Letterman Admits Sexual Affairs, Claims He Was Extorted

By PopEater / Wire Services Posted Oct 1st 2009 09:40PM

UPDATE 11:45am Friday: '48 Hours' producer indicted in extortion plot. Arrest made following hotel sting operation. Keep Reading

In a stunningly candid admission during his show on Thursday night, David Letterman admitted that he has had sexual relationships with female employees of his show, and that someone tried to extort him by releasing information about the relationships. A CBS employee has since been arrested for the alleged extortion plot.

During the taping of his CBS late-night show in New York, Letterman discussed receiving a threat to either pay $2 million or risk the relationships being made public.

"In the back seat of my car, there's a package that I don't recognize. What this is is a guy is going to write a screenplay about me and he's going to take all the terrible stuff that he knows about my life and he's going to put it into a movie unless I give him some money," Letterman explained to the audience.

"Now of course we get to what is it. What was all the creepy stuff that he was going to put into the screenplay and the movie, and the creepy stuff that I had ... sex with women who work for me on the show. Now, my response to that is yes, I have," he continued.

The network said the person who was arrested works on the true-crime show "48 Hours" and has been suspended. A person with knowledge of the investigation said the suspect is Robert J. Halderman. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because authorities have not released the suspect's name.

A "48 Hours" producer named Joe Halderman was part of a team nominated for an Emmy for outstanding continuing coverage of a news story in a news magazine in 2008. Two numbers listed for Halderman were disconnected, and a message left at a third number was not immediately returned Thursday.

RadarOnline.com was the first to report that Halderman was a suspect.

As part of the case, Letterman said in a release that he testified before a grand jury and acknowledged sexual relationships with members of his staff.

CBS spokesman Chris Ender says "Letterman's comments on the broadcast tonight speak for themselves."

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David Letterman Snapshots

** FILE ** In this image originally provided by CBS, David Letterman appears on the "Late Show with David Letterman," in this Oct. 8, 2007, file photo, in New York. Letterman acknowledged on his Thursday Oct. 1, 2009 show that he had sexual relationships with female employees and that someone tried to extort $2 million from him over the affairs. CBS says an employee has been charged with attempted grand larceny in the case. (AP Photo/John Paul Filo, CBS, File) ** MANDATORY CREDIT; NO SALES; NO ARCHIVE; NORTH AMERICA USE ONLY **

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Tags: dave letterman, DaveLetterman, david letterman, DavidLetterman, extortion, late night talk shows, LateNightTalkShows

Comments

(1071)

Friday 02 October

By Brian

Low Ranked Vote down Vote up Report this

If Bill Clinton would have been as Honest he would have never had the problems he did GO DAVE !!!

By Sherry

Highest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

How "interesting" that Dave has multiple immoral indescretions while he has a partner of 20 years (who he only recently married) and child at home, and yet always seems to have negative, destructive comments to say about people who do choose to have real values!I also find it pathetic that he can make himself the "victim" in all of this...adultery may only be wrong in the eyes of God, but that is just as horrific as the blackmail that is against the law. His audience really needs to grow up too...none of this s-called "confesson" was funny in the least.

By brian

Do people still watch that jerk? He was never funny,
never entertaining,and the ratings show it. Hes so a communist, and a womanizer--The left is finally exposing itself for what they are.

By Robert

David Letterman is not bring illegally extorted. Where is the crime? If he doesn't want to pay $2 million to keep his affair quiet then don't pay it. All that will happen is that his affair will be made public which is not illegal. It is not like one of his families lves are threatened. Same B.S. with the Bill Cosby thing. It's called capitalism.

By cantsufferfools

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It's called blackmail, you dolt, which IS illegal. As for you love of capitalism, unbridled capitalism is what caused the banking crisis. Gotta love Wall Street.

Lowest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

The left never claimed to be perfect. The right pretends to be perfect. The hypocrisy from the right is what is sickening.

By mj

Robert, your comment is undefendable. Please quote one so-called "right-winger" that ever stated that they or their party was PERFECT. It must be an actual quote from a named and known person. (Sorry if this is a repeat, but i didn't see my first attempt post.)

Sunday 04 October

By hatetheshithead

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Yeah right!!! You democrats want to save the world with someone else's money, while you live in your big houses, palaces sometimes!!Just look at Ca and all these demo celebrity creeps!! And you call Republicans hypocrits??

By Gail E. Cooper

You go, DAVE! I don't blame you. If these people did not want to be bothered with your sexual advances, they had the option of saying NO and filing sexual harassment charges with the proper authorities. Extortion is a crime and why should you have to pay people who "consensually" agreed to have sex with you. However, if you would have been a "faithful" husband, you could have avoided being placed in such an embarrassing situation. May be next time you won't be so anxious to cheat on your wife. You just can't trust ANYBODY these days!

By Vickie P

David Letterman did not make a joke out of Palin.
She simply opened her mouth and made a joke of herself.
She thought she had it all wrapped up because she is so conceited....David wad smart enough to see a joke so he took the ball and ran with it....
Keep going Dave, with the Palin jokes...I love them.

By Power

I agree Vickie P.. way to go sweetheart!

David Letterman is just doing what a comedian does and some people just don't have a sense of humor for nothing and it must really be sad to be those people with a big chip on their shoulders or is that a big log on their shoulders '-)

Friday 09 October

By mowokyboy

Let me see, what was that Republican's name in California who was talking about getting spanked by his second mistress. What was that Republican's name who was having sex in Argentina? What the Republican congressman bending over pages? What was that Senator's name having sex in men's room? Republicans - We are the family values party.

By J

Did he say specifically that it was before his marriage?

By sweetiysarcastic

Very good question. Can someone answer it for sure? I don't watch him at all unless I know in advance about a really good musical guest like he seems to have had a little more of lately. It is BEYOND time for Craig Ferguson to have that timeslot. (Though I'd be a little sad for Conan having him as competition again). I'm honestly not trying to be mean, but I just don't get and never will understand how people find Dave soooo uniquely funny or think he has a very entertaining or engaging personality.

By fnstn234

What a sanctimonious bastard! He uses his position to prey on underlings (was it only women or men too?) while showing no mercy to celebrities and politicians for the sake of his cheap jokes. I think he needs to make this right by being a guest on Conan's show and confessing all! Oh, this is just TOO delicious!!!!!

By k

It was an absolute disgrace the way David Letterman made the admission that he had sex with some of his female employees a joke, and made the story all about him being a victim. " i was afraid for my family". Oh please.
A boss sleeping with underlings is unacceptable and indecent. He has the clout and power to further careers in the industry. Any woman he made advances to would have to weigh the possibility that a no would get her fired or passed over for promotions and raises. It could be a career ender. And what of the men? How would YOU love to work for a guy who slept with some of your co-workers. Like he's not going to show them favoritism over other employees? He's a pig. And definitely NOT a victim.

By Carol Scibelli

Perfectly said!

By orchid

You should send this comment to CBS. Thanks!

Saturday 03 October

By Art

Excellent post. He took advantage of his position to have sex with multiple staff members. In any company with sexual harassment policies, admission is instant dismissal. I worked for a major NY bank and my boss was the officer in charge of enforcing the sexual harassment policy. I used to see individuals leaving his office after being fired. In fact, on person was his personal friend, and he still let him go. Letterman might not have "harassed" these women, but he took advantage of his situation. I have only watched his program a handful of times, prefering to watch a real comedian, Jay Leno. Because Letterman produces revenue for CBS, they will never fire him, as they should.

By altar3020

Serves Letterman right. Sweet, sweet, justice. Yes, Sarah, there is a God!

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