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David Letterman extorted for $2 million for banging staff members

post #1 of 92
10/2/09 at 12:00am
Thread Starter 
http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/TV/1...ons/index.html

Quote:
Letterman: I faced extortion over sexual affairs

NEW YORK (CNN) -- David Letterman told his audience Thursday that he is the victim of an alleged extortion attempt and admitted to having sexual relations with several members of his staff, according to a press release from his production company.

Letterman made the announcement during taping of the "Late Show."

"This morning, I did something I've never done in my life," Letterman told his audience, according to a release from Worldwide Pants Inc. "I had to go downtown and testify before a grand jury."

The 62-year-old funnyman said he received a package three weeks ago from a person who claimed to have information about Letterman's sexual dalliances, ultimately demanding $2 million to prevent public revelation.

Letterman said he went to the Manhattan District Attorney's office, which conducted an investigation, and an arrest was made earlier Thursday.

In his grand jury testimony, Letterman said, he revealed the relations with members of his staff.

"My response to that is, yes I have," he said. "Would it be embarrassing if it were made public? Perhaps it would. I feel like I need to protect these people -- I need to certainly protect my family."

Letterman married long-time partner Regina Lasko in March. The couple, who have been together since 1986, have a son, Harry, 6.

Letterman has been host of "Late Show with David Letterman" on CBS since 1993 after leaving NBC, where he was host of "Late Night with David Letterman" for 11 years. "Late Show" airs at 11:30 p.m. "Late Night" aired an hour later.
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post #2 of 92
10/2/09 at 12:28am
Tony Mendez finally had enough, I guess.
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post #3 of 92
10/2/09 at 1:18am
The audience clapped when Dave admitted to fucking his staff. Just Beautiful. Just Perfect.
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post #4 of 92
10/2/09 at 1:31am
He was married to one of his Late Night writers, Merrill Markoe.
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post #5 of 92
10/2/09 at 1:53am
Never go away, Dave. Live forever.
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post #6 of 92
10/2/09 at 6:00am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Subotai View Post
He was married to one of his Late Night writers, Merrill Markoe.
Who was? Because she and Dave weren't married.
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post #7 of 92
10/2/09 at 6:20am
He handled this perfectly by just coming clean and putting it all out there. What a circus it would have been if he denied it and stuff started coming out. There are a lot of baseball players that could learn a thing or two from this. People are pretty forgiving of celebrities when they just come out and say they fucked up.

Lesson learned? Guys like to fuck. Who knew!?
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post #8 of 92
10/2/09 at 6:47am
Clip
Interesting mixture of nervous and genuine laughter from the audience there.
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post #9 of 92
10/2/09 at 8:21am
David's handling of this was nothing short of Carson perfection. He'd be proud.
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post #10 of 92
10/2/09 at 8:59am
Is it weird that I actually recognized the blackmailer's name from previous work he'd done?

And yeah, that's crazy the way Dave handled it--just came right out and said, "Hey, I did this, and here are all the details." I guess when you've got your own nightly show, you can do that.
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post #11 of 92
10/2/09 at 9:20am
You will go public if you don't get two millions?

How about I go public and you get arrested?

The sleaziness of banging your subordinates aside, the way Letterman handled it was kind of awesome.
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post #12 of 92
10/2/09 at 9:21am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Timothy Q View Post
He handled this perfectly by just coming clean and putting it all out there. What a circus it would have been if he denied it and stuff started coming out. There are a lot of baseball players that could learn a thing or two from this. People are pretty forgiving of celebrities when they just come out and say they fucked up.

Lesson learned? Guys like to fuck. Who knew!?
Exactly. I mean, I think it's shitty and unprofessional that he fucked around with his staff. But that being said, when he got caught, he came clean. I mean, the choices usually boil down to - come clean and suffer the embarrassment, or deny it, get caught anyway and suffer even more embarrassment. I think he handled it in the best way he could, given the circumstances.
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post #13 of 92
10/2/09 at 9:48am
Quote:
Originally Posted by bendrix View Post
Who was? Because she and Dave weren't married.
My bad. They were just as miserable as a married couple.

But I'm glad Dave wasn't completely miserable over the last 25 years on the show. And now the name of the production company is truly significant.

That was terrific television last night. But being on that grand jury would've been mind-blowing. People on the jury must've thought it was a taped skit or something at first.
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post #14 of 92
10/2/09 at 2:46pm
It reminded me of the Michael Richards "apology" except there was no Seinfeld there motioning at the audience to not laugh. But Letterman seemed to know for the most part the reactions he'd get and played to that, probably making less awkward for the faces he could see.
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post #15 of 92
10/2/09 at 2:47pm
Don't fuck with Letterman.

Don't fuck Letterman.

Don't fuck, Letterman.
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post #16 of 92
10/2/09 at 2:50pm
I knew he was nailing Stephanie.
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post #17 of 92
10/2/09 at 2:52pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Phil View Post
Don't fuck with Letterman.

Don't fuck Letterman.

Don't fuck, Letterman.
Fantastic.
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post #18 of 92
10/2/09 at 2:55pm
I just watched the clip. Letterman, having buttoned this up and put it to bed in his personal life, is enjoying the shit out of this. He's eating pancakes on the guy's grave.
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post #19 of 92
10/2/09 at 2:56pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Subotai View Post
Tony Mendez finally had enough, I guess.
I fully expect some kind of parody involving Conan O'Brien and La Bamba.
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post #20 of 92
10/2/09 at 2:59pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Subotai View Post
And now the name of the production company is truly significant.
Awesome.
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post #21 of 92
10/2/09 at 3:00pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Moltisanti View Post
I knew he was nailing Stephanie.
Yeah, me too. Not a surprise at all.
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post #22 of 92
10/2/09 at 3:05pm
Who's Stephanie? I haven't watched Letterman lately.
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post #23 of 92
10/2/09 at 3:09pm
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/1..._n_307558.html



Honestly, I don't know what all the uproar is about. Dave wasn't married. Sure he was in a committed relationship, but I subscribe to the "if there's no ring on the finger, game on". The only factor that could be troublesome is the potential abuse of power, but two grown adults having sex isn't a crime. If Dave demanded that people sleep with him or they'd be fired, that'd be a different story. But from what I've read, I don't think that's what has happened.
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post #24 of 92
10/2/09 at 3:12pm
Sucks that Letterman had an affair. But Fuck that guy for trying to blackmail him, he's getting what he deserves. Props to Letterman for coming clean to his viewers. Not sure if it was for his own benefit (PR or guilt factor) or he felt he owed his audience the truth before all the nasty back and forth went really public, but again props to Letterman.
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post #25 of 92
10/2/09 at 3:13pm
Eww, the blackmailer was her roommate (or boyfriend)? What a scumbag.

Quote:
Aside from being incredibly funny and personable he is generous, kind, and is great fun to play catch with
Jesus.
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post #26 of 92
10/2/09 at 3:18pm
Hope that guy enjoyed ruining his own career and now possibly going to jail. I'd love to have seen his face when Dave was on TV running down the whole story.
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post #27 of 92
10/2/09 at 3:23pm
All of us have skeletons in our closets that we don't want revealed to the world. This shit was going to come out anyways, so I give him major credit for having the balls to come on the air and reveal it himself.
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post #28 of 92
10/2/09 at 3:25pm
Some on air flirting between Dave and Stephanie.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Strumvogel View Post
Clip
Interesting mixture of nervous and genuine laughter from the audience there.
I can't imagine laughing and clapping at this. It was bizarre.
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post #29 of 92
10/2/09 at 3:38pm
Quote:


Honestly, I don't know what all the uproar is about. Dave wasn't married. Sure he was in a committed relationship, but I subscribe to the "if there's no ring on the finger, game on".

The girlfriends of your male friends must looooooooooove you!
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post #30 of 92
10/2/09 at 3:40pm
Sort of agree with Diva, in that Dave only has to answer to his significant other - not to CBS, to sponsors, or to any of us.

When Stefanie is doing an impression of her "old boyfriend" in that clip, does she mean an ex, or does she mean Dave? (rimshot)
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post #31 of 92
10/2/09 at 3:46pm
I could imagine Shaffer killing the dude himself - Dexter style.
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post #32 of 92
10/2/09 at 3:53pm
Stephanie interviews Letterman


Quote:
Originally Posted by Fat Dragon View Post
The girlfriends of your male friends must looooooooooove you!
Well, its not kosher to fuck with your friend's lovers. But if I met some total stranger, what the fuck does his girlfriend have to do with me? She should put that shit on lockdown.
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post #33 of 92
10/2/09 at 4:19pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by dajuice7 View Post
Sucks that Letterman had an affair.
Not sure why people have such a problem with this, unless there was some sort of harassment or similar reprehensible behaviour involved. Letterman wasn't married until this Spring. Stephanie Birkitt (or, as Tony Mendez always called her, Stephanie Briquette) wasn't married. If this happened after Harry was born 6 years ago, it's not so great on Dave's part, but hell, he ultimately did the right thing by marrying Regina.
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post #34 of 92
10/2/09 at 4:39pm
Stephanie's bits on the show where great, her and Dave had great chemistry. Sad that it came to this though.
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post #35 of 92
10/2/09 at 5:07pm
The whole "don't poon your staff" thing is overrated anyway. I mean, it's not a great idea, but people demonize it a bit much. As long as it's consensual, there's worse things that could go on.
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post #36 of 92
10/2/09 at 5:10pm
Interesting that the extorter was a legit professional in the news business and not some typical wackadoo like the lady who used to stalk Dave or the handyman who was gonna snatch his kid a few years back.
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post #37 of 92
10/2/09 at 5:11pm
I always thought the late night hosts were bland. If anything this adds a healthy does of intrigue to the man. Bland is no longer the word I'd use to describe him


Also, his extortionist was a news producer? Why risk his job like that? He was already well off. How odd.
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post #38 of 92
10/2/09 at 5:15pm
Supposedly the guy had huge child support payments that were ruining him and he needed cash. Don't know if that's legit or Internet hooey.
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post #39 of 92
10/2/09 at 5:15pm
If fucking your superior is wrong, Hollywood would get a whole lot less laid.
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post #40 of 92
10/2/09 at 5:18pm
I am eager to see how Craig Ferguson handles this.

Seriously, the Letterman/Ferguson combo has to be the most overtly horndog late-night combo ever.
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post #41 of 92
10/2/09 at 7:46pm
Right now this story seems to me to reflect more poorly on CBS news that it does on Letterman.
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post #42 of 92
10/2/09 at 9:09pm
98 per cent of the time, extortion is FAR more loathsome than infidelity. Fuck this blackmailing scumbag right where he breathes.

And I agree with those folks who say that intra-office fucking is no big thing, unless of course superiors are applying duress to their subordinates. But Letterman doesn't really strike me as someone who would roll that way. (Bill Maher, on the other hand...)
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post #43 of 92
10/2/09 at 10:52pm


You have sensitive information about a man who spends his nights going on national television and discussing details of his personal life for the amusement of others... and your plan is to blackmail this person? Good luck.
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post #44 of 92
10/2/09 at 11:10pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by joeypants View Post
The whole "don't poon your staff" thing is overrated anyway. I mean, it's not a great idea, but people demonize it a bit much. As long as it's consensual, there's worse things that could go on.
In the "real world" it's kind of a big deal with managers. You think you would feel great if your boss was dating one of your co-workers and he gives her a raise?

The reason this behavior is frowned upon in the workplace is not moralistic, but about establishing fairness and being practical.
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post #45 of 92
10/3/09 at 12:50am
I love how people are constantly surprised by debaucherous behavior among celebrities...that much money and that much attention is going to lead to a day like this.
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post #46 of 92
10/3/09 at 3:57am
Apparently this guy was a producer on the second best show on television, 48 Hours Mystery (the best: Dateline). I hope all this doesn't change the integrity of the show.
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post #47 of 92
10/3/09 at 5:54am
And to those playing the morality card I must remind that it's easy being faithful when no one will fuck you. For people with Letterman's fame and fortune it's a whole other deal than for some schmuck working in sales at a computer company.

Plus if he wasn't using his position to pressure people to sleep with him, which he apparently wasn't, who cares who he fucked. Let him fuck his staff, his audience, the people walking by the studio. Although I bet that if it came out that it was men he was fucking the whole thing wouldn't have blown over so easily for him.
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post #48 of 92
10/3/09 at 2:25pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ambler View Post
I love how people are constantly surprised by debaucherous behavior among celebrities...that much money and that much attention is going to lead to a day like this.
Yeah, I guess we should all be lucky the girl wasn't underaged, drugged, and sodomized.
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post #49 of 92
10/3/09 at 2:38pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by tommy five-tone View Post
98 per cent of the time, extortion is FAR more loathsome than infidelity. Fuck this blackmailing scumbag right where he breathes.

And I agree with those folks who say that intra-office fucking is no big thing, unless of course superiors are applying duress to their subordinates. But Letterman doesn't really strike me as someone who would roll that way. (Bill Maher, on the other hand...)
I agree with almost everything you just said. For plenty of people, infidelity is no big deal in their relationships because it's an open relationship. However, everyone in the entire world would be mad about extortion.

And also, if she were preasured into it that would be bad, I agree. However, we cannot know those details so we have to take her and Dave's word for it.

But.. no reason for the slam on Bill Maher, I do not support that.
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post #50 of 92
10/3/09 at 2:40pm
One is a moral bad, the other is a legal bad.
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