time, she was stationed at Scott Air Force Base
, near St. Louis. She studied nursing at Southern Illinois University
at the Edwardsville and Carbondale campuses. She graduated magna cum laude
.
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
show Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire?
Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire?
Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire? is a Fox network reality show in which multi-millionaire Rick Rockwell asked Darva Conger to marry him...
, in 2000.
In the show, which aired as a single two-hour broadcast, on February 15, 2000, 50 women competed to be the bride of an unknown millionaire they did not see during the show, except in silhouette. At the end of the show, "millionaire" Rick Rockwell chose Conger to be his wife and married her on the spot. In addition to being wed to Rockwell, Conger also won a 3-carat (600 mg) diamond ring and more than US$100,000 in prizes. After the honeymoon
Honeymoon
-History:One early reference to a honeymoon is in Deuteronomy 24:5 “When a man is newly wed, he need not go out on a military expedition, nor shall any public duty be imposed on him...
, it was announced that Conger was seeking an annulment
Annulment
Annulment is a legal procedure for declaring a marriage null and void. Unlike divorce, it is usually retroactive, meaning that an annulled marriage is considered to be invalid from the beginning almost as if it had never taken place...
, saying Rockwell had misrepresented himself. The annulment was finalized on April 5, 2000. Conger was the focus of media attention for not only winning the "contest" but also for getting an annulment so quickly after the marriage.
After the show aired, Conger made numerous public comments about how she was offended by Rockwell's forcibly kissing her on stage, that they never consummated their marriage, and how the entire episode went against her set of morals. She posed nude for Playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
magazine in the August 2000 issue. In February 2001, Conger and Rockwell appeared on The Larry King Show and sparred over comments each of them had made about the other, but Conger also said that she should not have appeared on the program at all and was overly harsh in her statements about Rockwell.
She later married physician assistant Jim Arellano in 2003 with whom she had one son, Cassius, who was later diagnosed with autism. They divorced in 2009 and she and her son currently live in Northern California while she works as an anesthetic nurse.
Conger previously served in the U.S. Air Force. At one time, she was stationed at Scott Air Force Base
Scott Air Force Base
Scott Air Force Base is a base of the United States Air Force in St. Clair County, Illinois, near Belleville.-Overview:The base is named after Corporal Frank S. Scott, the first enlisted person to be killed in an aviation crash...
, near St. Louis. She studied nursing at Southern Illinois University
Southern Illinois University
Southern Illinois University is a state university system based in Carbondale, Illinois, in the Southern Illinois region of the state, with multiple campuses...
at the Edwardsville and Carbondale campuses. She graduated magna cum laude
Latin honors
Latin honors are Latin phrases used to indicate the level of academic distinction with which an academic degree was earned. This system is primarily used in the United States, Canada, and in many countries of continental Europe, though some institutions also use the English translation of these...
.