Report cites skeleton in reality-show star’s closet

NEW YORK —  NBC is standing by its man, despite a report that the bachelor star of its new dating game had been expelled from a military program for drunkenly groping a female Navy officer.

NBC and Nash Entertainment, producer of the summer reality show “For Love or Money,” said they were unaware of the incident before casting.

The second of six episodes aired Monday night. The staged, unscripted series stars Rob Campos, a 33-year-old lawyer who chooses a potential mate from 15 women. At the show’s end, the woman will be asked to choose between Campos and a $1-million prize.

Campos’ alleged groping incident isn’t exactly the kind of publicity NBC wants for a romantic fantasy game whose success depends in large part on the appeal of its leading man.

While in a military judge’s training program in Rhode Island in 1999, Campos knocked on the door of a female acquaintance late one night, according to a report on the Web site the Smoking Gun, which has specialized in uncovering embarrassing incidents in the pasts of reality TV stars.

He was let into her suite and began grabbing the 27-year-old woman’s breasts. She kneed him in the groin, he collapsed, and she fled the room, the report said. He then allegedly vomited all over the woman’s bathroom.

Campos was expelled from his training program and ordered to undergo substance abuse treatment. The incident effectively ended his military career, the Web site alleged.

“I have apologized to NBC and Nash for not informing them about the incident,” Campos said in a statement issued Monday by NBC. “I had believed that it was a private matter that had been resolved.”

NBC did not make Campos available, and he did not object to any of the facts outlined by the Smoking Gun. He said he didn’t believe the incident was relevant to his participation in the show.

“I have acknowledged that I behaved inappropriately,” he said.

NBC believes the incident was relevant: “Clearly, this would have been material information during the screening process,” the network said in a statement.

The network said the incident was not found in any of the public records checked before Campos was cast and he didn’t tell anyone.

Production of the show has already been completed. Its two-hour premiere had solid, if unspectacular ratings. It was watched by an average of 10.2 million viewers, second in the time slot to three programs broadcast by CBS. The installment this week was seen by about 8.5 million viewers.

NBC said it wasn’t changing any of its plans to broadcast future episodes. It had no plans to tell viewers about the incident, spokeswoman Rebecca Marks said.

The Smoking Gun has posted several stories about reality stars. It found that the star of Fox’s “Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire,” Rick Rockwell, had been the subject of a restraining order.

Fox also kicked “American Idol” contestant Corey Clarke off the show earlier this year after the Web site found he had a pending assault case.