Results tagged “davidletterman”

Yesterday Jay Leno issued his own open letter to the People of Earth, and even though it was just a parody, we imagine it wouldn't be far off from what the man himself would have to say. Which would be nothing in comparison to Our Hero Conan O'Brien's letter. But the big news today is Conan is leaving NBC. According to Bill Simmons, at least, "Next week is Conan's final week hosting the Tonight Show. His staff is trying to book big guests so he goes out with a bang. It's true."

Last night, Our Hero Conan O'Brien delivered his monologue on NBC's Tonight Show just hours after sending out a statement questioning that same network's choice in reshuffling their late night hours. He was rightfully applauded by many yesterday for declaring he would not stay on as host if the legendary time slot was pushed, as well as for the class he exhibited in delivering that news. (He even broke down talking to his staff, who have been with him since the beginning.)

It's not bribery, it's just selling information! The lawyer of the man accused of shaking down David Letterman for $2 million claims, the Post reports, that "his client simply had valuable information and wanted to get paid for it - just as many of the women involved in the Woods sex scandal have been." In other words, does that mean Robert "Joe" Halderman, the former CBS News producer, wishes he had an affair with Tiger Woods instead?

Oh those heady days of early October, when bike lane battles and doomsday MTA plans weren't even whispers in the ear. Suspected talk show host extortionist Robert "Joe" Halderman, who is tangled up in all sorts of shenanigans involving Late Night host David Letterman back in October, was in court yesterday, where it was revealed that he was an extremely paranoid dude: he feared that Letterman might cause him to lose his job, burn his house down, or even murder him.

The two high school teachers caught in the buff in an empty Brooklyn classroom have made it to the lips of late night hosts. Last night both David Letterman and Conan O'Brien addressed the salacious sex romp during their monologues.

Robert Joe Halderman, the former CBS News producer accused of extorting David Letterman for $2 million, appeared in court today, as his lawyer asked the judge to drop charges. Why? Because, attorney Gerald Shargel claimed,“There was no extortion. There was a screenplay for sale. There was a commercial transaction. Nothing more.”

Last night, a few of the Yankees paid a visit to David Letterman to discuss their World Series win. Captain Derek Jeter, pitcher Andy Pettitte and catcher Jorge Posada (the fourth member of the "Core Four," reliever Mariano Rivera, wasn't there) chatted with Letterman—and at the end of the segment, MVP Hideki Matsui came out with the World Series trophy. Letterman said they must be hungover and Jeter said, "Probably not as bad as you."

Thanks to David Letterman's admission that he had flings with staffers, Quinnipiac College told TMZ, "Due to recent circumstances we will have a discussion with those in charge of placing our interns at the David Letterman show in the future. We will diligently oversee this internship program to ensure that our interns are out of harm's way." Gawker wonders, "Isn't this going a bit, oh, we don't know — far? Should Letterman really cross over to full-blown villainy?... It's not like he's Jack the Ripper or the intern's greatest nightmare: a Congressman."

Another day, another bunch of stories about talk show host David Letterman's extortion scandal. In one corner, we have the Post's revelation that Letterman brought his assistant/lover on a trip with his girlfriend (later wife) and son; in the other, the Daily News says the alleged extortionist thought Letterman enticed his female staffers with "perks."

Nearly a week after admitting that he was the target in a $2 million extortion plot—and admitting he had sex with female staffers of the Late Show—David Letterman refrained from joking about the scandal last night. The Post noted, "Instead, he joked that it’s more fun to drive a jeep into a tree than read Sarah Palin’s new memoir."

When David Letterman announced that he was being extorted for $2 million on the Late Show, he had a special thank you for the Special Prosecution Bureau at the Manhattan DA's office with their help in the case. Now the Post reports that outgoing Manhattan DA Robert Morgenthau let Letterman disclose the plot on his talk show!

Though David Letterman apologized for the tabloid media frenzy (related to a $2 million extortion attempt) that's now greeting his staffers on Monday night, he might need to apologize to his staffers' families too—the Post went to the New Hampshire assisted living facility to ask the 90-year-old grandmother of a Late Show staffer/alleged Letterman lover some questions! Stephanie Birkitt's grandmother Irene Boyle said that Letterman "and Stephanie have always had a good relationship. They joked and kidded around... They were just good friends... She worked for Dave for 11 years. She said she never had sex with him."

Last night, David Letterman apologized to his wife and Late Show staffers for spilling the beans on having sex with staffers. Last week, Letterman disclosed details about a $2 million extortion attempt—the suspect was threatening to reveal details about these affairs—probably because details would be sought after the Manhattan DA's office announced charges anyway. He said, "It did not occur to me last week when I was discussing having had sex with women who worked on this show, that then what would happen is reporters and newspaper people and radio and TV would start hounding the staff and saying, ‘What do you say, are you, and this and that.’"

In his first live show since telling America that he was being extorted for $2 million—over details about his sexual relationship with staffers—David Letterman was greeted by an enthusiastic audience and said, "Did your, did your weekend just fly by?... I'll be honest with you, right now I'd give anything to be hiking in the Appalachian Mountains." His monologue (video below) was jokey, noting how he was very close to being impeached, raking his hate mail over the weekend and how usually he's shaken down for money by relatives, but at the desk he later apologized to his wife and his staff.

The lawyer for the man accused of trying to shake down David Letterman for $2 million—in order not to divulge Letterman's history of relationships with female staffers—hit the morning talk shows to slam the Late Show host: "He’s a master at manipulating audiences, that’s what he does for a living... The public should not rush to judgment. The public should not simply take the word of David Letterman.”

Last week's season premiere of Saturday Night Live may have had America's Most Overhyped Sexpot Megan Fox as host, but this week's second episode ended up being the true Ladies Night, with divas in full force. Host Ryan Reynolds did that thing you do when your spouse is an even bigger star than you and brought along his wife (and soon-to-be Broadway actress) Scarlett Johansson, who reprised her role as a local saleswoman pitching "Chandeliers!" for dad Fred Armisen's Long Island business, that has now apparently expanded to porcelain fountains.

Now that David Letterman has told American about having sexual relationships with female staffers—because a 48 Hours news producer was allegedly trying to extort him for $2 million—details about those staffers and trysts continue to come out of the woodwork. In fact, one former intern told TMZ, "I was madly in love with him at the time. I would have married him. He was hilarious."

Now the dirty laundry of Robert "Joe" Halderman, the 48 Hours news producer who is accused of trying to shake down David Letterman for $2 million, is being spilled. While Halderman allegedly threatened to expose Letterman's various sexual relationships with staffers, a former co-worker told the Daily News that Halderman "was a charmer and he was very flirty...But he was definitely a troublemaker, the kind of man [that] women go after because he's trouble."

Manhattan DA Robert Morgenthau revealed details of the charges against the CBS producer accused of extorting David Letterman for $2 million—and added, "The message of this indictment should be clear. New York City will not tolerate the coercion or extortion of anyone, be the victim rich or poor, famous or anonymous." That's a good policy!

Below is video of David Letterman explaining to his talk audience—and the rest of America—about how he was extorted for $2 million or else his sexual relationships with female Late Show staffers would be revealed. About 7 minutes 25 seconds in, Letterman explains what the "creepy stuff" in the blackmail package was: "The creepy stuff was that I have had sex with women who work for me on this show."

Earlier this evening, David Letterman told his talk show audience that he was the victim of a $2 million extortion attempt—and that he had sexual relationships with staffers. He said (the show airs at 11:35 p.m. on WCBS 2), "This morning, I did something I've never done in my life. I had to go downtown and testify before a grand jury." [Update: Here's video]

Last night, Madonna made another visit to the Late Show With David Letterman. After making a grand entrance on the shoulders of Rangers players (who read the Top Ten list) and parrying questions about her marriage while cracking jokes about the Bush administration, she also deflected her relationship with A-Rod skillfully: The Material Girl pointed out that Letterman nearly got arrested for his last comments about A-Rod, referring to the comedian's remarks about Sarah Palin's daughter. And then Letterman took Madonna to have her allegedly first slice of NYC pizza.

Besides admiring the heart-shaped potato an audience member brought in, President Barack Obama continued his media blitz by discussing various issues with David Letterman on the Late Show just now. For instance, when Letterman asked about former President Jimmy Carter's belief that some political attacks against the President (including Rep. Wilson's "You lie!") were steeped in racism, Obama joked, "It's important to realize that I was actually black before the election."

Last night, actress Mary Louise Parker was on Late Show with David Letterman, revealing that she's been worrying about that feared scourge, bedbugs. But Letterman didn't seem very convinced they were a real threat, asking, "Is it that treacherous? Is it that dire?... What's the worst that can happen if you have bedbugs?" Oh, Dave, if you only knew!

So last night David Letterman and Paul McCartney were finally face to face, as Sir Paul returned to the Ed Sullivan Theater and made his first appearance on the Late Night show. He talked to Dave about his attachment to the space, where the Beatles made their first U.S. appearance in the '60s—you can watch their chat below, and the performance after the jump.

Yesterday, the much-ballyhooed gathering to demand that CBS fire talk show host David Letterman after his questionable jokes about Alaska Governor Sarah Palin's daughter (namely how A-Rod impregnated her by the 7th inning of a Yankees game and how Eliot Spitzer should be kept at bay) drew a few dozen protesters outside the Ed Sullivan Theater. Estimates are as high as 50 and as low as 15. But there was a lot of passion: Josephine Sarnok, carrying a "Over the Line, Dave" sign told Entertainment Weekly, “I’m outraged. It was a low blow. I’m insulted for women. I’m insulted for children. I’m insulted for families. I’m insulted."

Last night, David Letterman apologized to Alaska Governor Sarah Palin for his questionable jokes about one of her daughters. He had initially apologized last week, but Palin still considered the remarks—which suggested that A-Rod might impregnate her daughter and that they should keep Eliot Spitzer away during the Palins' trip to NY—offensive and demanded that he "apologize to young women across the country [for contributing to a culture] that says it’s OK to talk about statutory rape...It's not cool; it's not funny."

The war of the words between Alaska Governor Sarah Palin and talk show host David Letterman continues, with Palin's appearance on the Today Show this morning. Referring to Letterman's questionable "jokes" about her trip to New York, suggesting that A-Rod might impregnate her daughter and that they should keep Eliot Spitzer away, Palin told Matt Lauer, “I would like to see him apologize to young women across the country [for contributing to a culture] that says it’s OK to talk about statutory rape...It's not cool; it's not funny.”

If someone woke up from a nine-month slumber last night around midnight, having them tune into probably would have been a good way to ease them back into their new present. There was good old Dave, in the midst of a public feud with one-half of the McCain-Palin ticket, spending a good eight minutes of his nightly broadcast dedicated to butting heads in classic Letterman style: dry, detached and feigning ignorance.

Conan O'Brien came to New York sixteen years ago as an unknown underdog that left most people scratching their heads trying to figure out just why this awkward Simpsons writer was chosen to replace the legendary David Letterman. He said goodbye to the city last night just as awkward, but now almost universally loved and respected as a comedian who was able to take what at times is a very "out there" sensibility and make it succeed with mainstream audiences.