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I have a preview from tonight's Late Show monologue. (see below). But, first, I've obtained an excerpt from today's taping with David Letterman apologizing for the attention and inquiries that have been aimed at his staff and family:
“I’m terribly sorry that I put the staff in that position. Inadvertently, I just wasn’t thinking ahead. And, moreover, the staff here has been wonderfully supportive to me, not just through this furor, but through all the years that we’ve been on television and especially all the years here at CBS, so, again, my thanks to the staff for, once again, putting up with something stupid I’ve gotten myself involved in.
“Now the other thing is my wife, Regina. She has been horribly hurt by my behavior, and when something happens like that, if you hurt a person and it’s your responsibility, you try to fix it. And at that point, there’s only two things that can happen: either you’re going to make some progress and get it fixed, or you’re going to fall short and perhaps not get it fixed, so let me tell you folks, I got my work cut out for me.”
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If nothing else, one must give the man kudos for his honesty.
he is so “honest” because he HAS TO BE.
this story was going to break BIG and he is trying to do damage control. if this didnt happen obviously Dave would NOT have apologized to ANYONE.
Dont you find it incredibly callous and cruel that its taking a serious court case to make him do a simple apology to his wife & staff? AND HE HAS TO DO IT ON AIR? wtf?
Why didnt he just do an apology last month for instance? you know right after apologizing to Palin and her young daughter. ???
and if his foolin around wasnt so serious like all of you pro-Letterman crowd say it is, why is he even saying he is sorry?
hmmm?
what a farce. what a comedy of errors….
He’s saying he’s sorry his staff is in this position. The one his having been the victim of extortion has caused.
But having a consensual sexual relationship with an adult is not a crime. Do you not believe comedians are allowed to have sex?
The impression I received was that Letterman wasn’t sorry for using subordinate staff members for sexual release; just sorry that the staffers were being bothered by the press.
how do you know he hasn’t apologized to his wife and staff before this, in private?
and for those of you demanding an apology for Palin, guess what, he already has!
i think while Letterman is in an apologizing mindset, he should also offer a real sincere apology to Palin and her youngest daughter dont you? what he did to both of them was horrible & disgusting.
also, Letterman is only being so “honest” because this case is going to begin and its spin control.
why didnt he offer all of these apologies a year ago? lord knows he has been cheating & sleeping around for awhile now.
Lu-ee, you’re one of the cement-headed right wingers who are still lying about that incident. It is clear to anyone with a functioning brain that Letterman was not referring to Palin’s youngest daughter with that joke, he was refering to the other daughter — the one that got knocked up out of wedlock! He already apologized but you’re all going to keep harping on it to try to exaggerate its significance. Give up, you sound pathetic. Oh, and “horrible” is a better description of Palin’s malignant lying about “death panels” that never existed and never would have existed, and “disgusting” is a better description of her greed motivated abandonment of her office as Governor.
No one is confusing who Letterman meant with that comment, it was obvious that he made reference to the wrong daughter, but really, does that make it any more acceptable? You say he was referring to the other daughter “the one that got knocked up out of wedlock!”. Wow, what about all that liberal tolerance I keep hearing about. That other daughter was also under statutory age at the time. Does that really make his comment acceptable?? It sure looks to me like Dave considers any young woman “fair game”. Nice. Real Nice.
Why are you assuming we are all liberals? Some of us just hate self righteous hypocrites who tried to shove their dogma down our throats, while singing a different tune behind close doors.Sarah and Bristol Palin seem to fit that bill nicely.One was for the middle class America and against hollywood/east coast elites, before quitting on her governorship to be a celebrity, while the other wants to promote abstinence after having her cherry popped.
“You say he was referring to the other daughter “the one that got knocked up out of wedlock!”. Wow, what about all that liberal tolerance I keep hearing about. That other daughter was also under statutory age at the time. Does that really make his comment acceptable?? It sure looks to me like Dave considers any young woman “fair game”. Nice. Real Nice”
Do you how a clue what you are talking about with this
statutory age nonsense? Don’t answer that, it was a rhetorical question.As for dave considering “any young women” fair game, guess all those men he has made fun of over the years must have been secretly young females in disguise.
it’s not a lack of liberal tolerance, it’s the hypocrisy of the abstinence-only crowd
Liberals are tolerant of a lot of things but right wing hypocrisy isn’t one of them. It’s funny how right wingers denounce unwed pregnancy if it’s in the hood, but when it’s Palin’s kid suddenly it’s a beautiful thing and “a blessing”, or they want to lock up illegal drug users until it’s that oxycontin gorging Rush Limbaugh and then they have nothing but sympathy for the drug user. And if Bristol’s sex life is off-limits as a topic why did they parade her and Levi around in front of cameras for the entire world to see (remember John McCain hugging them like they were the perfect couple instead of the dumb, irresponsible teenagers they really are?). Dave made a joke! Stop trying to exaggerate it into something more.
Lu-ee, there is nothing Letterman can say to pacify the Sarah Palin followers of this world. He apologized, but it was not “sincere” enough for you. Nothing short of handing that woman the presidency will make you all feel better. Please give us all a break with the righteous indignation you display with your dave letterman outrage. there are so many real issues affecting young women today, but I don’t think you care about that at all. the dave letterman issue is nothing more than an excuse for you to continue shoving Palin down our throats.
I would suggest that if he was being honest, he wouldn’t be in this mess to begin with. He’s confessed, which is much different.
That is ridiculous. You think Dave would have said anything if the CBS lawyers didn’t make him? He got caught and now he has no choice but to try to save face. Don’t commend him for being a douche-bag.
Ok, these replies to my post must have come from some right-wing blog or Drudge Report. The faux indignation, lack of the facts, and Sarah Palin support give you away.
And it makes me wonder if you all aren’t the same person, seeing you are all on the same theme.
Ummmmm, nooooo, many of us are regular readers of NF and just happen to have morals….
Sure you do. You only have morals that you apply to others, not yourselves.
Why would he have talked about his sexual life with his audience before this?
He is a comedian. Who cares who he sleeps with as long as its consensual which it was in this case. He’s not Polanski. Sorry the comedian told a joke about your precious Sarah Palin. Get over it.
Why laud Letterman for his honesty when it was dishonesty that got him into this mess in the first place?
Let the Top 10 Begin…
David Letterman NEEDS to STOP using his audience for his mess. He needs to quit bringing his audience into his personal life especially since some in his audience were laughing “nervously” the first announcement. Stop it Dave! You have a very long trial ahead of you and everything said now just might matter later on down the road! Please be quiet. You must be looking for the sympathy fans or maybe perhaps not.
Retire David Letterman with your legacy intact and your dignity!
It sounds like you find it more uncomfortable than he does. I think his honesty is refreshing in a very image controlled world. Part of it maybe calculated image rehab, but it seems genuine. However, from a legal perspective, he might want to shut up.
I do seem to notice that he is generally staying within his own comfort zone by only talking about it on his own show where he has absolute control.
I’m sure his publicity people are telling them that he has to appear somewhere else or run the risk of appearing like he’s trying to cover his own ass with his own show.
His “refreshing honesty” is carefully crafted word by word. It remains to be seen how well it plays when it’s deposition time.
Please, the guys an asshole and no he should not apologize to the ridicules Sarah Palin.
I don’t know why people keep saying the laughter was “nervous”–and I know you did put that in scare quotes, but, people were laughing because the story was funny. Dark, but funny. What’s hard to understand about that? I thought it was a masterful piece of storytelling, of comedy, of broadcasting, and of damage control.
Why should he retire? He’s going to do what everyone smart (yes you can argue he was dumb to get himself in this situation but …) does in this situation: apologize to everyone, perform his mea culpas, chastise himself repeatedly, “change his life”, and come out even more popular than before. If he retires he’s essentially saying “Yes, what I did was so terrible that I shouldn’t be on the air anymore polluting your lives” and his legacy, which I suspect you actually don’t care much for, is destroyed. If he shuts up about it people will assume he’s ashamed, and therefore guilty. The only smart thing to do is stay on the air and be completely frank with his audience.
Now if it comes out he has some massively deviant sexual practices, banged everything that came through the door, or there’s some horrible business between him and the guy who extorted him, that’s another story. But if it’s a couple of “affairs” (when he wasn’t married), then he’s going to be fine.
Agreed. The media (and this little Palin supporters) will try to blow this out of proportion. But the bottom line is, extramarital affairs are not illegal. Dave isn’t going to be in court for years like OJ or Michael Jackson, he didn’t rape anyone..etc. He might be facing a nasty divorce but that’s about it.
It was a brilliant move to do a preemptive strike to diffuse the backlash.
I disagree. I appreciate his honesty so much and he is an example of how to handle a hot mess, with a straightforward, take no prisoners attitude. Everybody will know about it! Why not tackle it in a way, that no other politician or celebrity has before, honestly. These rag magazines will be yacking about it for ages, why shouldn’t he??? I think you are wrong wrong wrong!!!!!!! I love that he is addressing the elephant in the room! I am proud of Dave!
Dear Dave:
Nice of you to take to the airwaves again to plead your case, but trust me, your problems are only just begining…
Signed,
A Disgusted Viewer
I just don’t get the posts here. What can anyone do to Dave besides 1. Divorce him or 2. Stop watching the show.
Dave might get divorced but he and that show are going nowhere. For every “Disgusted Viewer” like you, there are thousands of die hard fans who love Dave.
I’d LOVE to know what these “problems” are. Sounds like a threat from the inside to me.
I’m guessing Dave won’t step down anytime soon–but a departure date will eventually be announced.
This is way past spin control and falls into genuine and sincere . This is not a Hollywood apology its kind of impressive given the circumstances and humility it takes to say i’m sorry and mean it , even if ratings are involved . I can’t think of a better way to spin this and I know he has been offered several ways that don’t include his choice which made me less cynical , a very rare glimpse of a person .
Apologize for what? When will this sex phobic culture finally shed this infantile obsessiveness and step up to the 21st Century?
He should apologize for cheating on his wife (and formally girlfriend of around 20 years). I’m just gonna go out on a limb here and guess they agreed (either explicity or implicity) at the beginning not to sleep around with other people.
Who cares if you think the current value system should change; they were still operating in the old, traditional one, and he screwed up.
Obviously you have never been on the negative side of an office romance, nor have you ever lost out on a promotion to someone who had an “advantage” over you.
If you had, you’d understand why what he did was wrong.
Letterman is stepping up. ’nuff said.
…seems like Letterman is “stepping into it.”
Yes, Dave is stepping up. Just like Jimmy Swaggart.
Well evidently there is a lot more to the story than Dave is letting on. It will be interesting to hear the real story.
Howard Stern was on fire discussing this mess earlier today.
He argued the show is exciting now, because the subject is forbidden and Dave now has a lusty side – must see tv
There is more to the story than Dave is telling according to the DA.
Make that Defense Attorney. And he has to do something to earn his salary. This is pretty open and shut, they have his client on tape discussing this and he ‘cashed’ the dupe check. He can’t exactly argue the facts.
#1. “Look, you’re ugly.”
Go ahead and steal that one, hacks.
You’re finest work, Sir.
I continue to be astonished that this non-story story continues to be about the private life of Mr.Letterman, rather than the arrest – by the top rated District Attorney office in America – of a “award-winning” CBS journalist, Mr. Halderman.
His lawyer – once a mouthpiece for John Giotti – is trying to extend the current tabloid narrative on the morning tv shows.
I wish the focus would be on the lowlife who planted a threat in the guise of a “screenplay,” than ona man who has not been accussed by anyone, of anything.
I totally agree. The fascinating story is Mr. Halderman. What was up with this guy…other than a well-respected producer of 48 hours?
Give the guy a break. There’s no “right answer” now…
“I’m terribly sorry that I put the staff in that position…” Not a particularly good choice of words considering the subject.
Hard to feel sympathy for a guy who is both a serial abuser of subordinates (sexually and otherwise) and just an all around nasty son-of-a-bitch.
I think it’s time to call it a day Dave.
My God, you’re an idiot….
Bigtime.
I cannot believe the shit I’ve been taking over the wknd for expressing my digust at Letterman. I’m not a prude – far from it! But I have a real problem with a grown ass man (in a committed relationship, no less) who uses his position and power to seduce underlings. I’m sure in his mind he thought it was consensual, and to that I say, “Har!” Few if any of those women would have agreed had he not been David Letterman, I imagine. That was a huge part of the allure! He ought to have practiced adult restraint and kept it zipped up, most especially on the job. Like I heard someone say on TV – “They knew what they were doing (the women), but he should have known better.” We live in a culture that refuses to accept or assign blame. When Britney Spears was spiraling out of control her fans were loathe to place any blame her way. Didn’t matter she was a danger to others, herself or her children. What the fuck is wrong with being held accountable? No one is asking for Letterman to be burned at the stake or castrated. Shit.
Letterman is holding himself completely accountable. Did you not read what he said?
And you say these women would never be with him if he wasn’t David Letterman? Meaning if he wasn’t their boss or if he wasn’t a comedic genius? There’s been no accusations made that it’s the former. None of the women are claiming there was any pressure put on them or that it was in any way sexual harassment. Adult women are allowed to have sex with whomever they want to. Sorry if that bothers you.
Yes golly the problem with America is certainly that we refuse assign blame. What we need are more witch hunts into the private lives of the citizenry, because those are always productive and fair.
In truth, if what you’re really looking for is adult restraint and consent, this is probably the best thing that could happen. Every celebrity, CEO, politician, etc., is reading the paper right now and saying “I don’t want to be next”. This may be good for Letterman’s ratings but it’s going to be painful and horrible, and nobody’s envying him that.
Until a woman steps forward and claims impropriety, I’ll assume it was consensual adult sex and continue to consider the person who attempted to extort millions of dollars for a (gasp) sex secret to be the only bad guy here.
And by not acquiescing to the extortionist, Letterman IS holding himself accountable. He’s being an adult and accepting the consequences of his actions in the court of public opinion. He could have EASILY cut a $2 million check and never missed the money. Wag your finger at the criminal here. You know, the extortionist.
Accountable for what? 2 people having sex? Puh-lease.
To you I say, “Har!”
I see. Let me get this straight; you’re saying the women were stupid and starstruck and lacking any ability to make their own decisions, despite being competent, college educated, consenting adults. This despite NONE of the women involved having a bad thing to say about Letterman, one even going so far as to say he was a complete gentleman and a genuinely nice guy. You say she’s an idiot who doesn’t know what she’s talking about, right?
We don’t live in a culture that refuses to assign blame. On the contrary, our culture assigns blame, knee-jerk reacts and with it’s short attention span, rarely waits for the full story to unfold. Like what you’re doing here. Our ‘culture’ as you put it, instead, hates taking responsibility choosing to blame others for its failings, trying to spin the story to it’s own benefit.
This is why I’ve found Letterman’s mea culpa to be genuine; he hasn’t blamed anyone for his actions instead, he’s taken full responsibility and tried to protect the women involved. A scumbag tried to blackmail him, and instead of trying to cover it up, he went straight to the authorities knowing full well it would go public. That’s a stand-up way to handle your business. Who’s not taking responsibility? The guy charged with blackmailing Letterman, that’s who.
As far as Brittney Spears goes, I don’t know where you’ve been living lately but when she was doing her batshit crazy routine, she was ridiculed and mocked mercilessly. As it turns out, she has genuine mental issues and when she’s on her meds, shes a better person. People stopped blaming her when it came out she was severely bi-polar and her father took over her affairs. I’m not a fan of hers, but honestly it’s old news, get over it.
I think a better example here is John Ensign. This asshole actually has his buddy and fellow senator, Tom Coburn negotiate with his blackmailer to cover up his infidelity. I still haven’t heard him accept responsibility for his conduct.
Correction: It was a lawyer not the DA who says there is more to the story. We’ll find out. Dave just quit for your staff’s sake and put someone else in there.
So he should quit and put them out of work. While Letterman owns the show, CBS owns the time slot. There is no guarantee they want someone else in there. But it really it must be the best thing because some internet back seat driver has said so. You know someone so up on the facts that they cannot even tell the difference between the District Attorney of NYC and the defense attorney.
That’s right it isn’t just some attorney. Let me put this in very simple terms, the lawyer claiming there is more to the story is being paid to defend a jerk attempted to blackmail Letterman, was recorded making arrangements for s 2 million dollars payoff and cashed the fake check triggering his arrest. How is the lawyer going to defend someone when there is that kind of evidence? Trying to confuse the issue and putting the victim on trial in the public in order to nullify the jury appears to be their strategy, and probably the only one possible.
That’s right. Letterman is the victim of the crime here, the only one. No one who actually works for Letterman is claiming harassment. The women who had relationships with him, say nice things about him. It is pretty screwed up, that so many people get lost in the titillation when someone says sex they miss the fact that the crime isn’t the sex, but the blackmail.
I just wanted to get on here before the Drudgites start spewing their absurdities. Everyone who has ever worked in this business, or any other high pressure 16 hour a day job (like politics,) knows how easy it is to jump into bed with a co-worker; they’re the only people you EVER see. Where you get into trouble is when you lie about it. And so far, I think Letterman’s contrition has been nothing but forthright. Our politicians could learn a thing about handling a scandal from ole Uncle Dave.
What scandal? I thought it was all consenting adults here? Oh, maybe you mean that extortion dude….yeah, that would be the scandal…..except Dave is the one using the word creepy to describe himself and his actions. He must have said it a half-dozen times alone in his first monologue on the matter.
Why is he sorry? Why is it creepy. The extortionist is creepy, right? Could it be that Dave Letterman’s somehow feeling guilt here or is it just to keep the midwest happy that he pretends to be all guilt-ridden? If it’s no big deal why isn’t he all over the guy who did the illegal act vs. being so hard on himself? Wait, I know why….because he is actually a better, more advanced man than the rest of us. He knows what he did is no big deal but to ensure that all the sexual puritans out there don’t stop watching his show he’ll feign shame for his actions to receive absolution. What he did was fine. No one got hurt.
So, he couldn’t actually be sorry. What is there to be sorry for, other than getting caught, I guess.
I knew I’d figure it out.
Correction: It was not the DA but another lawyer. Oh well Dave should quit for the staff sake.
Letterman’s comedy was that of the midwestern straight-laced guy making fun of the high-flyers in politics and culture: Mark Sanford, Larry Craig, David Vitter, and John Ensign. With a dose of Bill Clinton. Guys like Spitzer, particularly John Edwards, Gavin Newsome, and Antonio Villaraigosa, never came in for ribbing, the few Spitzer jokes to the contrary. Letterman chose a fairly partisan slant, with an extra dose of Midwestern probity, in mocking other guys fooling around.
Now Letterman is caught doing what Joe Average would get fired for, and be on the hook for penalties: sexual harassment. Having sex with staffers who work for him. At its best, Letterman, the guy with questionable sex appeal, validates the SNL “Tom Brady on Sexual Harassment” i.e. if a big shot does it it is OK. Right alongside Roman Polanksi’s privilege as a big shot.
At its worst, Letterman’s comedy, deeply based on his cornpone roots as a Midwestern Garrison Keilor type, falls apart completely.
I don’t think Letterman will be yanked. He won’t be fired. His ratings will steadily erode I think, to the point where CBS will seriously think of replacing him with Kimmel or Ferguson. This is not going away. TMZ and the other tabs will be all over every icky detail, from his love nest on top of the Ed Sullivan studio (don’t think Kimmel, Stewart, Conan, Jay, and even Ferguson won’t have fun with that one, not to mention SNL) to the various hires who were his professional girlfriends. And yes, everyone will assume that female staffers at Worldwide Pants slept their way through their jobs. I would be shocked if lawyers were not trolling through the ex employee lists of World Wide Pants looking for clients. Discovery is not fun. If a non-entity like John Gosselin can have every move chronicled imagine what fun the Tabs/People/US Weekly etc. will have with Letterman.
It is not up to lawyers to troll for clients who “might” have a case against Worldwide Pants, so discussing any potential discovery is WAY premature- besides which, discovery is also no picnic for someone who is bringing any potential case, esp. against a guy with his resources. I’ve sat through countless depositions where there are real victims and they have a tough time proving their case- here, coming out only after an affair becomes public, most people will see that as trying to take advantage of a bad situation, not a real claim. the only one who will do well will be Dave’s lawyers who will earn tons of $$ defending any potential suit- so whisky, go do another shot before you opine on things above your head.
the real focus is and should be on the dirtbag who tried to blackmail someone for their personal failings. Blackmail is a very serious crime and I hope he ends up doing real time- maybe he can produce an episode of Locked Up for msnbc?
One more thing Whiskey-breath– the reason letterman and other comedians (Steward, Leno, Maher, SNL, etc) go after Rethuglicans is because they are friggin’ moralistic hypocrites! They pursue an agenda and policies that have an impact on other people and behind closed doors do things they publicly rail against. Cheating on your spouse- bad if you are the spouse being cheated on whether you are Rep. or Dem. Acting like you are a saint/moral leader? then you are cheating the public and as such, you deserve all the abuse comedians can toss your way.
It is not sexual harassment if it’s consensual. And Letterman was not caught doing anything illegal like having public sex in a bathroom like Larry Craig. He did not rape an underage girl like Polanski.
This WILL go away because, ultimately, it’s boring. And it’s people like you who hope it wont go away, and align this man with criminals, because, ultimately, you are boring.
TMZ and the other tabs will move on as soon as Hasselhoff publicly rubs herb butter on his nuts at Moonshadows or something.
Say what you want about Conan, but he’d never do something like this with his staff, or make a spectacle of it after the fact.
Say what about Conan? Apples and oranges, dumb.
Well, the Appalachian Trail joke was pretty good. Agree with some of the above that Dave might regret playing elements of this story for laughs, especially if he has to talk hard details in open court.
Best way to combat that is by NOT watching his show and see his viewship decline. He was honest in what he said but using this forum as a way to get it out makes it sleazy and his staff and his wife should be insulted by his actions. This guy is going over the edge as of late and it’s time to put him in his place or oust him out!
I always knew he was a douche-bag. Now I have proof. I win!
ugh im already sick of this
Like any observant fan of the show didn’t suspect that there was something sexual going on with Dave and that young woman from their on-camera skits together. Especially when she’d find him annoying in a very familiar kind of way. Dave has always been a class act and a role model and the way he’s handling this matter makes me respect and admire him all the more. Adults, especially single adults, hook up with other (single) adults all the time. Sometimes at work. The girl has said Dave was always wonderful and generous to her and so the only one Dave owes an explanation to is his then girlfriend. David Letterman has a TV show and he’s human. He had a physical relationship with a willing younger female. OMG, I can hardly wrap my mind around that.
Ha. I remember watching Letterman back in the late 90’s and every time “Monty” was on, I could tell there was something between them.
I’m amazed that this situation is drawing the fire that it has
but that Polankski’s “special” circumstances allow some to think
that he should walk free…strange indeed
Has anyone noticed that Halderman’s idea (threaten Letterman with exposure in the form of a “screenplay”) was stolen directly from “The Player”? End of the pic, scene with Griffin Mill in his car, on the phone to the writer, writer pitches his incriminating screenplay….
Who cares whether Letterman had sex in the workplace. It goes on all the time EVERY DAY in all parts of this country and in all businesses. He was single and it was consensual (Yes, even if they were working FOR him). What a victorian society this country is. In every other country in the western world blackmail would never have been an option cause nobody cares who has sex with whom.
And this becomes a major story?? Not the blackmailer?
what a gigantic waste of energy.
When this scandal first broke Fox News refrain in coverage of it. I notice that Joy Behar who has her own show on CNN/headline news,she and lady anchors at CNN have been pouring and dumping all over Letterman. The 6pm show on Headline was treating this like tabloid with revaltions of more to come.
Right on “Mar.” It’s amazing to me how the liberal talk shows that I ADORE are saying that Letterman was single. Huh!? He was living w his now wife for years! Hello!? I’m married now but lived w my husband for two years prior to that and if he had affairs during this time, it would be a huge BETRAYAL! Duh! When you’re living w someone, esp for years, that’s called relationship — you’re not single, maybe for tax purposes but certainly not socially.
I didn’t like how Letterman got all “Prairie Home Companion” w last weeks monologue where he glossed over everything and by his folksy tone, the auds had no idea what he was really saying. Which is probably why he had to do this apology, yet again. I think there’s more stuff here that’s gonna get out.
Who’s on trial, here? Isn’t blackmail a crime?
If you get blackmailed by someone, how is it that you wind up on trial over what someone tried to blackmail you about?
I’m not endorsing what Dave allegedly did. If Dave did something wrong, regardless of what it is, is it not supposed to be handled internally at his company, as opposed to being dealt with by threats and demands from someone on the outside? Someone who wasn’t even affected by it? What am I missing here?
The guy leaves a note in Dave’s car at 6am saying Dave does terrible things and the whole time he’s trying to blackmail Dave. Pot? This is the kettle calling.
Poster Mar is making quite a few assumptions about Letterman’s behavior. I’m not saying it isn’t true, but there is no concrete evidence either way, other than your preconceived notions of Letterman. Britney Spears makes more sense; she certainly wasn’t the best mother and there was plenty of evidence (some on camera) of this. But unless I missed it, we only really know, so far, what Dave has told us.
Dave Getting Hoist on his own Petard…
I stopped watching the show years ago, when flashes of meanness and pettiness towards other celebrities and guests broke through the amiable veneer. His knife was always ready to stick in someone’s back. Madonna in the mid 90s went on the show to tell him she didn’t mind kidding, but cut the crap out with beating her up every single day. “Yes, Dave, I do pee in the shower.”(Audience laughs). “But… Do YOU pee in the shower Dave?” (Audience laughs more, then applauds. Dave looks frightened. He just lost his audience to Madonna. He changes subject and pretends to apologize). I’m not buying Dave the Victim nonsense.
By the way, where are the FEMINISTS? The ones who couldn’t criticize Bill Clinton for abusing his power? Can they ever grow a pair (or borrow somone else’s) and actually live according to their rhetoric and condemn leftist Dave who abuses his power?
If Mr. Letterman abused his power or harassed his employees, than I agree there’s more to come and he’s got a lot more work cut out for him with respect to his fans, audience, co-workers and management.
However, there’s no evidence of that. None that I’ve heard. So, currently, it’s between him and his family. And, as he admits, he’s got his work cut out for him.
Let’s face it folks, although he’s in NYC (and lives in CT), it’s still Hollywood so the fact they are trying to work it out deserves our respect and privacy. Largely, it’s up to his wife Regina to decide whether to forgive or not. Of course, we’re all free to change the channel.
way to man up and pull on your big boy worldwide pants, Dave.
we are all of us human and all of us flawed…
please remove splinter from own eye before active condemnation.
thank you,
your self
Wonder what HIS top 10 will be? What I really should say?
Ha, it’s funny how David Letterman can cheat on his wife with staff and Deadline commenters find his honesty “refreshing”. Meanwhile, if Jay Leno bats an eyelash, he’s the spawn of Satan.
Letterman was not married at the time when he was having affairs with staff members. Get your facts straight.
“This is why he will not read your script”
David Letterman should be fired by CBS. If a top executive of any major corporation did what Letterman has done he would be fired. If CBS doesn’t fire him they will just continue their skids into the bottom of the toilet where they belong.
Sadly, CBS hasn’t got a legal leg to stand on in Dave’s case. Les Moonves screwed his way through the lower ranks at CBS while he was married to Wifey #1. Not just liviing with Nancy, married to her. So, yeah, good luck with that. And, as others have pointed out, Dave isn’t technically an employee of CBS, but of World Wide Pants. And WWP’s sexual harassment policy is considerably elastic in this particular regard. Which is really too bad, because I believe that what Dave did is indeed sexual harassment. Those women received special treatment and consideration that women who didn’t sleep with him (and men, as well) didn’t have access to.
@Mar – Your entire post is confusing. First of all, what exactly made you decide that Letterman is the one that did the seducing and menacing wielding of power? You seem to have decided that the events happened a certain way, but do you know the details for sure? Sorry, perhaps I missed some critical piece of fact; but if not, that is a pretty heavy assumption on your part and I’m not at all surprised that you’ve been given a lot of shit for your opinion. Of course he should have “kept it zipped up” but I bet we can all name a hell of a lot more famous or historical figures who also decided not to keep it zipped simply because they could get away with it – and they’ve been remembered for many other (more appropriate?) uses of their power. Go ahead, read a history book and then dig deeper elsewhere for the real stories. I daresay you’ll have a lot more of that disgust of yours to dish out.
Second; sure, he made bad choices but your statements about accountability are contradictory. You say, “We live in a culture that refuses to accept or assign blame.” Then you (seemingly sarcastically?) say, “No one is asking for Letterman to be burned at the stake or castrated. Shit.”
So, which do you want? Has he been sufficiently held accountable, in your humble opinion? Or should we all relax with our damned opinions, already?
Letterman himself, in fact, is holding himself accountable by bringing these issues to light. What more do you want? So you’re disgusted, big deal. Join the club: a lot of us are feeling disappointed – none more than his wife, and surely she’s not merely disappointed. I think that given the current set of circumstances — uh, he can’t un-fuck anyone — I for one can’t suggest any better way for him to be handling it. Who knows what his fate will be. It’s not my job to punish him, and I couldn’t begin to tell him how to handle himself any further.
It’s his journey – not yours or mine. He was irresponsible and he’s now trying to be as responsible as he can with this mess.
I suggest you quit ranting so you can get some clarity with your thoughts and arguments.
*INsufficiently held accountable… (Whew, I guess I needed to quit ranting so that I could get some clarity.)
Yes, you do need to get some clarity.
You are certainly lacking in facts.
I agree completely. Besides, the ONLY people he is truly responsible for making amends is his wife, if in fact he was married at the time though this fact is on shaky ground so there may not even be a case with the wife. As for the female staff members, whose to say they weren’t the ones doing the seducing to climb the corporate ladder? You’re right again. I’m a woman and it disgusts me to learn when women do this because it makes it more difficult for other women who are unwilling to resort to such lengths to get ahead in an area of business still predominantly run by men. Women, like men, are not infallible. There’s enough evidence of others, who are known more publicly and famously than David Letterman.
As for Palin, I have no idea what was said with regards to either of her daughters but let’s face it, Palin is the one who painted the bulls-eye on her and her family’s back. If she wanted to keep the fact that her “abstinence-only” approach to parenting didn’t work then she should have kept her damn face out of the press. It’s obvious that the woman is clearly ill-educated and does not possess the skills to run a town let alone a state or a freaking country. It was apparent to me the first time her face went on television and in the papers that she was incompetent both in parenting skills and in office. I still believe there are lies with huge skeletons in the closet over that kid that was supposedly her baby when the facts don’t support it. She didn’t LOOK pregnant yet her daughter had the baby preggie bump in pictures months before this so-called Sarah Palin kid was born then the girl was knocked up again. Why else would Palin fly all over the freaking country then end up at a hospital well outside her circle of friends only to come home proclaiming, “Guess what, I was pregnant!” BS!!!!! It is common knowledge in the medical community and with any woman with half a brain and multiple children that you DO NOT wait to go to the hospital when in labor and you sure as H$LL DON’T get on a plane! Subsequent births come much faster than a single first-time birth, which generally goes on into many hours, especially considering the number of kids she spit out minus the infant – who I still do not believe is her kid. I will always believe that kid is her grandchild, not her child.
Just look at the abuses of office Palin did while she was the so-called governor of Alaska. All she did was lie from start to finish and then lied and attempted to snake money from the GOP, who deserved it after putting someone as idiotic as they did out there for a presidential run. I mean how gullible does the GOP think we women are? Just throw in any woman and all women will vote for her because she’s a woman? Give me a freaking break!
I knew before Palin opened her mouth she wasn’t qualified for the job then after she actually began talking it became perfectly clear that not only was she not qualified to run as vice-president, she was not qualified to run a family… Heck, she wasn’t nor is she now, qualified to run a danged ant farm let alone a town, state, country, or even her own family. But that’s okay. Those lies won’t stay locked up forever. Sooner or later they will all come out. I’m only sorry that the Alaskan people didn’t have enough brass sets to impeach her due to her abuse of her office when she was governor while doing all she could to have the father of her sister’s children fired from his job and when the man, who really didn’t have the power to fire him was fired unduly, she just got away with it! What kind of idiots live up there? Should there be more funding to put some actual voting booths in more towns so the reasonably smart people will have somewhere to go to vote b/c it’s more than obvious that Palin was bought or sold into office in Alaska. She surely didn’t get there on her smarts. Who doesn’t know that Africa is a continent and not a country?
It sounds to me as if Letterman really has nothing to apologize to the public about. It is a private and business matter that, as others have said, should have been handled personally and internally. The corporations, even World Wide Pants, have insurance to pay for damages from sexual harassment if indeed it did happen. As for his wife, I will say it now as I did when the witch hunt on Clinton took place… If Dave’s WIFE wanted to roast his nuts over the alleged affairs then that was her business, not the American public’s business.
As for the female staffers, unless they are claiming rape or abuse of power, then that should be handled internally by way of a check cut from the insurance policies. If Dave’s innocent then he has the right to say no to the pay-off then leave it to the women to prove the affairs 1. occurred, and 2. were not a business ploy to move up the chain with WWP. I’d feel the same way if this were a woman or a man. It doesn’t matter. It would have to be proven to have been non-consensual. As for the wife, if there was proof of infidelity, if he was in fact married and not separated from the wife, then that’s her place to roast his nuts over the coals in a court of law. To be quite blunt, it’s none of our business. That’s his private life, which he did NOT put on display by opening it up for the world’s scrutiny the way Palin did when she began spouting her Mother Teresa parenting skills while having a daughter knocked up, possibly for the second time, and abusing her power in the governor’s office not to mention what she potentially could have done while mayor of that so-called town Wasilla, which actually is so small it’s hard to believe it’s an actual town. It’s more of a tiny community, not a town.
As for Letterman’s comedic opening monologue and many of the skits on his show, this is called comedy. Dennis Miller has been there, David Spade, Jay Leno, and even Carson took hits at movie/music celebrities and anyone running for office – especially when it relates to the presidential office. Heck, it’s been said hundreds of thousands of times that Bush was a moron as was Cheney and then to have Dementia Man and Wife of Deliverance running for the office of the presidency.. They are the ones who painted the bulls-eye on their backs. There is nobody to blame but them.
I can’t recall who said but one of the comedians went on the air stating that Bush should just go home to Texas and shut up because his constant pleas to go around giving speeches and his attempts to open a library in his name just left him even more open to one-liners and idiocy remarks. If he started a library it would have to stop at a 3rd-grade reading level because it is more than obvious he was spoonfed throughout the entire time Daddy WarBush bought him the White House. The man bankrupted every company he ever became involved in. What made anyone believe he wouldn’t do the same to the country? We are living in a time of proof that he bankrupted the USA not to mention the fact he and Cheney compromised the integrity of our morals as it relates to crimes such as treason, unlawful leak of undercover operatives, attacking a soveirgn nation, and let’s not forget all the trillions of dollars that went to Iraq yet somehow managed to disappear… If anyone should be in the hot seat right now it should be Bush/Cheney & Co for the serious infractions against the country and its citizens since taking office.
If you feel Letterman owes you a more sincere, less sincere, or an apology at all you are delusional. What wrong that affects you have some of you, in your delusional minds, conjured up?
How is it a comedian owes anyone in his audience an apology for what he or she does in their personal time?
Get your own lives. Heal yourselves.
As an American who’s lived overseas for a decade, I had forgotten what a Puritan swamp the United States is. Why is this such a big deal? Right wingers ranting about morals, left wingers and feminists doing pretty much the same rant (but spining it in ethical terms).
So many useless, shriveled penises commenting!
Wonderful to know Dave’s isn’t & it pleases.
He didn’t have to apologize. He owns his show & the 1 following it. He shits more money than the lot of you will ever see let alone make.
If CBS fired him, that cold day in hell would be celebrated by every network breaking their necks trying to sign him.
He apologized because he’s a decent guy who hurt those he loved.
PS: Sarah Palin is a worthless, mindless, bailin’, money grubbing (”being Governor’s hard! I’d rather have someone ghost write a book for me & make $”) whore who allowed her own underage child to have sex & get impregnated under her roof.
You Drudge RepubliKKKans need to clean your own Ensign, Sanford, Foley, Craig, Duvall et al infested houses before you throw stones @ anybody!
If Bill O’Reilly, an accused sexual harasser with an out of court settlement was able to keep his job, why in the world would David Letterman be fired? I don’t understand how no one is talking about Bill O’Reilly! Did Bill O’Reilly go on the air and apologize to his wife, the victim and his staff?
I can tell you why he did not get fired. He carries the water for the ultra right whack jobs. Faux Noise would never cancel him. Well at least while they transmit the crap that they do. He was harassing his employee. Letterman was not harassing anyone.
Except for the voyeuristic element in all of this what value of this to anyone? Back in 1985 I first heard of Letterman, and his “Stupid Intern Tricks.” It was an open secret to the most peripheral people at NBC like myself. Through the years it just became a running gag. I was just amazed after all that time at the guys maturity level. The WOW factor was long gone.
The story’s a bit sleazy, and any other details will certainly render greater personal embarrassment, but Letterman doesn’t owe the masses national apologies for indiscretions he’s long justified to himself, and only now serve anyone with just added fleeting gossip. Not exactly the stuff that high crimes and misdemeanors are made of.
It’s a total boys club behind the scenes at Letterman and very difficult for women to advance. It’s hard enough for girls to even become interns. Maybe this whole thing will inspire Letterman and his crew to if not think of women as equals at least give more of them a shot at working for and interning for the show.
You don’t know what you’re talking about. Three of the Five executive producers are women and they’ve been with Dave for twenty years or better. Dave said himself in an interview years ago, he gets along better with women than men.
Jo: You’re a moron. And may I say, a bitter angry woman.
I am not an idiot. Yes, there are execs. But try getting a job as a writer on the show or getting on the show if you are a female comedian. It’s a boys club like so many comedy shows are. Women can be producers in this business, but creative, that’s more of a challenge.
Not sure if my response posted, so I am reposting. Yes, there are women in producer roles, but women writers are a different story. And forget about getting on the show if you are a female comedian. The guys at Letterman don’t think women are funny. That’s the attitude. In the business as a whole, women excel at producing, but when we try to be creative, forget it. It’s a miracle that any women get a chance. I know things are a lot better at SNL now. Let’s hope this whole thing makes the situation better at Letterman.
Hey Hank, why don’t you watch your language? This lady just tried to make a point, and she didn’t resort to name calling. Who are you to call her a “moron” and a “bitter woman?” Sounds like you’ve got issues with the ladies. Maybe you ought to get some advice from Dave. At least women like him.
Charlie Joffe is probably tugging one off in the grave.
Unlike a president or a governor or senator…a comedian doesn’t make laws that the rest of us has to follow. They just make jokes and play the fool. So there *IS* a different standard that lawmakers have to follow. They willingly put themselves in a position to be public servants. Therefore they should expect the contracts that they enter into (marriage or work) to be scrutinized by the public. Republicans seem to miss these basic facts when one of their law makers f*cks up and vehemently enforces it when it’s a Dem.
It is not just the fact that they make the laws. It is all about the hypocrisy. They run around yelling family values and then go off to get some Argentinian tail. When they get caught they ask forgiveness from their god Herr Limbaugh. Then they feel they are back to the family values. Just a bunch of hypocrites.
“Who’s on trial, here? Isn’t blackmail a crime? ”
Exactly! You don’t have to like Letterman, or his behavior, to know blackmail is a CRIME. If I were CBS, right now I’d be more concerned with what Robert Halderman was doing, and if he’s done it before.
Other talk show hosts on other networks have dated their staff. You just don’t know about it. Office romances happen.
Considering the sleazebag has a full-blown bachelor pad style fuck room installed at the office, I can’t really believe that this long-term affair (or any of the other affairs he’s had with numerous employees) is anything less than calculated. Doing it once “by accident” might have been belieavable but not when he’s got the whole enchilada installed at the office and does it for years on end with multiple women. And this asshole has the audacity to attack others for their morals when his own morals are buried inside a bottle of Viagra.
Dave is doing the Jimmy Swaggert 2 step. He really should STFU already-and get on with his general lampooning of other high profile cheaters. Also, for legal purposes he should BE QUIET-CBS does NOT need anymore publicity fodder from sympathy-baiting, self-serving apologies from Dave. Dave, just do your show and go home to your wife and kid.
Who in the hell do you think you are Devin?! Get your facts straight. Perhaps you should do your own two-step and STFU.
Dave is not an employee of CBS. His production company, his rules. His apologies may or may not be self-serving. But he was honest about it.
And why are you leaving out the real crime here: extortion?!
Remember that? How about condemning the real criminal!
The blackmailer was an idiot. Who reads spec scripts anymore?
This is the funniest comment here!
I fell out of my chair while soiling myself.
Basically, Letterman is apologizing because his job requires him to remain relatively inoffensive to the vast majority of the American public. What he really thinks is anyone’s guess.
If you buy into the cult of personality and feel Letterman should be a role model, you care. If you think of him as just a comedian who asks lame questions to help movie stars promote films, you don’t.
Americans ..you make me laugh.
Wasn’t Louise Brooks a kept woman of William Paley’s?
It’s a young woman’s right to sleep with her older boss if she so chooses. The only problem is that she risks being in the Daily News if he gets caught. I figure the older boss-younger woman thing is most problematic in the way that big old boss can convince younger woman that cheating on wife/virtual wife is no big deal, when in fact it is usually a bad, nasty deal. Even so, what the hell does this have to do with Letterman on my TV at night? I really cannot believe all of the indignant, prudish comments. Do we really expect this man to represent our desires to stay pure in marriage? Look, we all worry about cheating and about getting cheated on, and we all have f*d up sexual politics go on around us in the workplace. Why on earth would Letterman be an exception? Why is everyone so upset?
nothing creepier than watching this old man beg for forgiveness on national television in an attempt to turn the PR around on this
what it comes down to is that TV means THIS MUCH to Dave…never mind that what he is doing is probably just rubbing salt in the wounds for his wife (who was his common law wife when Dave was shtupping his own homely intern)…Dave would rather salvage his TV life than his real life…man is sick and needs help…suicide would also be a decent out in this case
try to square this Dave with Dave in his prime, way back in the 80s…you can’t…he’s one sick puppy now
Collapse: You can’t possibly think you are the morality police when you pass out comments stating that anyone who has a lapse of indiscretion within a marriage should commit suicide!
Dave’s not the one with the screw loose. YOU are the sick puppy!
two adults that work together having sex? wow! next…
huge ego celeb who cracks jokes about teenagers’ personal lives turns out to have a much nastier personal life? wow! next…
also lol at all the HOW DARE YOU JUDGE THIS FINE BROADCASTER FOR HIS BROKEN F’ED UP LIFE comments
people, it’s the lack of any sense of moral standards that explains why society is in the shit right now…you’re actually bitching because other people feel that romantic relationships are important and that fucking someone else over isn’t very nice…not to mention the ethical morass of screwing the help and justifying it because “the heart wants what it wants”
yeah wouldn’t it be nice if no one judged you for your trailer park behavior, your selfishness and venality…but while they do there’s still hope for society…unlike you…karma’s a bitch though, innit?
Yes, those poor souls lacking moral standards… sounds strangely like the right wing hypocrites…
what is weird is how you rage against one person’s immorality because you don’t like his politics and accept another person’s immorality because you’ve adopted him into your partisan clan…my advice get help for that, talk to your shrink about it, learn to log off the Internet
I wouldn’t care about this if Dave wasn’t such a hypocrite. I would have more respect for the guy if he was like, yeah, I screwed around with staff members. Big deal? His whole mea culpa is just pathetic. What’s sadder is that his loser wife will stay with him after all of this. They were together for twenty years, and he was screwing around on her.
GMC:
“What’s sadder is that his loser wife will stay with him after all of this. They were together for twenty years, and he was screwing around on her.” —- quoted from GMC’s post on Oct. 7, 2009 @8:35am
Why is his wife YOUR problem? Who cares if his wife of 20+ years stays with him after this ordeal? It’s her choice and if she can live with then that’s her choice; it’s not your choice. If she decides to stay with him then that’s her prerogative. Personally, I commend her efforts to salvage her marriage despite the indiscretions.
Today there are few couples who make it to that 20+ anniversary mark let alone the 1 to 3 year mark. It seems that with each generation there are more and more people disregarding their wedding vows. One’s religion doesn’t matter; my personal position on marriage is that it has no business in religion as it is at its core a binding legal commitment between two consenting adults (heterosexual or homosexual). Let’s face it, marriage doesn’t require a member of the clergy and it’s a well-known fact that a clergy cannot grant a divorce. Divorce proceedings take place in a courtroom and is granted by a judge. One has to obtain a marriage license in order to marry and that license is a government document. Without it, a clergy cannot marry anyone and make it legal.
The standard wedding vows include: “The promise to love, honor, and cherish for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, through good times and bad times, FOR AS LONG AS YOU BOTH SHALL LIVE.” Let me repeat that ending… “FOR AS LONG AS YOU BOTH SHALL LIVE.”
Too often couples don’t give marriage a chance. At the first sign of trouble, hardship, or boredom the couples are walking down the isle at the courthouse going before a judge to get a divorce with no regard for the vows taken or to any children that might be conceived and born during the marriage. I will state for the record, I believe anyone living in a marriage where there is abuse should be allowed a “get out of marriage” card b/c most abusers promise they will stop yet the abuse continues until one, the other, or both are dead. Abuse in marriages with children are especially allowed, IMHO, a “get out of marriage” free card too. It’s a proven fact that many children raised in a home where abuse takes place tend to become abusers themselves.
Marriage and couple counseling is available all across the country & there is no shame in seeking out professional help when a marriage hits the rocks. It is also a good idea to setup family counseling and even separate counseling for children born into/brought into marriages that hit the rocks. Therapy helps children learn to cope, mend, and move forward allowing them to have healthy relationships that will lead to healthy marriages and parenting one day.
All in all, it’s high time that people planning to marry and those already married realize that marriage isn’t like a fast food joint. You don’t bail out at the first sign of trouble. You work through it. Marriage is supposed to be for life.
So GMC, in my opinion, I cannot condemn Dave’s wife for wanting to stick it out. Granted, she has ever right to be angry and hurt but the fact that she is still with him speaks volumes about how Dave & wife feel about each other.
In all honesty, I wish there was a way for the courts to tack on a requirement of X number of hours of couples counseling before issuing a marriage license. It would be no different than the requirement for a blood test, HIV/AIDs test, and/or physical required in most states before the issuance of a marriage license. This could potentially help couples who are truly NOT ready to marry a chance to realize via counseling that they need more time before making a lifelong commitment. It could potentially help couples to remain vigilant in having safe sex to prevent STDs but also prevent pregnancy so that when the couple realizes that they don’t have the lasting love or willingness to commit to another person in marriage will remain vigilant in practicing safe sex, which would prevent children from being conceived and/or born into a relationship that won’t last yet would otherwise have lasting negative effects on a child born into an otherwise doomed marriage/relationship.
That’s just my opinion; your mileage may vary….
David may have his own production company (thus not “work” for CBS) but CBS sure as hell keeps his show on the air and they COULD choose not to if there’s enough of a backlash. So your buck toothed friend Dave isn’t immune to everything under the sun, sweetcheeks.
David Letterman is a class act. Own your mistake, apologize to the people you hurt and hopefully in time they can forgive you. If this was Paris, French he’d be given a ticker tape parade. Men cheat…women cheat… It will always be that way, who are we fooling. I think if we all get one week every other year to cheat and get it out of our system the world might be a better place. Safe sex of course and no kissing on the mouth.
CAUGHT BY THE SEXUAL PROOF,
DAVE LETTERMAN IS TELLING THE TRUTH.
WITH HIS WORLDWIDE PANTS DOWN,
GREAT COMEDY ABOUNDS.
AND HIS RATINGS HAVE GONE THROUGH THE ROOF.