David Letterman Confession Scandal: Extortion Plot to Out Sexual Affairs with Employees

Much like the apology to Sarah Palin and her family in June, David Letterman took a few minutes of "The Late Show" Thursday night to air a lengthy confession of sexual affairs with employees of the show and an extortion plot. And, much like the apology, the audience at first thought that the 62-year-old Letterman was setting up a joke. But as David Letterman continued, the audience discovered that "The Late Show" host was serious, that he had indeed been the target of an extortion scheme by a CBS employee, and that Letterman had spent the day telling a judge a few details of sex at the office and a $2 million extortion plot that would have revealed the sexual liaisons in a screenplay.

Many had tuned in to "The Late Show with David Letterman" to see Woody Harrelson talk about his new movie, "Zombieland," or perhaps to see Kim Kardashian gush about her "reality." But halfway through the hour-long "Late Show with David Letterman," the host told the story of how he had received a package in his car three ago from an individual who claimed to have knowledge of sexual affairs David Letterman had had with various employees over the years. Extortion details included a threat to go public with the knowledge via a screenplay if David Letterman did not pay the extorter $2 million.

Instead, David Letterman chose to take the matter to the authorities. His confession of course became front page news and fodder for the morning radio and television talk shows.

At the end of his confession, Letterman thanked the audience for listening to him "vent" about his "bizarre experience." He said that he hoped that by going to the authorities as he did, he would be able to protect his family, the anonymity of employees he had had affairs with, and his job.

It has become common for television audiences to see high-profile politicians and celebrities appear before the camera to make "confessions" or apologies in order to head off bad publicity. Senator John Ensign (R-NV) made a public confession in June to his extramarital affair with a campaign worker in order to get ahead of an extortion scheme becoming a public scandal. A few days later, Governor Mark Sanford (R-SC) made a very public confession to his extramarital affair in a press conference, launching coverage of a scandal that has had far-reaching effects not only in the political arena but in his personal life as well.

But David Letterman has now twice used the "The Late Show" as a platform to speak publicly about scandal involving himself. His much publicized joke about one of Sarah Palin's children having sex with Alex Rodriguez during a New York Yankees game led to a very public (and publicized) apology on the show. But unlike that series of incidents about a public joke about a public event, the confession of David Letterman concerned private matters that he would most likely want to remain private.

It remains to be seen just how private those sexual affairs remain after Thursday night's confession...

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Source:

"The Late Show with David Letterman," CBS Television