David Letterman
Alleged extortion led the late-night joker to admit affairs with show staffers.
Dec. 14, 2009 — -- Late night funnyman David Letterman shocked his TV audience this fall when he admitted that he had had sexual relationships with female members of his staff, and that someone had apparently attempted to blackmail him over those affairs.
Letterman revealed that he had received a package containing a threat to reveal his indiscretions if he didn't pay "a large sum of money" -- specified in a later communication as $2 million.
He said that the package contained a letter that said, " I know that you do some terrible terrible things and I can prove that you do these terrible things ... and sure enough what was contained in the package was proof that I do terrible, terrible things."
The alleged would-be extortionist was Robert Halderman, a CBS producer angry at Letterman for sleeping with his girlfriend, who said he would write a book and a screenplay about Letterman's life unless he was paid.
With the help of the Manhattan DA's Office, Letterman arranged to issue Halderman a phony $2 million check. Halderman was then arrested and charged. He has pleaded not guilty.
Earlier this year, Letterman announced on his show his marriage to his longtime girlfriend, Regina Lasko, mother of his son Harry.
