QuoteCBS "Late Show" host David Letterman shocked his audience Thursday with the revelation that he had sexual relationships with female staffers on his show and that he has been the target of an extortion attempt because of the acts.
The 62-year-old comedian told his studio audience during the taping of Thursday night's show that he had received threats to pay someone $2 million or his relationships with female employees would be made public.
Letterman said he turned the matter over to the district attorney's office in Manhattan, which set up a sting operation that resulted in the arrest of the person behind the blackmail attempt. Letterman, who was married in March, did not offer any kind of time line as to when the sexual encounters with employees or the extortion took place.
Letterman said the man who tried to extort the money from him was caught by police after trying to cash a fake $2 million check that authorities had instructed the comedian to give to the man. Thursday morning Letterman testified against the extortionist, he said.
"This morning, I did something I've never done in my life," Letterman told his audience. "I had to go downtown and testify before a grand jury."
Letterman said his sworn testimony included acknowledgment of his sexual relationships with members of his staff.
"Would it be embarrassing if it were made public? Perhaps it would," he said. "I feel like I need to protect these people. I need to certainly protect my family."
Lisa Bloom, CNN legal analyst, said Thursday night on-air that the affairs were with "at least two female staffers."
"There are also potential civil implications..." Bloom said. "I mean sexual harassment..."
Awesome.
*shrug*
He and every other Hollywood-type. Big deal. Chicks dig money and power. :mellow:
She: Ooo, I feel something hard.
Dave: Thats my pacemaker.
The man has definitely led an odd life when it comes to his personal life. Why is it people think they can do this to him? Or is it that they do it to all celebrities and we just hear it from him?
Quote
Behind the laughs, David Letterman's life has been peppered with a scary collection of loonies and criminals.
Perhaps one of the darkest times in the talk show host's private life came in 2005 when cops uncovered a plot to kidnap Letterman's then 22-month-old son, Harry.
They arrested 43-year-old Montana handyman Kelly Allen Frank and charged him with plotting to break into the "Late Show" host's isolated 2,700-acre ranch and snatch Harry and the child's au pair. Frank wanted $5 million for their return.
Frank, who previously had served time for stalking and intimidating a woman, pleaded innocent at first but later cut a deal and copped to felony theft and other lesser charges. He was sent away for 10 years in July 2005.
Five months later, two weeks before Christmas, another wacko came out of the woodwork, this one in New Mexico.
Colleen Nestler went to a Santa Fe district judge with a complaint that sounded like a bad joke. She said Letterman was somehow expressing his desire for her through code words such as "Marry me, Oprah," signals, and eye gestures.
Dave's influence forced her to go bankrupt and caused her "mental cruelty" and "sleep deprivation," she claimed. The judge bought Nestler's complaint and granted her request to order Letterman to stay 9 feet away from her and "no longer think of her."
Letterman's lawyer quickly had the "absurd and frivolous" action rescinded.
The first and perhaps best known trouble-maker in Dave's life was Margaret Ray, a Connecticut woman who drew national attention in the late 1980s when she stole Dave's Porsche sports car and then claimed she was his wife when stopped at a New York tollbooth.
In 1993 Ray trespassed at Dave's New Canaan home and camped out on his tennis courts. She spent seven months behind bars for that violation.
A few years later Ray was arrested in Westfield, Ind., - near the Carmel home of Dave's mom, Dorothy - for allegedly trying to steal vitamins and a backpack from a store.
In 1998, the 46-year-old Ray knelt in front of a 100-car freight train near a small Colorado train and was killed. Letterman called her death "a sad end to a confused life."
Maybe alot of insane people enjoy late nite television? :)
Quote from: Caliga on October 02, 2009, 07:23:34 AM
Maybe alot of insane people enjoy late nite television? :)
Normal people are in bed at 11 pm. :yes:
Quote from: Ed Anger on October 02, 2009, 07:25:06 AM
Normal people are in bed at 11 pm. :yes:
I note that all of the Languish crazies are happily posting away at 3am each day. :smarty:
Quote from: Caliga on October 02, 2009, 07:26:11 AM
I note that all of the Languish crazies are happily posting away at 3am each day. :smarty:
And just how do you note this?
Quote from: PDH on October 02, 2009, 07:42:43 AM
And just how do you note this?
Timestamps on posts? Duh.
...and no, I'm not talking about the Euros here. I understand how time zones work.
Quote from: Caliga on October 02, 2009, 07:26:11 AM
Quote from: Ed Anger on October 02, 2009, 07:25:06 AM
Normal people are in bed at 11 pm. :yes:
I note that all of the Languish crazies are happily posting away at 3am each day. :smarty:
When I'm up at 3, I'll watch Red Eye rather than posting on Languish.
Quote from: Caliga on October 02, 2009, 07:55:40 AM
Quote from: PDH on October 02, 2009, 07:42:43 AM
And just how do you note this?
Timestamps on posts? Duh.
...and no, I'm not talking about the Euros here. I understand how time zones work.
Shhh! He's a professor. :smarty:
Quote from: Caliga on October 02, 2009, 07:55:40 AM
Quote from: PDH on October 02, 2009, 07:42:43 AM
And just how do you note this?
Timestamps on posts? Duh.
...and no, I'm not talking about the Euros here. I understand how time zones work.
They are wasting quality time which could be used to stalk Letterman.
Quote from: Caliga on October 02, 2009, 07:55:40 AM
Quote from: PDH on October 02, 2009, 07:42:43 AM
And just how do you note this?
Timestamps on posts? Duh.
...and no, I'm not talking about the Euros here. I understand how time zones work.
A bit too convenient of an explanation,
MR. LANGUISH CRAZY!
I'm still not sure I understand who he said he was protecting :unsure:
Anywho, totally aside from this, Dave just ain't what he used to be :(
Quote from: derspiess on October 02, 2009, 11:06:55 AM
I'm still not sure I understand who he said he was protecting :unsure:
Anywho, totally aside from this, Dave just ain't what he used to be :(
All the late night guys are slipping, except for Craig Ferguson. I actually like his show.
Quote from: derspiess on October 02, 2009, 11:06:55 AM
Anywho, totally aside from this, Dave just ain't what he used to be :(
I loved his show in the 80s/early 90s then lost interest. There is only so many decades the 'Top 10' can stay fresh.
Quote from: HVC on October 02, 2009, 11:12:51 AM
Quote from: derspiess on October 02, 2009, 11:06:55 AM
I'm still not sure I understand who he said he was protecting :unsure:
Anywho, totally aside from this, Dave just ain't what he used to be :(
All the late night guys are slipping, except for Craig Ferguson. I actually like his show.
I'm sure Carlos Mencia can save late-night TV. :)
Quote from: Caliga on October 02, 2009, 07:26:11 AM
Quote from: Ed Anger on October 02, 2009, 07:25:06 AM
Normal people are in bed at 11 pm. :yes:
I note that all of the Languish crazies are happily posting away at 3am each day. :smarty:
:hug:
The timestamps of many of my recent posts make for slightly disturbing reading...
Quote from: Peter Wiggin on October 02, 2009, 07:56:05 AM
Quote from: Caliga on October 02, 2009, 07:26:11 AM
Quote from: Ed Anger on October 02, 2009, 07:25:06 AM
Normal people are in bed at 11 pm. :yes:
I note that all of the Languish crazies are happily posting away at 3am each day. :smarty:
When I'm up at 3, I'll watch Red Eye rather than posting on Languish.
What the fuck is wrong with you?
I'm not crazy.
More on the story:
QuoteCBS producer arrested in Letterman extortion plot
By DAVID BAUDER
Associated Press
NEW YORK — A CBS News employee has been indicted in an extortion plot against David Letterman, who was forced to acknowledge sexual relationships with female staffers on his show after the man tried to blackmail him for $2 million, the Manhattan district attorney said today.
Robert J. (Joe) Halderman, a producer for the true-crime show "48 Hours," was arrested Thursday and indicted on one count of attempted first-degree grand larceny, punishable by five to 15 years upon conviction, District Attorney Robert Morgenthau said.
"Our concern here is extortion, and that's what we're focusing on," Morgenthau said.
The district attorney's office said Halderman left a letter and other material for Letterman early Sept. 9. He wrote that he needed "to make a large chunk of money" by selling Letterman a screenplay treatment.
The letter told Letterman that his world would "collapse around him" when information about his private life was disclosed. He said it would lead to "a ruined reputation" and severe damage to his professional and family life.
Letterman immediately contacted his lawyer, who arranged a meeting with Halderman. At the meeting, Halderman demanded $2 million to keep the material secret, the district attorney's office said. After the meeting, Letterman and his lawyer contacted the DA's office and the investigation began.
In an extraordinary monologue before millions of viewers, the late-night host admitted that he had sexual relationships with female employees. Letterman said that "this whole thing has been quite scary," but he mixed in jokes while outlining what had happened to him.
It was a shock because the 62-year-old Letterman had married longtime girlfriend Regina Lasko in March. The couple began dating in 1986 and have a son, Harry, born in November 2003. It was not immediately clear when the relationships to which Letterman admitted took place, or how long they lasted.
Fatherhood and his heart surgery in 2000 had seemed to mellow Letterman, who took over as the most popular late-night comedy host this summer after NBC replaced Jay Leno with Conan O'Brien on the "Tonight" show.
Letterman sat behind his desk to outline the scheme after a monologue that targeted some frequent foils like Sarah Palin and Dick Cheney.
Three weeks ago, Letterman said, he got in his car early in the morning and found a package with a letter saying, "I know that you do some terrible, terrible things and that I can prove that you do some terrible things." He acknowledged the letter contained proof.
He said it was terrifying "because there's something insidious about (it). Is he standing down there? Is he hiding under the car? Am I going to get a tap on the shoulder?"
A law enforcement official told the Associated Press that the district attorney's office set up the undercover sting operation at the swank Jumeirah Essex House hotel in Manhattan. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because the investigation continues.
Police detectives were in an adjoining room with recording equipment and surveillance as Letterman's attorney met with Halderman and discussed terms of the extortion, the official said.
"At one point he told the attorney that he didn't want to have to work for the rest of his life, and the number he came up with was $2 million," the law enforcement official said.
There were two subsequent meetings, with the man given a phony $2-million check at the last one. Letterman joked on his show it was like the giant ceremonial check given to winners of golf tournaments.
He told the audience that he had to testify before a grand jury on Thursday.
"I was worried for myself; I was worried for my family," he said. "I felt menaced by this, and I had to tell them all of the creepy things that I had done."
He said, "The creepy stuff was that I have had sex with women who work for me on this show. My response to that is yes, I have. Would it be embarrassing if it were made public? Yes, it would, especially for the women."
Whether they wanted to make the relationships public was up to them, he said.
"It's been a very bizarre experience," he said. "I felt like I needed to protect these people. I need to protect my family. I need to protect myself. Hope to protect my job."
CBS said in a statement that "we believe his comments speak for themselves."
Letterman's "Late Show" has been on the air since 1993. Before that, "Late Night with David Letterman" aired on NBC from 1982 to 1993.
Letterman won't be taping a show today. Tonight's show was taped Thursday.
Letterman was also the victim of a 2005 plot by a former painter on his Montana ranch to kidnap his nanny and son for a $5 million ransom. The former painter, Kelly A. Frank, briefly escaped from prison in 2007 before being recaptured.
Associated Press writers Colleen Long and Jennifer Peltz and AP Television Writer Lynn Elber contributed to this report
He said, "The creepy stuff was that I have had sex with women who work for me on this show. My response to that is yes, I have. Would it be embarrassing if it were made public? Yes, it would, especially for the women."
I don't look forward to the bash-athon that will likely hit Letterman over this. But I have to think that in addition there will be workplace legal issues over having sex with his subordinates, maybe lawsuits, or troubles with CBS which contracts his show, that will now flow out of this.
I think the wierdest twist in all this is the identity of the blackmailer.
Isn't the term blackmail racist?
Quote from: The Brain on October 02, 2009, 04:36:32 PM
Isn't the term blackmail racist?
Only if you're ignorant.
Quote from: HVC on October 02, 2009, 11:12:51 AM
Quote from: derspiess on October 02, 2009, 11:06:55 AM
I'm still not sure I understand who he said he was protecting :unsure:
Anywho, totally aside from this, Dave just ain't what he used to be :(
All the late night guys are slipping, except for Craig Ferguson. I actually like his show.
Yeah, Craig is the most consistent. He's just a funny guy, and not all of it is the accent.
Dude should have just sold the story to the tabloids. Not as much money, but a lot less prison rape.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/02/stephanie-birkitt-letterm_n_307558.html (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/02/stephanie-birkitt-letterm_n_307558.html)
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.huffingtonpost.com%2F2009-10-02-lsnl5qdavestephanie.jpg&hash=2d3fc1d058e86a7fd700467fe75b0b101865c637)
Lawtalkers, how effective will this defense be?? :unsure:
QuoteHalderman's lawyer says he has evidence that David Letterman committed sexual harassment
October 6, 2009 | 1:53 pm
Gerald Shargel, a veteran criminal defense attorney who is representing the CBS producer accused of trying to blackmail David Letterman, confirmed in an interview today that he plans to argue that the late-night host committed sexual harassment if the case goes to trial.
"I have evidence of it and I intend to share that in a courtroom," said Shargel, who is representing "48 Hours Mystery" producer Robert Joel Halderman, who prosecutors say demanded $2 million from Letterman to keep quiet about relationships the comic had with female staffers. "I think it's relevant because it's actually part of the evidence that I think the district attorney will be admitting at the trial."
The line of defense was first reported by the New York Times.
Shargel said he has not yet received any discovery from the Manhattan District Attorney's Office. "I'm doing my own independent investigation," he said.
A spokesman for Letterman declined to comment. A spokeswoman from the district attorney's office also declined to comment.
Shargel would not say whether the evidence he has relates to Stephanie Birkitt, a longtime assistant to the comic. But the lawyer said that it's "absolutely clear" that Birkitt -- who until recently was sharing a Connecticut home with Halderman -- had a relationship with Letterman.
Birkitt, 34, got her start on the "Late Show" as an intern in 1996 and went on to work as Letterman's assistant after a stint at "48 Hours." She is still with the show, according to a spokesman for Worldwide Pants, Letterman's production company, who declined to specify her current role.
Shargel admitted that arguing that Letterman committed sexual harassment could bolster the prosecution's case that Halderman had embarrassing information that the late-night host would have wanted to keep secret. But he said it also would support his defense.
"This is all about what Mr. Halderman's intent was, and I think this has some relevance to his state of mind," he said. "It's part of a larger story that I'm not going to get into now."
It remains to be seen whether a judge would allow Shargel to introduce such evidence. Jeremy Saland, a criminal defense attorney and former Manhattan assistant district attorney, said the issue was potentially relevant, but only if the defense could establish that Halderman was seeking the money on behalf of a victim of sexual harassment and not for his own gain. "A Manhattan Supreme Court judge will certainly distinguish between an attempt to dirty up Mr. Letterman by accusations of harassment and an attempt to establish the harassment as a basis for a valid legal defense," Saland said.
Shargel maintains that while Halderman deposited a $2-million check from Letterman, he did not have criminal intent and is innocent of extortion. "I'm not a big fan of trying cases in the public, but I'm dealing with a situation with someone who has an unusual degree of access to the public," Shargel said of Letterman. "He made a decision to get out ahead of the story, he made a decision to put a certain spin on the facts. All I wanted to do is get out there on behalf of my client and say, don't rush to judgment."
Read an interesting article on the history of blackmail in the NYT. First point they made is that it's a modern crime. Prior to the 19th century aristocrats cared less if everyone knew they were banging their servants. Second point they made is that is that the only difference between blackmail and a settlement with a nondisclosure agreement is good lawyering.
Quote from: merithyn on October 06, 2009, 08:20:37 PM
Lawtalkers, how effective will this defense be?? :unsure:
It's kind of like saying that stealing $2million is OK, 'cause you stole it from drug dealers.
As to how effective it'll be, it depends on how stupid a jury they get.
Quote from: merithyn on October 06, 2009, 08:20:37 PM
Lawtalkers, how effective will this defense be?? :unsure:
I believe that falls under the "two wrongs don't make a right" decision reach in Parents v. Children.
That's a lousy defense Halderman's lawyer came up with. The allegations of extortion/blackmail are separate from anything Letterman may or may not have done. Looks like the lawyer is going for some kind of slant to a whistle blower defense for his client, like Halderman was a kind of whistle blower to out Letterman's actions. What ever the idea, Halderman is screwed if that's his lawyer's method of defense.
Quote from: Admiral Yi on October 06, 2009, 08:27:18 PM
Read an interesting article on the history of blackmail in the NYT. First point they made is that it's a modern crime. Prior to the 19th century aristocrats cared less if everyone knew they were banging their servants. Second point they made is that is that the only difference between blackmail and a settlement with a nondisclosure agreement is good lawyering.
Blackmail of this sort certainly existed in the very early 19th century. A famous example was the attempted blackmail of the Duke of Wellington and others, by a courtesan who wrote extensive "memoirs" and then wrote to all the guys she claimed to have slept with (including the Duke) with an offer to leave their names *out* for a fee.
Many paid up. The Duke famously wrote back the single line:
"Publish and be damned". :D
Quote from: merithyn on October 06, 2009, 08:20:37 PM
Lawtalkers, how effective will this defense be?? :unsure:
At first blush, it seems about as effective as a domestic abuse defendant claiming "she gave me lip"
But Shargel is no moron and has been around the block, so who knows for sure?
Quote from: Admiral Yi on October 06, 2009, 08:27:18 PM
Second point they made is that is that the only difference between blackmail and a settlement with a nondisclosure agreement is good lawyering.
that's not really right, either.