'Cagney' star Sharon Gless weds man who saved her life-twice

"Cagney & Lacey" star Sharon Gless wept tears of joy as she married producer Barney Rosenzweig - the man who saved her life twice.

In the past three years, Barney has rescued Sharon from alcoholism and a gun-wielding fan who invaded her home.

But the lovebirds put the tough times behind them as they cooed "I do" beneath a canopy of twinkling lights in the garden of Sharon's oceanfront Malibu home on May 4.

It was the first marriage for 47-year-old Sharon. The radiant bride, who now stars in "The Trials of Rosie O'Neill," wore an off-white floor-length satin gown. Nipped in at the waist with padded shoulders, the gown was modeled after the dress Katharine Hepburn wore in the movie classic "Woman of the Year."

The teary-eyed bride and tuxedo-clad groom held hands as they exchanged vows during a romantic 20-minute sunset ceremony.

Then they treated 120 guests to a lavish reception with gourmet food and dancing to a five piece orchestra. And teetotaler Sharon toasted her 53-year-old bridegroom - who's been married twice - with raspberry diet soda.

"This is the happiest day of my life," Sharon gushed to a pal. "Barney is one in a million. He's been with me through it all."

Sharon and Barney carried on a torrid for months, while the producer was still married. Sharon was a close friend of Barney's wife-and the pressures of the secret romance drove the "Cagney" star to drink, say sources.

"Even though my doctor was telling me to stop drinking or die, the only thing that soothed my troubled conscience was booze," Sharon told a friend. "Barney insisted I go for treatment-and it saved my life."

Barney convinced Sharon to enter Minnesota's famed Hazelden drug and alcohol rehabilitation clinic in April 1988-and she beat her battle with the bottle.

In March 1990, Barney save Sharon's life a second time. She'd stormed out of his Beverly Hills mansion after a lovers' quarrel and started driving to her Studio City home.

Barney called Sharon on her car phone to apologize and begged her to come back. She did- and walking in on a deranged female fan who was hiding in her home with a rifle.

"The fan held off 36 cops for seven hours before she finally surrendered and was booked for burglar," said Sharon's friend.

"Bamev told me at the time, That woman would have probably killed Sharon if she'd entered the house."'

Until she fell for Barney, Sharon resisted marriage because she was terrified of getting divorced. She'd watched her parents' marriage fall apart after 20 years - and seen her "Cagney 'costar Tyne Daly's marriage break up after 24 years.

But Barney promised Sharon their marriage would last forever, sources say. And when his divorce became final this past January, the happy couple began making wedding plans.

After the ceremony, Barney told his bride: "At last all the pain is over. We're in love-and we're going to have a long and happy marriage."