Editing David Letterman (section)

===Marriages, relationships, and family===
[[File:David Letterman Tells Neal Brennan Why He Regrets Having Kids Too Late.webm|thumb|right|Letterman on becoming a father late in life, 2022]]
On July 2, 1968,<ref name="youtube=EJ46v_EDolg">{{cite web |author1=[[Late Night with David Letterman]] |title=Eva Gabor |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJ46v_EDolg |website=[[YouTube]] |access-date=15 December 2022 |language=en |date=1986}}</ref> Letterman married his college sweetheart, Michelle Cook, in Muncie, Indiana; they divorced in 1977.<ref>{{cite news|last=Goldman|first=Russell|title=Sex Scandal Sheds Light on David Letterman's Love Life|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/sex-scandal-sheds-light-david-lettermans-love-life/story?id=8737083|work=ABC News|date=October 2, 2009|access-date=September 30, 2014}}</ref> He also had a long-term cohabiting relationship with the former head writer and producer on ''Late Night'', [[Merrill Markoe]], from 1978 to 1988. Markoe created several ''Late Night'' staples, such as "Stupid Pet/Human Tricks".<ref name="Time">{{cite news |title=Pet Tricks |author=Amelia Weiss |newspaper=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=June 1, 1992 |url=https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,975648,00.html|access-date=April 5, 2021}}</ref> ''Time'' magazine wrote that theirs was the defining relationship of Letterman's career, with Markoe also acting as his writing partner. She "put the surrealism in Letterman's comedy."<ref>Daniel D'Addario, "Biography A TV traditionalist with a weird streak," ''Time'', April 17, 2017, p.&nbsp;56.</ref>

Letterman and Regina Lasko started dating in February 1986, while he was still living with Markoe. Lasko gave birth to their son, Harry Joseph Letterman, on November 3, 2003. Harry is named after Letterman's father.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/letterman-its-a-boy/ |title=Letterman: It's A Boy!, 'Late Show' Host, Girlfriend Have 9 Pound, 11 Ounce Son|work=[[CBS News]] |date=November 4, 2003}}</ref> In 2005, police discovered a plot to kidnap Letterman's son and demand a $5 million ransom. Kelly Frank, a house painter who had worked for Letterman, was charged in the conspiracy.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/TV/03/17/letterman.plot/index.html|title=Montana man charged with Letterman plot|publisher=CNN|date=March 17, 2005 |access-date=May 1, 2010}}</ref>

Letterman and Lasko wed on March 19, 2009, in a quiet courthouse civil ceremony in [[Choteau, Montana]], where he had purchased a ranch in 1999.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://people.com/celebrity/david-letterman-marries-longtime-girlfriend-regina-lasko/|title=David Letterman Weds!|work=People|date=March 23, 2009|access-date=May 31, 2022}}</ref><ref name=letterman2>{{cite web|url=http://www.gadling.com/2009/03/25/choteau-montana-lettermans-hangout-is-a-gem-of-a-town|title=Great American Road Trip: Choteau, Montana, Letterman's Hangout is a Gem of a Town|last=Rhein|first=Jamie|work=Gadling|publisher=AOL Travel|date=March 25, 2009|access-date=August 7, 2011}}</ref><ref name=letterman3>{{cite news|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/heartfelt-thanks-from-letterman/|title=Heartfelt Thanks From Letterman|work=CBS News|date=February 11, 2009|access-date=September 3, 2011}}</ref> Letterman announced the marriage during the taping of his show of March 23, shortly after congratulating [[Bruce Willis]] on his marriage the week before. Letterman told the audience he nearly missed the ceremony because his truck became stuck in mud two miles from their house.<ref>{{cite news|last=Snead|first=Elizabeth|title=David Letterman (finally) gets hitched to Regina Lasko|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=March 23, 2009|url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/thedishrag/2009/03/ok-theres-somet.html|access-date=March 26, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090325215551/http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/thedishrag/2009/03/ok-theres-somet.html |archive-date=March 25, 2009}}</ref> The family resides in [[North Salem, New York]], on a {{convert|108|acre|hectare|adj=on}} estate.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2010/04/letterman-201004|title=Big Trouble at 11:35|date=March 2, 2010|magazine=Vanity Fair}}</ref>