"it's time to pay the piper": letterman tells of affairs/extortion

10/2/2009 5:25:01 AM	"it's time to pay the piper": letterman tells of affairs/extortion
layla22 Peoria, IL age: 55	(from yahoo! news 10-2-09) Letterman admits affairs after report of blackmail Dave Admits Trysts, Says He's Extortion Target By AP Television Writer David Bauder A CBS News employee is accused of trying to extort $2 million from David Letterman, forcing the late-night host to admit in an extraordinary monologue before millions of viewers 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, seeming to confuse a laughing audience at Thursday's taping about whether the story was true. The network said the person who was arrested works on the true-crime show "48 Hours" and has been suspended. Letterman's "Late Show" audience was the first to hear the story, which came as a shock since 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. 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 Dck 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?" Letterman said he called his lawyer to set up a meeting with the man, who threatened to write a screenplay and a book about Letterman unless he was given money. There were two subsequent meetings, with the man given a phony $2 million check at the last one. Letterman joked 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." Perhaps as a defense mechanism, Letterman sprinkled his remarks with jokes: "I know what you're saying," he said. "I'll be darned, Dave had sex." He said he wouldn't talk further about it, and recited a Top Ten list. But it wasn't far from his mind. During banter with actor guest Woody Harrelson, Letterman said, "I've got my own problems." It was not immediately clear when the relationships took place or how long they lasted. 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. It's the second set of embarrassing headlines for Letterman in four months. In June, he apologized to Palin for making a crude joke about the former Republican vice presidential candidate's 14-year-old daughter. Although there was a small "fire Letterman" demonstration outside of his studio later, CBS stood by its late-night star. Last fall Letterman sharply denounced Palin's running mate, John McCain, for abruptly canceling a "Late Show" appearance. Weeks of withering jokes by Letterman eventually forced McCain to come on the show and beg for forgiveness. 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. Another alleged extortion scandal surrounding a public figure, Louisville men's basketball coach Rick Pitino, similarly forced him this summer to acknowledge an affair. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- have at this topic, folks.......there are lots of angles to it........ one thought: so he got in his car and found a package...... isn't this the same man who used to regularly find a mentally ill woman in the kitchen at his country home years ago awaiting his arrival after work..... a woman who was in love with him? and isn't this the dave whose baby was subject to a kidnapping plot at the star's montana ranch one summer maybe 5 years ago? so just a thought but is he one of the richest men in the world and too cheap to buy some decent security? has mr. smart-aleck gotten in over his head this time with his audience OR his employer, who reportedly did NOT clear or authorize his revelation on his show last night? might there be sexual harassment charges to follow, such as a staffer levied against bill o'reilly? other thoughts, or other elements of this story? [Edited 10/2/2009 5:46:23 AM PST]
10/2/2009 6:36:31 AM	"it's time to pay the piper": letterman tells of affairs/extortion
layla22 Peoria, IL age: 55	something about dave which i have NEVER been able to figure out is....... he is from the heartland (indiana), had that sweet but sassy elderly mother who used to appear (and appear ready to box his ears for misdoings......) yet he and his life have attracted all these oddball happenings. is it because he has that quirky, edgy persona, under his midwest values? or is it all a vast rightwing CONSERVATIVE conspiracy-----as hillary and now bill clinton might say------- against this good LIBERAL boy?
10/2/2009 6:44:48 AM	"it's time to pay the piper": letterman tells of affairs/extortion
stargazzer Creighton, NE age: 61 online now!	If you hang with sleize you will pay & pay & pay and probibly become one David from your mom.
10/2/2009 6:47:45 AM	"it's time to pay the piper": letterman tells of affairs/extortion
paken Bonneau, SC age: 66	I can't believe anyone would be suprised at anything this scum sucking bottom feeder does.
10/2/2009 7:48:57 AM	"it's time to pay the piper": letterman tells of affairs/extortion
twohawks Bothell, WA age: 70	When you are rich and famous you can get away with just about anything.....until you get caught!
10/2/2009 10:30:35 AM	"it's time to pay the piper": letterman tells of affairs/extortion
paken Bonneau, SC age: 66	Quote from twohawks: When you are rich and famous you can get away with just about anything.....until you get caught! and even then if you are rich and famous enough.
10/2/2009 10:33:13 AM	"it's time to pay the piper": letterman tells of affairs/extortion
twohawks Bothell, WA age: 70	Yeah! I think the OJ incident is a classic example of that?
10/2/2009 10:36:37 AM	"it's time to pay the piper": letterman tells of affairs/extortion
kinkycapitalist Atlanta, GA age: 55	Hey fols, Dave is the victim here. He didn't do anything wrong. He turned in a blackmailer dumb enough to try to blackmail a guy for getting laid, repeadedly, when he was rich, witty and SINGLE. Imagine that, the beast.
10/2/2009 10:41:55 AM	"it's time to pay the piper": letterman tells of affairs/extortion
oceandive Clonfert Ireland age: 52	Quote from paken: I can't believe anyone would be suprised at anything this scum sucking bottom feeder does. ooops.......i thought you were talking about kink meister....wow...you know david letterman.?.?.?...that is way kewl...i'm basing my assumption on the statement you posted that could only be made by someone who had first hand knowledge... note to self:....stay away from rich and famous people... [Edited 10/2/2009 10:43:03 AM PST]
10/2/2009 10:45:51 AM	"it's time to pay the piper": letterman tells of affairs/extortion
swiftfalcon The Colony, TX age: 51	Quote from kinkycapitalist: Hey fols, Dave is the victim here. He didn't do anything wrong. He turned in a blackmailer dumb enough to try to blackmail a guy for getting laid, repeadedly, when he was rich, witty and SINGLE. Imagine that, the beast. He has only had a live in girlfriend for the last 20 years. Cheating is cheating. Thats what he did wrong and it put him in the situation he is in now.
10/2/2009 10:46:26 AM	"it's time to pay the piper": letterman tells of affairs/extortion
paken Bonneau, SC age: 66	Quote from oceandive: ooops.......i thought you were talking about kink meister....wow...you know david letterman.?.?.?...that is way kewl...i'm basing my assumption on the statement you posted that could only be made by someone who had first hand knowledge... note to self:....stay away from rich and famous people... I know all I want to know about that slime ball.He thought it was witty when he was attacking 16 yr old girl but not so much now that it's bitting him in the ass. [Edited 10/2/2009 10:51:02 AM PST]
10/2/2009 5:57:53 PM	"it's time to pay the piper": letterman tells of affairs/extortion
layla22 Peoria, IL age: 55	kinky, have been away all day and just back at any kind of news source, or this thread, for that matter. i saw this story when logging into yahoo upon arising today and had only the info in the initial story i printed regarding when the escapades occured. whether they were before or after his one and only marriage, which occured last march, would make a major difference in my perspective on the aspect of his private sex life. (will be looking for more details from the news as time wears on.) i chose the "time to pay the piper" thread title, as by some coincidence i had thought of that oldie by cal smith right after supper last night, and posted it last evening in a "beer drinkin', cheatin' and weepin'" country oldies thread in the 50's. news of this peculiar story brought that title back to mind in so many ways: WHO is the "piper" to be paid in this thing? the extortionist, on a get-rich scheme rope-a-doping a billionaire? the people of new york, who are pursing justice throught the grand jury process? the american people and long time fans, surprised, dismayed or disgusted by this from a celeb with one of the cleanest lifelong images for a star of his power, stature and longevity? CBS news, which MAY have a thing or two to say to their employee, mr. letterman, for his loose cannon behavior on THEIR network------which provides HIM his show? letterman, who may see criminal punishment rendered upon the man whose actions have frightened him (a package on a car seat????? good lord, i've seen enough movies i'd think it was a bomb!), embarassed him, and likely disrupted his marriage and possibly the respect of his son, when the son is old enough to put this all together? SARAH PALIN, perhaps laughing her rear off at "karma", after her two teenage daughters were shamefully smeared by this old man's dirty mind last june? or....... mrs. regina letterman............who may make vanessa bryant's $4 million dollar yellow diamond ring "peace offering" from kobe look paltry....... this is just too delicious........and too wierd.......another of those things which only seem to happen to david letterman. [Edited 10/2/2009 5:59:05 PM PST]
10/2/2009 9:08:51 PM	"it's time to pay the piper": letterman tells of affairs/extortion
hunter12gauge Bellaire, OH age: 47	It only seems that the "piper" in this case got a bit more than he bargained for, like three hots and a cot.See ya in a few years jerkwad......I hope you have homosexual tendencies,or you won't be enjoying the stay all that well.
10/3/2009 12:03:21 AM	"it's time to pay the piper": letterman tells of affairs/extortion
layla22 Peoria, IL age: 55	i heard on fox tonight that this is a very tangled "web." supposedly the perp's girlfriend was one of the women who was sexually intimate with dave. other bits i heard indicated that this has occured AFTER his marriage last march to regina lasko......which puts kinky's post into the "close only counts in horse shoes" category regarding his point about morality. am still sorting through my thoughts on this, especially as the details/facts are still somewhat scarce. i am beginning to think it was a pretty ballsy thing of letterman to do, to just flat out announce this on his show. maybe he had no other choice, though?
10/3/2009 11:10:24 AM	"it's time to pay the piper": letterman tells of affairs/extortion
foxinames Ames, IA age: 37	Letterman isn't that attractive in my eyes but as the saying goes, power is a great aphrodisiac? He has shown himself to be a total hypocrite and as for it being courageous for him to come out, why did he do this? Is it because he knew the story couldn't be suppressed forever or because he is trying to strike a blow for being an aging sexual libertine? Grow up Guy and quit picking on teenage girls.
10/3/2009 11:55:47 AM	"it's time to pay the piper": letterman tells of affairs/extortion
fzappa Oklahoma City, OK age: 52	Quote from layla22: i heard on fox tonight that this is a very tangled "web." supposedly the perp's girlfriend was one of the women who was sexually intimate with dave. other bits i heard indicated that this has occured AFTER his marriage last march to regina lasko......which puts kinky's post into the "close only counts in horse shoes" category regarding his point about morality. am still sorting through my thoughts on this, especially as the details/facts are still somewhat scarce. i am beginning to think it was a pretty ballsy thing of letterman to do, to just flat out announce this on his show. maybe he had no other choice, though? Who cares? He's not Roman Polanski...egads people he likes his privacy, he only admitted to being human because of the news from the extortioner...you Americans are Crowing again...those insignificant shiney objects...c a n ' t look a w a y. Impeach him? LOL...oh yeah, where's the posts from the RW'ers on Vetters breaking the law with his prostitutes?...Ensign hush money to the family of the woman HE had an affair with?...yall seem a bit one-sided in your "morality" demands. Vetter is running for office again...this is amusing.
10/3/2009 1:02:11 PM	"it's time to pay the piper": letterman tells of affairs/extortion
teddybear2112 Austin, TX age: 49	Quote from paken: I know all I want to know about that slime ball.He thought it was witty when he was attacking 16 yr old girl but not so much now that it's bitting him in the ass. Let me just take a guess you are a Bill O'Really supporter though right? ? ? Here you go: http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/1013043mackris1.html If Sarah Palin didn't want her family in the limelight she wouldn't have paraded them in front of all of the cameras and media. Shrub didn't, Clinton didn't, and Obama didn't but Palin damn sure did. John McSame and Plush Limpdck both attacked Chelsea Clinton, I suppose you were a McSame supporter. http://blog.radioleft.com/blog/_archives/2004/9/4/135257.html http://digg.com/politics/John_McCain_Jokes_that_Chelsea_Clinton_is_Ugly So I am sorry if it offends you that a comic makes jokes about someone that is put in the public limelight by her own mother while her mother is trying to gain public office. So as Deadeye Dck Cheney told Senator Patrick Leahy 'Go F**k Yourself.' [Edited 10/3/2009 1:18:16 PM PST]
10/3/2009 1:27:01 PM	"it's time to pay the piper": letterman tells of affairs/extortion
randomwalk_v2 Montville, NJ age: 37	The partisan scumball David Letterman got his KARMA PAYBACK for his CONSTANT "Top 10 List" nasty jokes about Sarah Palin and her family. Sucks to be you Dave.
10/3/2009 1:34:10 PM	"it's time to pay the piper": letterman tells of affairs/extortion
paken Bonneau, SC age: 66	Quote from teddybear2112: Let me just take a guess you are a Bill O'Really supporter though right? ? ? Here you go: http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/1013043mackris1.html If Sarah Palin didn't want her family in the limelight she wouldn't have paraded them in front of all of the cameras and media. Shrub didn't, Clinton didn't, and Obama didn't but Palin damn sure did. John McSame and Plush Limpdck both attacked Chelsea Clinton, I suppose you were a McSame supporter. http://blog.radioleft.com/blog/_archives/2004/9/4/135257.html http://digg.com/politics/John_McCain_Jokes_that_Chelsea_Clinton_is_Ugly So I am sorry if it offends you that a comic makes jokes about someone that is put in the public limelight by her own mother while her mother is trying to gain public office. So as Deadeye Dck Cheney told Senator Patrick Leahy 'Go F**k Yourself.' first of all don't presume to know who I support or listen to. a scum bag is a scum bag regardless of what party he belongs to.If you would care to go back and look at my post you will see that I was the first one to suggest my own govenor step down for the good of the state.You don't mess with children and if you support a sorry scim bag that does attack children then you are as big of a scum bag as he is.
10/3/2009 6:17:57 PM	"it's time to pay the piper": letterman tells of affairs/extortion
mavisbo Aurora, CO age: 42	When will the repukes get over the fact that some people have sex? 2 bad that not gettin any makes Obama haters & Palin lovers so jealous. The woman at the top of the page even says Letterman is a libertine. WTF business is it if he enjoys himself? Libertine, did he slay the Vestal Virgins in Rockafeller Center or someting or just unwind a little after the show.
10/3/2009 6:25:09 PM	"it's time to pay the piper": letterman tells of affairs/extortion
randomwalk_v2 Montville, NJ age: 37	Quote from mavisbo: When will the repukes get over the fact that some people have sex? 2 bad that not gettin any makes Obama haters & Palin lovers so jealous. The woman at the top of the page even says Letterman is a libertine. WTF business is it if he enjoys himself? Libertine, did he slay the Vestal Virgins in Rockafeller Center or someting or just unwind a little after the show." *********************** Aside from the fact that you are using a FAKE PROFILE "mavis"..... YES...let's ALL HAVE SEX with MULTIPLE INTERNS who are 1/2 OUR age....and never mind the fact that he is MARRIED**.....right?
10/3/2009 7:14:01 PM	"it's time to pay the piper": letterman tells of affairs/extortion
mavisbo Aurora, CO age: 42	Walk, U don't know Jack. Nobody has said 4 sure yet when he was doing this so unless U R some Peeping ToM pervert who was looking in his dressing room how do U know? Even less likely U know how old these women were. As long as they were legal age its nobodys business. U R blowin' it out your hind end.
10/3/2009 8:17:49 PM	"it's time to pay the piper": letterman tells of affairs/extortion
twohawks Bothell, WA age: 70	Where's that damned Letterman? He owes me some money!
10/3/2009 9:11:36 PM	"it's time to pay the piper": letterman tells of affairs/extortion
layla22 Peoria, IL age: 55	two, no stiff breeze blowin the day that kilt pic was taken? i like bagpipes and always did. i used the word piper instead of fiddler (love that music, too, in good bluegrass) when i was doing this thread title the other morning----as while the dave inspired the thread, cal smith inspired the title. probably had done too many rock threads upstairs and had "piper at the gates of dawn" somewhere in my mind. cal had come straight out of ernest tubb's texas troubadours when he did this song, his first hit. he tells the TRUTH. still waitin' to see what fiddler ole dave winds up payin'........ stay tuned, folks; you KNOW me and you KNOW i will follow this story to its end....
10/3/2009 11:19:58 PM	"it's time to pay the piper": letterman tells of affairs/extortion
teddybear2112 Austin, TX age: 49	Quote from paken: first of all don't presume to know who I support or listen to. a scum bag is a scum bag regardless of what party he belongs to.If you would care to go back and look at my post you will see that I was the first one to suggest my own govenor step down for the good of the state.You don't mess with children and if you support a sorry scim bag that does attack children then you are as big of a scum bag as he is. So in other words you voted for Obama because McSame put down Chelsea Clinton.
10/4/2009 4:40:37 AM	"it's time to pay the piper": letterman tells of affairs/extortion
paken Bonneau, SC age: 66	Quote from teddybear2112: So in other words you voted for Obama because McSame put down Chelsea Clinton. In other words it's non of your business who I voted for. If you think it's ok to attack children who have no way of defending themselves thats up to you. I was taught that we should defend and protect our children but then I'm a conservative but don't confuse that with being a Republican because that I'm not.
10/5/2009 6:56:00 AM	"it's time to pay the piper": letterman tells of affairs/extortion
layla22 Peoria, IL age: 55	another case of "this took five minutes out of a good woman's life and she isn't doing repeets" below-----per the following, which i posted on somebody else's thread on another website: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- he (letterman) is a true piece of crap.....and this comes from an early, early fan of his----up until his old man grumpiness took over and he started lashing out at palin's teenage daughters. his just desserts would be 1) cancellation of his contract by CBS, invoking a morals or moral turpitude clause AND insubordination, as he had no permission to drop that bomb on their show. (it is THEIR show, btw, as he is hired by their network and is their on their good graces.) hopefully a snarky lawyer could find grounds based on letterman's misdeeds to avoid paying him a dime on a contract cancel. 2) sexual harassment suits from the women involved, if there was ANY misuse of boss-employee relationships as governed by laws---with any settlements or awards paid by the defendant. CBS obviously had no control over the runaway ego of their arrogantly stupid star, regardless of their having provided the venue or platform for Letterman to break the law......just get another snarky lawyer for this piece of it and have his snarky talents work for CBS's interests, not Letterman's; 3) a long, slow divorce by his rather plain, "older", no-career wife---meaning she takes him for most of what he's got AND puts him through hell while she makes up her mind whether to keep him enroute to her planned divorce----when she then takes the REST of his dough; 4)tabloid story sales by insiders of letterman's miserable performance in bed; 5) his son removed from his custody with only supervised visits allowed; 6) everybody he's ever mocked on his show be brought on for a timed payback to Letterman, couched around his foolish and arrogant sexual escapades AND taking an unware audience of admiring and loyal fans along on his ride the night he announced this jazz; 7) full justice under new york law for the perp if found guilty. he allegedly terrorized Letterman with the package sneaked onto his car seat AND forced possible career damage, presumed marital discord and eventual embarassment to little Harry Letterman----who probably regarded Daddy as his hero and loved Mommy ONLY the way good Daddies do----before Letterman shat on his son and the boy's mother with this doo doo. (disclaimer: no, my husband was never unfaithful to me. he never looked at another woman in 30 years together.) draconian, aren't i? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- letterman is just getting away with too much, in slamming others for what he did himself. smart strategy, perhaps, in baring it all to an audience, but it does not lessen the offense. where is or was the liberal SNL crew on this? did they roast HIM, a liberal darling, as they did palin and her defenseless young daughters?
10/5/2009 9:04:17 AM	"it's time to pay the piper": letterman tells of affairs/extortion
fzappa Oklahoma City, OK age: 52	Didn't know Letterman was ever running for VP of the most powerful nation in the world...Layla, WHO CARES? Did he rape a child? Did he ask about burning books while he was a mayor off a town? Would SNL really think Letterman is a big enough poplular influence to tear him down? Don't think so...lame hypocracy-cry attempt. Isn't there an "entertainment" room on this board? I just don't see how any of this really matters past another celebrity news distraction....Crow shit! You guys are looking for anything "liberal" to attack and it's past LAME..
10/5/2009 9:24:10 AM	"it's time to pay the piper": letterman tells of affairs/extortion
skysoldier1cav Indianapolis, IN age: 61	This is so weird to me.The guy is an entertainer, not a priest or elected official.He was the target of a 2 million dollar extortion plot...yet some people on DH act like hes commited a HIGH CRIME...Jesus Christ--this is a goddamn Lonely Hearts Club Dating Site..everybody on here is wanting to be David Letterman AND get laid!! Give it a BREAK.
10/6/2009 6:29:09 PM	"it's time to pay the piper": letterman tells of affairs/extortion
layla22 Peoria, IL age: 55	zappa and sky , you would care if he were a right winger, like rush, beck, hannity or o'reilly. or, god forbid------SARAH PALIN caught with her pants down! we'd never hear the end of it. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- polling today revealed a significant dip in those wanting to watch his tv show. Poll: One-third 'less likely' to watch Letterman October 6, 2009 NY Post Nearly one-third of Americans say they are less likely to watch David Letterman following the funnyman's admission that he has had affairs with women who work on his CBS show, according to a poll released today. A new Rasmussen Reports survey finds that 29 percent said they are less likely to watch the show after Letterman admitted on Thursday that he was the target of an extortion plot connected to an affair he had with staffer Stephanie Birkitt. Letterman handled the scandal last night with a mixture of somber and humorous moments. After running onto the set to huge applause, and making jokes about hate mail, Letterman mentioned how chilly it was inside his house over the weekend. Then came the meat in the meal: "It did not occur to me last week when I was discussing having sex with women on the show" that they'd be hounded by the press. He continued, "Those episodes are in the past. So my apologies to them for being browbeaten and humiliated ... I'm terribly sorry that I put the staff in that position. Inadvertently, I just wasn't thinking ahead" Forty-two percent of adults still have at least a somewhat favorable opinion of Letterman, but that’s down eight points from May, while 46 percent view him unfavorably. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- letterman also whined about spending the weekend raking "hate mail" and offered that he might be the first late night host to be "impeached." he's clearly looking for a pass, despite his spoken words of contrition. "still the same"......bob seger.
10/6/2009 8:15:59 PM	"it's time to pay the piper": letterman tells of affairs/extortion
mavisbo Aurora, CO age: 42	If his wife 4gives him whats the gripe? Hes right, hes not the president & talk of running him out of his job is rediculous. Hes done nothing 2 lose custody of his child either, where do U cons get this?
10/6/2009 8:34:22 PM	"it's time to pay the piper": letterman tells of affairs/extortion
whimberly Spring, TX age: 39	Does it really matter one way or the other if he was married at the time of his affair? He was living with this woman, and has been for years. He has a child with her, so someone please explain to me when it becomes OK to have an affair, when you are in a commited realtionship with someone and LIVING with them? How is it OK? I think if any of you have been through something like this, then I doubt very seriously any of you would be sitting around shrugging your shoulders saying "O well they were just blowing off steam after work. No big deal." Give me a friggin break!
10/13/2009 3:32:25 PM	"it's time to pay the piper": letterman tells of affairs/extortion
layla22 Peoria, IL age: 55	whimberly, thank you for an excellent perspective. we have had threads about many atrocious things occuring in "man's inhumanity to man", from child abuse to peer abuse to KKK hangings and bigotry and probably even abu garib, if i went back far enough. cheating on one's spouse of partner is one of the most universally-recognized ways to destroy the trust necessary for an ongoing relationship. rearing children who are or will become aware of the dad's or mom's betrayal sends a message to the youngster, also. all has been quiet on the letterman front since this startling announcement in early october, and two nights worth of mention on his show. he even milked it for laughs, which i found most jarring of it all, and indicative of his skewed PERCEPTION of right and wrong-----despite his SPOKEN utterances that he was obligated to regain his wife's trust and was sorry for the pressure put on his staff by his announcement. other talk show hosts jibed at him gently but quickly dropped it. i see an "old boy" network or peer-protection process at work, and think it reeks. from the washington post, an excerpt below which advocates for the perspective of joe halderman, the alleged extortionist and jealous lover in this case. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Revenge, not Money, Cited As Letterman Suspect's Aim Halderman Friend Points To Jealousy After 'Embrace' By Howard Kurtz Saturday, October 10, 2009 CBS producer Robert "Joe" Halderman went after David Letterman after seeing the comedian and Halderman's girlfriend in "a very passionate embrace" a few weeks ago, a c friend of Halderman says. The account by Dr. Bob Arnot, a journalist who worked with Halderman for 15 years, suggests that the producer charged in an extortion plot against Letterman was motivated at least in part by anger. And with Halderman under indictment, his emerging version may represent an attempt to defuse the blackmail charges by maintaining that he was motivated by emotion and not money. No matter the motive, the tangled case centers on a classic love triangle: Stephanie Birkitt, Letterman's longtime assistant, had previously dated the talk-show host before moving in with Halderman. When Halderman saw the two embrace at the end of a private road near his Norwalk, Conn., home, "he felt betrayed," Arnot said in an interview Friday. " He felt he was the backup. He felt lied to. He felt very angry, more at Letterman than at his girlfriend. . . . Joe was furious, beside himself, that this was being thrown in his face." Birkitt, 34, has not addressed the matter publicly. She is on paid leave from "The Late Show". She recently finished law school at night with a loan from Worldwide Pants, which she has repaid. The Manhattan district attorney's office is not without evidence: Halderman deposited a bogus $2 million check after meetings with Letterman's lawyer that were secretly recorded by prosecutors. Arnot acknowledged that Halderman was under financial pressure because of alimony payments to two ex-wives. But Arnot said there was no change in Halderman's financial situation that would have suddenly driven him to seek a large payoff. "He wasn't going to go and extort David Letterman for $2 million out of the blue," Arnot said. With key players maintaining their silence, there is no way to independently verify Halderman's account of his roller-coaster relationship with Birkitt, who was given a recurring on-air role on Letterman's program during their romance. But it provides a road map to the strategy of Halderman's lawyer, Gerald Shargel, who has said there is much more to the story than the extortion plot described by Letterman and the DA's office. Halderman had been dating Birkitt for about four years, Arnot said, when the producer made a fateful discovery last December. Halderman found a series of letters that Birkitt had written to herself, in diary form, which "reflected that there was a continuing romantic relationship between Stephanie and her boss," Arnot said. Stunned by what he believed was evidence that Birkitt was still sexually involved with Letterman, Halderman tried to end the relationship, according to Arnot. But he said Birkitt "pleaded with him, said she would break up [with Letterman] and she would be exclusively Joe's girlfriend." The drama appeared to settle down, and Birkitt continued to receive extra pay for her "Late Show" appearances, which included comedy bits and giving out prizes. This may have been a sign of Letterman's favoritism toward his former girlfriend, or he may simply have thought she was funny on the air. On Thursday nights, when the show wrapped for the week, Arnot says, Letterman, 62, regularly drove Birkitt in his electric Tesla to Connecticut, leaving her off just down the road from Halderman's home. If Letterman and Birkitt were still romantically involved in August, when Halderman says he saw them in an embrace, it would contradict a Worldwide Pants statement that Letterman's sexual relationships with staffers predated his marriage. He wed Regina Lasko, another former "Late Show" staffer and his steady girlfriend of two decades, in March. "I don't have any animosity toward David Letterman," Arnot said. "This is Joe's side of the story here." --------------------------------------------------------------------------- well, well, well. birkett, letterman's girlfriend, apparently did much better than monica lewinsky. stephanie got law school PLUS a glam job, on-air time and extra pay out of her....."efforts." all monica got was a good blue dress ruined.
10/13/2009 7:13:11 PM	"it's time to pay the piper": letterman tells of affairs/extortion
mavisbo Aurora, CO age: 42	OK U 2 have a point about the son & being a bad example plus the hurt he dealt his wife. Still its radical 2 think they should strip him of custody. Kids need their dad as well as their mom. That's where U went overborad. As for the girlfriend shes an adult & made her choice. She just got lucky & got a richer boyfriend than U.
10/13/2009 8:28:41 PM	"it's time to pay the piper": letterman tells of affairs/extortion
whimberly Spring, TX age: 39	Quote from mavisbo: OK U 2 have a point about the son & being a bad example plus the hurt he dealt his wife. Still its radical 2 think they should strip him of custody. Kids need their dad as well as their mom. That's where U went overborad. As for the girlfriend shes an adult & made her choice. She just got lucky & got a richer boyfriend than U. Ok lets see if you can read, ok? I never said he should lose custody of his child, and I'm pretty sure Layla didn't either. The only reference I saw to him losing custody was in a post of Laylas, and that was a quote that someone else made and was from a different source. So lets try and get your facts straight, ok? Also what choice did she(his WIFE)make exactly? Did she jerk his pants down and stick his penis into another woman? I don't think so! The last statement you made is just beyond ridiculus lol, sounds like something a man would say.
10/13/2009 9:06:46 PM	"it's time to pay the piper": letterman tells of affairs/extortion
horserider4ever Leadville, CO age: 47	I only have one question regarding this post....what rich, powerful man "hasn't had an affair"?? Just saying....just wondering... I have to agree with what someone else said...I give him kudos for having the balls to admit it on national tv.
10/13/2009 9:10:12 PM	"it's time to pay the piper": letterman tells of affairs/extortion
randomwalk_v2 Montville, NJ age: 37	"I give him kudos for having the balls to admit it on national tv." *************** You give him credit and and kudos for something he was FORCED to do? Yeah....OK. This would have STILL been going on if not for the lawsuit. He "stepped up" my ass.
10/28/2009 9:54:01 PM	"it's time to pay the piper": letterman tells of affairs/extortion
layla22 Peoria, IL age: 55	random, i think he had very astute handling.....and took their advice. a former employee of his show has come out regarding the atmosphere for female staff on his show when she was there. on "the joy behar show" tonight, nell scovell said she was NOT sexually or romantically involved with letterman. she said she left due to a "hostile environment", in which she "could not flourish." she spoke of a sexist atmosphere and the lack of or minimal number of women hired for or promoted to the status of "writers" on his show. women were relegated to lowly production assistant jobs, per her account.
11/10/2009 3:24:48 PM	"it's time to pay the piper": letterman tells of affairs/extortion
layla22 Peoria, IL age: 55	an update on this, from today's NY daily news Defense: David Letterman extort plot just a 'hard-driven' deal for tell-all book by greg b. smith Prosecutors violated a CBS producer's free-speech rights to sell a tell-all book on David Letterman's randy ways when they busted him for a blackmail plot, his lawyer said Tuesday. What prosecutors say was Robert Halderman's extortion attempt was really a "hard-driven" business deal to sell rights to a screenplay about a talk show host who "fostered an environment" of sexual harassment, court papers charge. Halderman's lawyer, Gerald Shargel, came out swinging, saying the prosecutors' case "infringes on Halderman's basic First Amendment right to author and/or sell a book." Shargel asked a judge to quash the indictment, the first move in a campaign to redefine the narrative crafted by Letterman and Manhattan prosecutors. Halderman was arrested Oct. 1 on charges of trying to shake down Letterman by threatening to release details of his steamy affairs with several "Late Show " female staffers. The papers detail three meetings - two of which were recorded - at the Essex Hotel between Halderman and Letterman's lawyer, Jack Jackoway. At one point, Letterman's lawyer refers to buying "a screenplay" and "a treatment." He tries to bargain down the price, and suggests there would be a criminal prosecution - but only if Halderman takes his story elsewhere. In secretly recorded talks, Halderman demands a written contract and agrees to accept a bank check - highly traceable items Shargel says no blackmailer would seek. "A hard-driven arm's length commercial transaction does not constitute extortion," Shargel wrote. The papers indicate Halderman's defense will include charges of a hostile work environment for women at the Late Show. After his 2004 divorce, Halderman began a relationship Late Show staffer Stephanie Birkitt, who had an ongoing affair with Letterman. She moved in with Halderman in 2005, but in 2008 Halderman discovered her affair with Letterman. At the same time, he found "evidence Letterman had created and fostered an environment of workplace sexual misconduct that under any definition amounted to actionable sexual harassment," the papers charge. When Halderman confronted Birkitt in December 2008, she apologized. By the summer of 2009, Halderman realized her affair with Letterman had continued "unabated," the papers say. This time Halderman channeled his anger into his craft and began to write about what he knew, believing the story would reveal the "behind-the-scenes real life atmosphere and conduct of the "Late Show" and its host (an American cultural icon)." On Sept. 9, Halderman delivered a one-page screenplay "treatment" to Letterman's driver, with a packet of "materials" that corroborated the story, the court papers say. The materials included steamy letters written by Birkitt about her affair with Letterman. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- so it was all about a violation of free speech and had nothing to do with a shakedown or blackmail.........per the accused.
11/10/2009 4:12:28 PM	"it's time to pay the piper": letterman tells of affairs/extortion
fzappa Oklahoma City, OK age: 52	Oh, that's the lamest excuse he could come up with? That guy is going to jail and Letterman will continue to makes jokes about Palin...well she's a walking joke anyway.