David Letterman Says Someone’s Extorting Him
A blackmailer is in custody after trying to shake down David Letterman – threatening to expose the late night funnyman’s affairs with several female staffers.
The “Late Show” host, who married his girlfriend of 20 years in March, revealed the stunning plot at the taping of Thursday night’s show – and admitted he had indeed slept with several women who work for him.
A Manhattan grand jury is now investigating.
“This morning, I did something I’ve never done in my life,” Letterman, 62, told his stunned audience.
“I had to go downtown and testify before a grand jury.”
The “Late Show” host said he had received a package three weeks ago from an individual who threatened to expose his dalliances unless he coughed up a cool $2 million.
“I knew he was being blackmailed and that someone was arrested today,” Letterman’s mother and semi-regular guest, Dorothy Mengering, told The Daily News Thursday night from her home in Indiana.
“So far that’s all I know,” said Mengering, who said she heard the news from Letterman’s wife of seven months, Regina Lasko, with whom he has a son, 5-year-old Harry.
“I have not talked to him. I heard it from Regina. I’m looking forward to seeing the show to see what he has to say. I really just found out today.”
Letterman was asked at Thursday’s Grand Jury hearing if he had ever slept with a member 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,” said Letterman.
“I feel like I need to protect these people. I need to certainly protect my family.”
Letterman married Lasko, his longtime girlfriend, in March – and announced it on air.
“They say, ‘Well, why did it take you so long to get married?’ and, of course, the answer honestly is we wanted to make sure we had the prenup just right,” he joked.
“I had avoided getting married pretty good for, like, 23 years,” he said. “I secretly felt that men who were married admired me – like I was the last of the real gunslingers.”
Letterman was married once before – to his college sweetheart, Michele Cook, from 1969-1977. He dated comedienne Merrill Markoe after that, and started dating Lasko in 1986.
source: David Letterman reveals extortion plot; Blackmailer wanted $2M for ‘Late Show’ host’s sex secret [NY Daily News]
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