David Letterman Blackmailed

David Letterman, host of CBS' Late Show with David Letterman, revealed on the air that he had been the victim of a blackmail and extortion attempt by a former CBS producer, reports The New York Times.

Letterman stated on the air that the subject of the blackmail and extortion attempt was in regards to his romantic relationships with several women who worked on The Late Show. Letterman was made aware of the attempt when he received a package from a person who claimed to have knowledge of the affairs. Letterman described the contents of the package for his audience as items that would prove he does "terrible things".

Letterman did not make any attempt to deny the allegations and stated that he decided to come clean about the events in question in an effort to protect those involved in the case to include his family. Letterman also commented that he hoped his truthfulness would do some good in protecting his job.

Shortly after receiving the package Letterman approached the Manhattan district attorney's office for help in the matter and testified before a grand jury yesterday, October 1, 2010. Based on the testimony provided, the grand jury agreed that a crime had been committed and issued a warrant for the arrest of the alleged blackmailer. The Wall Street Journal reports that the blackmailer was arrested shortly after the grand jury testimony.

The person arrested on suspicion of being the blackmailer was former "48 Hours" producer Robert "Joe" Halderman. Halderman was believed to have used the threat of writing a screenplay and a book about Letterman's actions as leverage to extort $2 million from the television host. Halderman has since been suspended from employment with CBS pending resolution of the matter.

Letterman also admitted to his audience that the blackmail attempt made him fearful before stating that he would not be discussing the matter anymore.

David Letterman wed his current wife in March of 2009 after being in a dating relationship with her for almost twenty years. The two have a six year old son.

This is not the first time that David Letterman has been made to feel scared or threatened, reports the New York Post. In 2005, Kelley Allen Frank was arrested for plotting to kidnap Letterman's son and hold him at ransom for $5 million. In the late '90s Letterman was also the victim of a schizophrenic stalker who referred to herself as Mrs. David Letterman. The stalker, Margaret Ray, spent 10 months in prison and 14 months in a mental hospital before committing suicide in 1998. Sources:

Bill Carter. "David Letterman Reveals Extortion Attempt". The New York Times.

"David Letterman Reveals Sex Extortion". The Wall Street Journal.

Andy Geller. "Kidnap threat, stalker terrified Letterman". The New York Post.