The David Letterman Playbook: How To Handle a Sex Scandal Like a Pro

By Jo Piazza Posted Oct 6th 2009 09:00PM

David Letterman has been pretty much on the up and up dealing with the sex scandal currently rocking his world. The fact that he hasn't been hung out to dry just yet makes us here at PopEater want to create a little primer for past and future famous cheaters (mainly a few politicians out there ... you know who you are) on how to maintain your dignity when America gets a bird's eye view into your bedroom (or your pullout couch). It won't always be pretty, as Letterman has shown, but there are a few tricks for survival. Here's a look at Dave's playbook.

Stay Local: Letterman gets props for not skipping town. South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford went AWOL for seven days, told his wife and staff (and several newspaper reporters) that he was hiking the Appalachian trail and he flew to Argentina to see his mistress. "Instead of lying about hiking in the Appalachian trails while they are off with their mistress, people should address their scandals with a dose of honesty," says Stacy Schneider, a criminal defense attorney and author of 'He Had It Coming: How to Outsmart Your Husband and Win Your Divorce.'

Outtakes From Sanford's Press Conference

Come Clean Early: For months, John Edwards denied having an affair with documentary filmmaker Rielle Hunter, saying "The story is false. It is completely untrue." He even forced a campaign staffer to confess to the affair on his behalf. "Letterman's head-on approach paid off. Because he was not 'in denial', as most scandalized politicians seem to be, about the chances the media would get its hands on the story and the public will learn the truth, he got to present his side, his way," Schneider tells PopEater.

John Edwards Comes Clean to Bob Woodruff

Leave Your Wife at Home: Letterman may have apologized to his wife Regina during his Late Show monologue, but he at least allowed her the dignity to steer clear of the cameras, unlike former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer who dragged his wife Silda onstage with him as he revealed he was spending time with prostitutes. OR former New Jersey Governor Jim McGreevey who made his wife Dina stand at his side as he declared himself a "gay American." Career and dating coach Tracey Steinberg thinks Letterman deserves only minor props for this one. "While it is true that he didn't drag his wife before the cameras like Spitzer and McGreevey, he wouldn't be in this situation if he had treated her with respect throughout their 10-plus-year relationship," Steinberg tells us.

Spitzer Resigns With Silda at His Side

McGreevey Resigns in August of 2004

Don't Get Into Icky Details: It was plenty of information when Letterman told America he had sex with women on his staff. For some people, even that might have been too much detail. But it was still better than when Bill Clinton got into the semantics of what did and did not count as sex with Monica Lewinsky. "Clinton was trying to con his way out of trouble, trying to get away with something elicit right up until the very last minute so of course he would use semantics and rhetoric," explains psychologist and author of 'Been There, Done That, Kept the Jewelry', Cooper Lawrence to PopEater. "Dave was interested in being up front right from the very beginning. If you are going to be honest, you don't need rhetoric and semantics, you need plain language."

Bill Clinton Answers Lewinsky Accusations on Jan. 26, 1998

Of course at the end of the day maybe Dave should just borrow a move from NBA star Kobe Bryant's playbook and buy his wife a big honkin' diamond ring. Pro athletes always seem to handle scandal the best. Want More Sex Scandals? See Whose Are Worse: Democrats' or Republicans'

Tags: david letterman, david letterman scandal, david letterman sex scandal, DavidLetterman, DavidLettermanScandal, DavidLettermanSexScandal

Comments

(34)

Wednesday 07 October

By Arlene

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Hoping you and your family find the strength to get through these times. You are a public figure, a man who's mistakes can be blown so out of porporion, dissapointed you didn't realize what you were doing at the time, especially the hurt you caused your wife and family...No one is perfect, I know...ther have been some ridiculous comments made over this "issue"....Personally, I am dissappointed, being a huge fan...if all is as it appears and not a publicity stunt, I wiah you all the best.Hopefully, you and your wife can get past this...Always remember: Family should always be a priority and respect of them...Your son is only a small child but you know one day he will know of this "mistake" in your life..we all make mistakes...make this your last, proving your love and fidelity to your wife and family.They are the only ones who count for anything....God Bless You and your Family Always....

Tuesday 06 October

By elrumba

So, looks like Letterman is eating crow after the Palin hoopla. What a hypocrite.__________________________________Looks like Leatherhead has meet his match with his pants down around his ankles. Too bad Davie "boy" your no better or worse than "Palin".___________But what you are is a dirt bag that is 14 years older than Palin & it shows grandpaw. Keep taking those little blue bills; limp d@ck

By IW

David you are a JERK and they need to take you off the air,you have NO talent and I think you should drink Palin's pee you creep.Rush has more class in his little finger than you have in your whole worthless body ! You slept with females on your show...how many MEN did you sleep with?If I were those ladies I wouldn't admit to sleeping with someone as UGLY as you!
GO away creep maybe Obama will givw you a job haha

By Joanne

I'm sorry, but I have a problem letting Dave Letterman off the hook so easily. What is wrong with this country when a married celebrity admits to having affairs and his audience applauds him? Dave, not only should you apologize to your wife, but you should apologize to Sarah Palin (for starters) for your appalling attempt to be funny by trying to discredit her daughter, all the while engaging in extra-marital affairs yourself. Dave, how do you sleep at night?

By Lisa2cents

Who cares? His wife should. The rest of us have no business in the bedrooms, offices or greenrooms of the world. Now this makes good television, great ratings, and who knows what else; but we should not care.

Now going back and digging-up "the people" Letterman hurt, come-on his job is to put people in the hot spot, if he didn't he'd just be a comic (and not a very good one at that) :) Just watch the show, us Canadians don't take you Americans and how you are so quick to want to see someone crash. When we want to see someone fail we send in an auditor.

By John

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David Letterman should quit, but he won't so he should be fired.

By Cookie

Dave is a Moron. He's no different than a politician. He's a Scandalous Late Night Talk Show Host. My bet is on Regina that she takes him to the cleaners. She's put up with his crap for many a years. He never gave her or his children public respect in the first place. He called his mother
instead. Didn't hear him mention his Mom during
this debacle. Didn't your Mom tell you to be careful who you loved? You go girl. Divorce him
and get on with your life. Ka-Ching!

By Tiff

WTF is wrong with some you posting??Dave admitted to affairs with woman and some of you are making stupid comments about him with men??And I'm sorry but Sarah Palin is a joke nothing more.And no woman have come forward in the past to accuse him of harassment or anything so obviously it was what the woman wanted and enjoyed.You American's are so quick to attack.Palin is a joke in my country and I thank God her and her trashy family did'nt get to Washington.It is between DL and his wife.And if he does lose his job,who cares?He has more than enough money never to have to do anything ever again. Stupid Palin Lovers.It was obviously about the older girl,the one who got preggo under Christian's Sarah's nose,while she was going on about morals.What a Crock!!!!

By howardfrankfort

He handled it like a pro because he isn't held accountable by his like minded bretheren who "report" the news.

By mick

Who he screws is between him and who he screwed and maybe his wife if it happened after he got married.
So stuff your moral outrage where the sun dose not shine.

By butchbuss00

just always remember it takes 2 do cheat
all the garbage is not in the dumps bad part of these low lifes they have much money to cover up
they go on national tv and make jokes of their problems and they get richer these girls that were with thesse low lifes such as clinton one of our worst examples of this country hes still laughing only reason that disgrace thats marrieed to him don t leave him is cause she will lose her last name cause without clinton as her last name shes nothing
wonder if shes ever hit her head on the bottom of someones desk they are all a disgrace to the country and goverment yet each day they keep lieing and cheating and laughing at the public and getting richer

By peter

the article wants to be a primer on sexual cheating. foolish article. by the way you foolish writer, how many people have letterman's platform? next time think before you wmbark on platitudes.

By Raejean

Something elicit? Hello????

Who wrote this? They're being overpaid for their online degree.

By spy

he's a sexual predator
if u think he'll be faithful to his wife in the future, u r crazy, that's how he's wired
perhaps they have an open marriage, that's between them
i guess female interns have to be at least 18, but as a parent, would u want your kid near this creap
he's got the balls to question other people's morals

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