Darva Conger

Last updated
Darva Conger
Suzanne Stokes and Darva Conger.jpg
Darva Conger (right) being interviewed by Suzanne Stokes for Playboy in 2000
Born (1965-09-21) September 21, 1965 (age 58)
NationalityAmerican
Alma mater Southern Illinois University Edwardsville [1]
OccupationNurse anesthetist
Known for Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire?
Height5 ft 5 in (1.65 m) [2]
Spouses
Rick Rockwell
(m. 2000;ann. 2000)
Jim Arellano
(m. 2003;div. 2009)
Children1
Parent

Darva Conger (born September 21, 1965) is a former emergency department nurse who in 2000 was selected as the winner of the reality television show Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire? [3] [4]

Contents

Conger served ten years in the United States Air Force, [4] on active duty and in the reserves and was stationed at Hill Air Force Base in Utah, Scott Air Force Base, near St. Louis and also in Korea. [4] She was a medical services specialist and became a staff sergeant.

She studied nursing at Southern Illinois University at the Edwardsville and Carbondale campuses, graduating magna cum laude . [1]

Conger's mother was American actress Susan Harrison. [5]

Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire? and aftermath

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 won a 3-carat (600 mg) diamond ring and more than $100,000 in prizes. After the honeymoon, it was announced that Conger was seeking an annulment, saying Rockwell had misrepresented himself. [6] 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 forcibly kissing her on stage, that they never consummated their marriage, and how the entire episode went against her morals. [7]

In August 2000, she posed nude for Playboy magazine. [3] 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 harsh in her statements about Rockwell.

Later life

Conger faced Olga Korbut on an episode of Celebrity Boxing which aired on May 22, 2002. Conger won by unanimous decision. [2] [8]

Later, in 2003, she married physician assistant Jim Arellano, [9] with whom she had one son, Cassius. They divorced in 2009, and she and her son live in Northern California where she works as a nurse anesthetist. [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laila Ali</span> American boxer (born 1977)

Laila Amaria Ali is an American television personality and retired professional boxer who competed from 1999 to 2007. During her career, from which she retired undefeated, she held the WBC, WIBA, IWBF and IBA female super middleweight titles, and the IWBF light heavyweight title. Ali is widely regarded by many within the sport as one of the greatest female professional boxers of all time. She is the daughter of boxer Muhammad Ali.

Dating game shows are game shows that incorporates a variety of matchmaking systems and services in the form of a game with clear rules. Human matchmaking is involved only in selecting the game's contestants, who are usually selected more for the amusement value than any concern for their happiness or compatibility. The audience sees only the game; an important feature of all dating game shows is that the contestants have little or no previous knowledge of each other, and are exposed to each other only through the game, which may include viewing a photograph or at least knowing the basic criteria for participation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Susan Harrison</span> American actress (1938–2019)

Susan Stewart Harrison was an American actress. She is most famous for her appearance in the 1957 film noir classic Sweet Smell of Success as the sister for whom Burt Lancaster has an unhealthy affection, and in The Twilight Zone episode "Five Characters in Search of an Exit".

Battle of the Network Reality Stars is an American television series that aired on the Bravo cable network from August 17 until September 21, 2005. Based on the popular 1970s and 1980s television competition Battle of the Network Stars, the show consisted of thirty-three competitors from several different reality television shows. Some of the better known contestants include Adam Mesh, from the Average Joe TV series, Richard Hatch, Survivor winner, Sue Hawk, Ryan Starr and Nikki McKibbin of American Idol fame, Evan Marriott, of Joe Millionaire fame, and Will Kirby, winner of Big Brother season 2. Chip and Kim McAllister, winners of The Amazing Race 5, also participated. Veteran NBC sportscaster Mike Adamle hosted the show and featured reality reporters Trishelle Cannatella, Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth, and Bob Guiney. Austin Scarlett of Project Runway made fashion commentary in several episodes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holly Madison</span> American television personality (born 1970s)

Holly Madison is an American television personality, best known as a former girlfriend of Hugh Hefner and for her appearance in the reality television show The Girls Next Door. She also starred in her own reality series, Holly's World, which ran from 2009 to 2011. She has released two books, Down the Rabbit Hole in 2015, about her life in the Playboy Mansion and her relationship with Hefner, and The Vegas Diaries: Romance, Rolling the Dice, and the Road to Reinvention in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florence Henderson</span> American actress (1934–2016)

Florence Agnes Henderson was an American actress. With a career spanning six decades, she is best known for her starring role as Carol Brady on the ABC sitcom The Brady Bunch. Henderson also appeared in film, as well as on stage, and hosted several long-running cooking and variety shows over the years. She appeared as a guest on many scripted and unscripted television programs and as a panelist on numerous game shows. She was a contestant on Dancing with the Stars in 2010.

<i>Who Wants to Be a Millionaire</i> (American game show) American television game show

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire is an American television game show based on the format of the same-titled British program created by David Briggs, Steven Knight and Mike Whitehill and developed in the United States by Michael Davies. The show features a quiz competition with contestants attempting to win a top prize of $1,000,000 by answering a series of multiple-choice questions, usually of increasing difficulty. The program has endured as one of the longest-running and most successful international variants in the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? franchise.

<i>Flavor of Love</i> Television series

Flavor of Love is an American reality television dating game show starring Flavor Flav of the rap group Public Enemy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lisa D'Amato</span> American model

Lisa Marie D'Amato is an American recording artist, fashion model and television personality from Los Angeles. She first came into the public eye as a participant on Cycle 5 of the television series America's Next Top Model, being the eighth eliminated, and eventually went on to win Cycle 17: All Stars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tara Conner</span> American model and winner of Miss USA 2006

Tara Elizabeth Conner is an American model, television personality, and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss USA 2006 and has also competed in the Miss Teen USA and Miss Universe pageants. Apart from her role as Miss USA, Conner has been employed as a model. She was a featured model on the HDNet series Bikini Destinations in 2004, posing in Lake Tahoe. She has also held the titles Miss Kentucky Teen USA 2002, Miss Kentucky County Fair 2004, and Miss Kentucky USA 2006.

<i>Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire?</i> American reality television special

Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire? is an American reality television special in which 50 women competed in a beauty pageant-style contest to marry a wealthy man whom they had never met, with the wedding being performed at the end of the program. The show was aired by Fox as a single two-hour broadcast on February 15, 2000 and was hosted by Jay Thomas.

Celebrity Boxing is a FOX television show that aired in 2002, in which celebrities whose careers and/or notoriety had diminished were pitted against each other in exhibition boxing matches. The contestants wore headgear during the fights, which were scheduled for three rounds apiece. Two episodes of the show were aired.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sonia Couling</span> Thai model, actress and television personality

Sonia Couling(also spelled Sonia Cooling, Sonya Couling or Sonya Cooling), nickname Pim, is a Thai model, actress and television personality. She has appeared in many Thai films and TV shows, been a VJ for MTV Asia, been a host for HBO Asia and has produced and hosted Thailand's Next Top Model in 2005. Couling has also acted in Hollywood and French productions. She is of English and Thai descent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Megan Hauserman</span> American model and TV personality

Megan Hauserman is an American model and reality television personality, best known for her repeated appearances on VH1 including second season of Rock of Love with Bret Michaels, the first season of I Love Money, and Rock of Love: Charm School. After becoming a fan favorite she was offered her own dating game show: Megan Wants a Millionaire.

<i>Age of Love</i> (TV series) American TV series or program

Age of Love is an American reality TV dating series that ran for one season in Summer 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patti Stanger</span> American matchmaker, businesswoman, and television personality

Patricia Stanger is an American businesswoman, reality television personality, and founder and CEO of matchmaking service Millionaire's Club International. She is known for starring in and producing her own matchmaking reality series, The Millionaire Matchmaker, on Bravo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Buerk</span> British journalist and newsreader (born 1946)

Michael Duncan Buerk is a British journalist and newsreader. He presented BBC News from 1973 to 2002 and has been the host of BBC Radio 4's The Moral Maze since 1990. He was also the presenter of BBC One's docudrama 999 from 1992 to 2003. From 2017, Buerk also presented the TV programme Royal Recipes which ran for two series.

<i>Megan Wants a Millionaire</i> American reality TV show

Megan Wants a Millionaire was an American reality television show on VH1 in which former Rock of Love contestant Megan Hauserman has seventeen wealthy single men compete for her love. The show originated from a comment made by Hauserman during an episode of Rock of Love: Charm School, in which she stated that she ideally would like to become a "trophy wife". During the casting process for the series, VH1 asked for single men with a net worth of over $1,000,000.

Fame for 15 is an American television series that aired on The Nashville Network from October 22, 2001 to November 10, 2001.

Angie Kristine Allen Salvacion Gorbulev better known as Anji Salvacion, is a Filipino singer, actress and television personality best known for winning the tenth season of Pinoy Big Brother.

References

  1. 1 2 "St. Louis – Best Of – Best Local Girl Made Bad – Darva Conger (2000)". Riverfront Times . 2000. Retrieved November 23, 2017.
  2. 1 2 "Celebrity Boxing 2". Celebrity Boxing . May 22, 2002. FOX. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21.
  3. 1 2 Napoleon, Dr. Anthony (2003). Awakening Beauty: An Illustrated Look at Mankind's Love and Hatred of Beauty. Virtualbookworm.com. p. 60. ISBN   1589393783.
  4. 1 2 3 Huff, Richard M. (2006). Reality Television . Praeger. pp.  133–134. ISBN   0275981703.
  5. "Darva Conger: A Wrong Turn at the Altar Led to Wedding Bell Blues—and a Silver Lining". People . December 25, 2000. Retrieved April 2, 2015.
  6. Hallenbeck-Huber, Marjorie (2010). Celebrities' Most Wanted: The Top 10 Book of Lavish Lifestyles, Tabloid Tidbits, and Other Superstar Oddities. Potomac Books Inc. ISBN   978-1597975100.
  7. Oppliger, Patrice (2008). Girls gone skank: the sexualization of girls in American culture. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland and Company Inc., Publishers. p. 156. ISBN   9780786435227.
  8. Sagert, Kelly Boyer; Overman, Steven J. (2006). Icons of Women's Sport. Greenwood. p. 320. ISBN   0313385483.
  9. Clarke, Norm (November 24, 2002). "NORM!: Conger back in Vegas for bachelorette party". Las Vegas Review-Journal . Retrieved June 29, 2007.
  10. "Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire? Darva Conger's Life After Reality TV". People. September 10, 2010. Retrieved February 28, 2011.