Gene Simmons Caught Out by Mock Marriage  8/9/06

Ultimate rock bachelor Gene Simmons was given a double taste of marriage when his new US reality TV series kicked off last night (07AUG06) - he gave one blushing bride away and was tricked into thinking he was a groom.

The KISS rocker has always shied away from marriage, even though he has been living with former Playboy pin-up Shannon Tweed for 22 years.

But marriage was on his mind on the debut of Gene Simmons' Family Jewels after he was tracked down in Las Vegas, Nevada and asked to give a bride away to her Kiss-obsessed husband-to-be.

Simmons agreed, but interrupted the quickie ceremony to remind the groom what the commitment meant, wincing, "You understand what you're about to do right?

"You're gonna marry her and that means one woman for the rest of your life."

Simmons was told to "sit down" by annoyed wedding guests.

Meanwhile, back home in Los Angeles, Tweed was planning a surprise "ambush wedding."

Tweed even hired a real Rabbi - just in case her commitment-shy longtime partner was caught up in the moment and decided to go through with the Jewish ceremony.

A nervous Simmons screamed, 'No, no, no, don't do that" when Tweed, dressed in a white trouser suit donned a veil, as a rent-a-Rabbi began a pre-marriage speech.

Simmons went through with the prank wedding but refused to let Tweed slip a wedding ring gift on his wedding finger.

He said, "The idea is to be happily unmarried, not miserable, married... What is it about marriage and women?"

The show opener ended with Simmons' confused mother calling to congratulate her son on his marriage.