David Letterman: Target of an extortion attempt BREAKING NEWS

[enlightened thought]

finally, letterman manages to entertain me. and all it took was an extortion case.

 

[stixx]

....a straight G I respect how he went aboutthat...

...that dude that got that fake check is a moron...
I wudda asked 4 the $$ in a LV duffle...str8 CASH

 

[silverswoosh]

My man.

 

[infamousod]

Originally Posted by SenatorJeffSmith

Seems like a ratings ploy. Letterman is way past his prime.

that's a ridiculous thing to say.

Conan attracts a younger audience and Letterman attracts a somewhat older demo and is absorbing those who liked the gentlemen-like comedy of Leno. The lastthing he wanted was to be seen as adulterous which would alienate a massive audience. A show like that is very dependent on the audiences view of the host. Soit would be pretty stupid to make this a ratings ploy and if it was that guy getting arrested must really be dedicated to possibly serve jail time.

Also he has been with the same woman for years despite not being married so technically it was still cheating. Regardless, he did the gentlemanly thing andcame clean, which is also the textbook public relations move. In either case if it had come out either that he had paid off someone or if the evidence had beenouted some other way he probably would've lost his job.

 

[infamousod]

and it was probably her:

 

[pr0phecy718]

Originally Posted by AirUpHere23

Letterman's a pimp.

 

[l silky johnston l]

He did the right thing to not pay her because more than likely the story would have gone public anyway. No reason to lose 2 million dollars AND have yourreputation damaged.

 

[lobotomybeats]

Originally Posted by TheInfiniteSR

Booo this man. Leno > Letterman. Nobody cares about your personal life, especially your cheatin ++%. Get out there and make your show funny

Wow. I really hope you are kidding.

 

[nawth21]

He's been with her for 23 years, even though they recently got married. He admitted they were "affairs". And with his employees. Scum.

oh, and the extortionist wasn't the girl. It was some documentary guy from 48 Hours. Robert something or another.

 

[mez 0ne]

Ya'll are so quick to judge a man just because he is a public figure, nobody is perfect......get over it.

 

[colorway]

He handled the situation well. I can respect him for that.

 

[sneakerpimp2k8]

Originally Posted by lobotomybeats

Originally Posted by TheInfiniteSR

Booo this man. Leno > Letterman. Nobody cares about your personal life, especially your cheatin ++%. Get out there and make your show funny

Wow. I really hope you are kidding.

Jay leno sucks

 

[calibeebee]

this thread is comedy

 

[solesavage]

This is the guy

This is the manarrested for the $2 million extortion plot against David Letterman.

Robert "Joe" Halderman -- a well-respected producer for "48 Hours" -- was busted outside CBS headquartersin NYC for attempted grand larceny in the first degree.

Until recently Halderman was living with Stephanie Birkitt, Letterman's former assistant. We're told Letterman was having arelationship with Birkitt but ended it before his son was born in 2003

Read more: http://www.tmz.com/#ixzz0SnQP3HJf

 

[suckafree85]

Letterman wasnt having that.

 

[fundamental21ticket]

The woman he was an affair with is Stephanie Birkitt.� Anybody that watches Letterman the past few years should remember her being in a lot of his skits.

 

[marath0n]

Originally Posted by solesavage


This is the guy

This is the man arrested for the $2 million extortion plot against David Letterman.

Robert "Joe" Halderman -- a well-respected producer for "48 Hours" -- was busted outside CBS headquarters in NYC for attempted grand larceny in the first degree.

Until recently Halderman was living with Stephanie Birkitt, Letterman's former assistant. We're told Letterman was having a relationship with Birkitt but ended it before his son was born in 2003

Read more: http://www.tmz.com/#ixzz0SnQP3HJf

He looks hella salty.

#HNS

 

[hazeleyed honey]

[h1]Robert Joe Halderman, arrested in Letterman extortion plot, warned Dave 'world is about to collaspe'[/h1]
By Melissa Grace, Richard Huff and Corky Siemaszko
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS

Updated Friday, October 2nd 2009, 2:22 PM

Robert 'Joe' Halderman, the '48 Hours' producer arrested in a David Letterman extortion plot, was required to pay his wife $6800 a month in child support and alimony.

CBS
Stephanie Birkitt, 34, Letterman's 'Girl Friday' on the show, once lived with Halderman, according to public records.

Terrill/AP
David Letterman in 2005. He described as 'terrifying' the few weeks since the alleged extortion plot against him began to unfold.

[h3]Take our Poll[/h3]

[h4]Letterman's future[/h4]
Do you think David Letterman should resign after admitting he had affairs with staffers?
[table][tr][td][/td] [td]No - elected officials have done worse and kept their jobs.[/td] [/tr][tr][td][/td] [td]Yes - it sets a terrible example for others in postions of power and influence.[/td] [/tr][tr][td][/td] [td]Not sure.[/td] [/tr][/table]

A top CBS News producer was indicted Friday oncharges of shaking down funnyman David Letterman for $2million.

Robert "Joe" Halderman warned Letterman thathis "world is about to collapse around him" if he didn't pay him to keep quiet about sleeping with "Late Show" staffers, prosecutorssaid.

Halderman is charged with one count of attempted grand larceny - punishable by up to 5-to-15 years in jail - for trying to extort Letterman.

"The message of this indictment should be clear," Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau said. "New York City will not tolerate the coercion or extortion of anyone, be the victim rich or poor, famous or anonymous."

Halderman was hit with the charge a day after Letterman shocked fans by admitting - live on TV - that he frolicked with female staffers.

In a one-page blackmail letter that he delivered to Letterman at 6 a.m. on Sept. 9, Halderman told Letterman he needed to "make a large chunk ofmoney" and was willing to sell Letterman a "screenplay treatment" about the comedian's dalliances.

The treatment was attached to the letter in a package that contained "other materials supporting the 'screenplay treatment'," Morgenthausaid.

Ominously, Halderman's letter referred to Letterman's "beautiful and loving son" Harry, who was the target of a thwarted kidnap plot in2005.

Halderman then directed Letterman to call him by 8 a.m. to "make a deal," Morgenthau said.

Letterman immediately notified his lawyer, who set up a meeting with Halderman at the Essex House on Sept. 16, Morgenthau said.

It was there that Halderman, 51, "demanded to be paid $2 million to avoid the disclosure of the private information in his so-called 'screenplaytreatment'," said Morgenthau.

Letterman's lawyer, whose name was not released, called the cops.

Morgenthau said they set up a sting and sent Letterman's lawyer back to the Essex House for a second meeting on Sept. 23 with Halderman. Only this time,the lawyer was wearing a wire.

At their third meeting on Sept. 30, Letterman's lawyer handed Halderman a phony check for $2 million while cops sat in the adjoining room recording itall, Morgenthau said.

Halderman was arrested outside CBS News early Thursday after depositing the check at his bank in Connecticut, Morgenthau said.

The TV executive needed money - he was paying thousands of dollars in alimony and child support after his ex-wife, Patty Montet, took him to thecleaners.

The "48 Hours" producer was required to pay $6,800 a month in child and spousal support for three years in his 2004 divorce settlement, TMZ.com reported, citing court documents.

Three years later, it was reduced to $5,966.66, the records show.

Halderman and his ex sold the family home and divided the proceeds. They also split credit card bills totaling some $13,500. He also agreed to pay themedical bills and life insurance for his now 18- and 11-year-old kids.

Montet, who lives in Colorado, filed for divorce on grounds themarriage was "broken down irretrievably," records show.

In Norwalk, Conn., one Halderman neighbor called him"cocky" and "arrogant."

"Any encounter I've had with him has been unpleasant," said one, who didn't want to give his name. "He's not a nice guy. Hethinks because he's a TV executive that he can treat people like dirt."

Letterman's "Girl Friday" on the show, 34-year-old Stephanie Birkitt, once lived with Halderman, public records show.

Neighbors said Halderman lives with his 18-year-old daughter.

Letterman, 62, who married longtime girlfriend ReginaLasko in March, appeared to be setting up a comedy bit when he began his extraordinary on-air mea culpa on Thursday's show.

"I'm glad you folks are here tonight, and I'm glad you folks are in such a pleasant mood, because I have a story I'd like to tell you andthe home viewers as well," he said.

Then Letterman admitted he had indeed slept with several women who work at the show - although he did not name them.

"This morning, I did something I've never done in my life," Letterman told viewers. "I had to go downtown and testify before a grandjury. This whole thing has been quite scary."

Letterman said he "felt menaced" by Halderman.

"I had to tell them all the creepy things I had done."

The audience roared with laughter.

The laughing subsided when Letterman admitted he "had sex with women who work for me on this show" and that he told authorities about theblackmail attempt.

What followed was a "bizarre" and "terrifying few weeks," Letterman said, culminating in a grand jury appearance Thursday morning,followed by Halderman's arrest.

An insider at the "Late Show" told the Daily News Letterman "did talk with Regina before he went on the air, and every indication is that they're still together."

All the women Letterman bedded "were consenting adults," the insider said.

With Henrick Karoliszyn, Rich Schapiro, George Rush, Samuel Goldsmith and Kerry Burke

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/2009/10/02/2009-10-02_robert_j.html

 

[fundamental21ticket]

Leno, Fallon among those taking shots at Letterman

Oct. 3, 2009, 12:36 AM EST

NEW YORK (AP) -- Will David Letterman 's very public revelation of a new, very human flaw bring him closer to viewers, or will it cloud him in cliche showbiz debauchery?

That was the question many were debating Friday, the day after the CBS "Late Show" host revealed to his audience that he had sexual relationships with female employees and had been the victim of an extortion attempt to keep that information private.

Letterman unraveled the sordid story with humor, honesty and self-effacement. He may have endeared himself to some fans, but his likability has been thrown into jeopardy. Reaction poured in Friday, including from other late-night hosts.

Jay Leno, Letterman's longtime late-night rival, didn't waste a moment in addressing the situation. He kicked off his monologue on NBC's "The Jay Leno Show" with several jokes about Letterman.

He opened with: "If you came here tonight for sex with a talk show host, you've got the wrong studio."

Leno continued: "What is going on? First Conan hit his head, and then somebody tries to extort money from Letterman. I'm so glad I'm out of late night," he said, also referencing an incident last week when Conan O'Brien, the new host of the "Tonight Show," suffered a mild concussion during a skit on the program.

When Leno claimed to never have had a sexual relationship with one of his employees, the drummer of his house band, Marvin "Smitty" Smith, threw a mock fit.

Friday night's "Late Show " was taped Thursday, as was Craig Ferguson's "Late Show." (Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report" are dark on Fridays.)

Friday night's "Late Show," though, did include a moment - coincidental in retrospect - when guest Larry David unwittingly suggested that he beat Letterman's record of having the fewest number of dates for someone with a TV show.

"Oh, I don't know," replied Letterman, grinning knowingly.

O'Brien dodged the issue when guest Drew Carey brought it up.

"I would hate to be on opposite Letterman tonight with all that sex stuff going on," Carey said.

"That's got to be tough."

"No comment," O'Brien said quickly.

On NBC's "Late Night," Jimmy Fallon also worked it into his monologue: "There's a new book out called 'Why Women Have Sex' that says there are 237 reasons why women have sex. And folks, Letterman knows the top 10."

On the Web, videos of Letterman's confession were hard to find. CBS, which has an agreement with YouTube , hadn't posted any clips of the segment as of late Friday. It also didn't have the episode available on the network's own site.

The demand was clearly there. Throughout Friday, videos of his revelation were posted on YouTube without CBS' permission. Whenever they gained thousands of views, CBS had them removed.

In the comments sections of YouTube videos, the dialogue was two-sided as some came to Letterman's defense, while others were critical. Similar lines were drawn on Twitter, where Letterman was one of the most tweeted-about subjects. He evoked both sympathy and disgust, as he did in comments posted in blogs and on social networks.

Referring to Thursday's studio audience, which laughed through parts of Letterman's somewhat comical telling of the story, New York Times columnist David Carr tweeted: "Aw, now Letterman is his own punchline. Yuck."

A running Internet joke seen on sites such as YouTube and Facebook involved a pun on the name of Letterman's production company, World Wide Pants Inc.

On YouTube, videos of different woman who have worked on-air at the "Late Show " were circulating. Most were of Stephanie Birkitt, the sometimes on-air assistant who lived in Norwalk, Conn., with the alleged extortionist, Robert J. "Joe" Halderman, a producer for the true-crime show "48 Hours Mystery."

For several years, Birkitt regularly appeared on the "Late Show," often aiding Letterman in his audience interactions. Videos of her cameos circulated widely as the Web sought glimpses of her.

Ben McConnell, a marketing expert and author, blogged that Letterman had gotten in front of the story "in this Twitter-driven world." He wrote: "Letterman has certainly neutralized far worse rumor-mongering that could have quickly spiraled, jeopardizing his reputation, maybe even his job."

Like many blogs, Gawker.com was trolling through "Late Show" archives to find evidence of hypocrisy in Letterman's various jokes about infidelity through the years. Gawker wrote that the 62-year-old host was "haunted by the ghosts of Monica Lewinsky jokes past" and linked to old videos and top 10 lists of the "Late Show."

Other sleuthing was going on, too, as those following the sordid story looked for information on the less famous players involved. Halderman's Facebook page (which features a photo of him lounging in an Adirondack chair) had its personal information deleted.


Who the hell is Jimmy Fallon to take shots at Letterman

. Leno justmentions it and doesn't really takes jab at the issue. I know Conan, Jimmy Kimmel, and John Stewart will most likely not say anything bad because they allidolized Letterman.

 

[chris boshs neck]

Stephanie Birkitt is jokes this is some funny !%*@

 

[fundamental21ticket]

Originally Posted by Fundamental21Ticket

Leno, Fallon among those taking shots at Letterman

Oct. 3, 2009, 12:36 AM EST

NEW YORK (AP) -- Will David Letterman 's very public revelation of a new, very human flaw bring him closer to viewers, or will it cloud him in cliche showbiz debauchery?

That was the question many were debating Friday, the day after the CBS "Late Show" host revealed to his audience that he had sexual relationships with female employees and had been the victim of an extortion attempt to keep that information private.

Letterman unraveled the sordid story with humor, honesty and self-effacement. He may have endeared himself to some fans, but his likability has been thrown into jeopardy. Reaction poured in Friday, including from other late-night hosts.

Jay Leno, Letterman's longtime late-night rival, didn't waste a moment in addressing the situation. He kicked off his monologue on NBC's "The Jay Leno Show" with several jokes about Letterman.

He opened with: "If you came here tonight for sex with a talk show host, you've got the wrong studio."

Leno continued: "What is going on? First Conan hit his head, and then somebody tries to extort money from Letterman. I'm so glad I'm out of late night," he said, also referencing an incident last week when Conan O'Brien, the new host of the "Tonight Show," suffered a mild concussion during a skit on the program.

When Leno claimed to never have had a sexual relationship with one of his employees, the drummer of his house band, Marvin "Smitty" Smith, threw a mock fit.

Friday night's "Late Show " was taped Thursday, as was Craig Ferguson's "Late Show." (Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report" are dark on Fridays.)

Friday night's "Late Show," though, did include a moment - coincidental in retrospect - when guest Larry David unwittingly suggested that he beat Letterman's record of having the fewest number of dates for someone with a TV show.

"Oh, I don't know," replied Letterman, grinning knowingly.

O'Brien dodged the issue when guest Drew Carey brought it up.

"I would hate to be on opposite Letterman tonight with all that sex stuff going on," Carey said.

"That's got to be tough."

"No comment," O'Brien said quickly.

On NBC's "Late Night," Jimmy Fallon also worked it into his monologue: "There's a new book out called 'Why Women Have Sex' that says there are 237 reasons why women have sex. And folks, Letterman knows the top 10."

On the Web, videos of Letterman's confession were hard to find. CBS, which has an agreement with YouTube , hadn't posted any clips of the segment as of late Friday. It also didn't have the episode available on the network's own site.

The demand was clearly there. Throughout Friday, videos of his revelation were posted on YouTube without CBS' permission. Whenever they gained thousands of views, CBS had them removed.

In the comments sections of YouTube videos, the dialogue was two-sided as some came to Letterman's defense, while others were critical. Similar lines were drawn on Twitter, where Letterman was one of the most tweeted-about subjects. He evoked both sympathy and disgust, as he did in comments posted in blogs and on social networks.

Referring to Thursday's studio audience, which laughed through parts of Letterman's somewhat comical telling of the story, New York Times columnist David Carr tweeted: "Aw, now Letterman is his own punchline. Yuck."

A running Internet joke seen on sites such as YouTube and Facebook involved a pun on the name of Letterman's production company, World Wide Pants Inc.

On YouTube, videos of different woman who have worked on-air at the "Late Show " were circulating. Most were of Stephanie Birkitt, the sometimes on-air assistant who lived in Norwalk, Conn., with the alleged extortionist, Robert J. "Joe" Halderman, a producer for the true-crime show "48 Hours Mystery."

For several years, Birkitt regularly appeared on the "Late Show," often aiding Letterman in his audience interactions. Videos of her cameos circulated widely as the Web sought glimpses of her.

Ben McConnell, a marketing expert and author, blogged that Letterman had gotten in front of the story "in this Twitter-driven world." He wrote: "Letterman has certainly neutralized far worse rumor-mongering that could have quickly spiraled, jeopardizing his reputation, maybe even his job."

Like many blogs, Gawker.com was trolling through "Late Show" archives to find evidence of hypocrisy in Letterman's various jokes about infidelity through the years. Gawker wrote that the 62-year-old host was "haunted by the ghosts of Monica Lewinsky jokes past" and linked to old videos and top 10 lists of the "Late Show."

Other sleuthing was going on, too, as those following the sordid story looked for information on the less famous players involved. Halderman's Facebook page (which features a photo of him lounging in an Adirondack chair) had its personal information deleted.

Who the hell is Jimmy Fallon to take shots at Letterman

. Leno just mentions it and doesn't really takes jab at the issue. I know Conan, Jimmy Kimmel, and John Stewart will most likely not say anything bad because they all idolize Letterman.

 

[infamousod]

Fallon is desperate. you can blame his crap writers for that one and every other one he's ever spewed out. Seriously, for his show to ever be good he needsto change his demeanor and get much better writers.

 

[swish 22]

i just think its crazy that this complete ****** who tried to get $2M from dave didn't have the common sense to realize it had tobe a transfer to something like a swiss bank account. this guy went to get a check and thought he was going to deposit it like he was happy gilmore in a golftournament. he produced a crime show no less. complete moron.

 

[wawaweewa]

How is this extortion? This is blackmail.

 

[big j 33]

Conan with the respect not taking a shot at Letterman

I'll give Letterman his credit, he was upfront and honest, in an attempt to put it behind him.

Won't change the way I see him, he's still hilarious and a great host, has been for years.