"I was qualified to be the groom -- period"

Thanks for the nice article; however, certain statements are libelous in your tome.

You clearly state:

He apparently faked much of his online risumi, which includes references to numerous companies he claims employed him, as well as his credentials as a stand-up comic: "Whether keynote speaking, hosting a charity golf roast, passing himself off as a phony 'service expert' or opening for Jay Leno in the main room at Caeser's Tahoe, Rick Rockwell's versatile skills make him a comedy hit."

The New York Times quickly deflated these claims ...

Back it up, every bit of it is true (except I opened for Leno at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, not Caesar's), and now you have to prove, it isn't in a court of law. This is a blatant attempt to defame me, again, it's called liable (sic).

Then you go on to say:

It also seems unlikely that Rockwell was anything close to a multimillionaire. Fox insisted he was worth at least $2 million on paper -- does two really equal "multi" these days? -- $750,000 of it liquid. But he lives in a modest home and there is little evidence of any work or investment history that would bring him multimillions.

How do you know what my net worth is? Where and how did you try to acquire this "evidence?" You never contacted me or any of my colleagues.

Given the title of the show "Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire?" I was qualified to be the groom -- period.

Here is my challenge: I'll open my finances to you and Salon.com. If I qualify as a participant on the show via my net worth at the time of taping, you and Salon give me yours. If not, I give you mine.

Put your money where your mouth is, Mr. Know-It-All. Let's settle this publicly, since you wish to trash me there. I will be happy to take you and your editors there to teach you a lesson about irresponsible "journalism."

Otherwise, you'll be hearing from my attorney -- see you in court, Franky. I want to see that smug look on your face evaporate when the truth is told to the people who incorrectly view you as a credible source.

-- Rick Rockwell

Salon responds: The New York Times documented extensive inconsistencies in Rockwell's risumi, and writer Frank Houston credited the Times' reporting in his commentary on the "Multi-Millionaire" controversy. We are not aware that the Times retracted the story, and Fox did not return repeated calls for comment. We appreciate Rockwell's clarification of where he opened for Jay Leno.

On the question of whether Rockwell, who Fox said is worth $2 million, is a multimillionaire: Webster's defines "multi" as "more than two, or sometimes more than one," and "multimillionaire" as "a person whose wealth amounts to many millions of dollars." But we're happy to let Rockwell use the more inclusive definition of "multi," and call himself a multimillionaire.