Editing David Letterman (section)

=== Extortion attempt and revelation of affairs ===
On October 1, 2009, Letterman announced on his show that he had been the victim of a [[blackmail]] attempt by a person threatening to reveal his sexual relationships with several of his female employees—a fact Letterman immediately thereafter confirmed.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2009/10/david-letterman-on-extortion-attempt-i-felt-menaced-by-this.html| title=David Letterman on extortion attempt: 'I felt menaced by this'| first=Matea| last=Gold| newspaper=Los Angeles Times| date= October 2, 2009}}</ref> He said that someone had left a package in his car with material he said he would write into a screenplay and a book if Letterman did not pay him $2 million. Letterman said that he contacted the [[Manhattan District Attorney]]'s office and partook in a [[sting operation]] that involved the handover of a fake check to the extortionist.<ref name="CBS">{{cite news| url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/robert-joe-halderman-48-hours-producer-named-in-david-letterman-sex-extortion-plot/|title=Robert Joe Halderman, 48 Hours Producer, Named in David Letterman Sex Extortion Plot|first=Edecio|last=Martinez|work=CBS News|date=October 2, 2009}}</ref>

[[Joe Halderman]], a producer of the CBS news magazine television series ''[[48 Hours (TV series)|48 Hours]]'', was arrested around noon (EST) on October 1, 2009, after trying to deposit the check. He was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury following testimony from Letterman and pleaded not guilty to a charge of attempted [[grand larceny]] on October 2, 2009.<ref name=Reuters1002>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-letterman-extortion/suspect-in-letterman-extortion-pleads-not-guilty-idINTRE5910GR20091002|title=Suspect in Letterman extortion pleads not guilty|date=September 2, 2009| last=Honan|first=Edith|work=Reuters|access-date=May 31, 2022}}</ref> Halderman pleaded guilty in March 2010 and was sentenced to six months in prison, followed by probation and community service.<ref>{{cite news|title=Ex-CBS producer Robert Halderman pleads guilty to blackmailing David Letterman over intern affairs| date=March 9, 2010| access-date=May 31, 2022|newspaper=[[Daily News (New York)|Daily News]] |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/ex-cbs-producer-robert-halderman-pleads-guilty-blackmailing-david-letterman-intern-affairs-article-1.174178|first1=Melissa|last1=Grace|first2=Christina|last2=Boyle|first3=Larry|last3=McShane}}</ref>

A central figure in the case and one of the women with whom Letterman had had a sexual relationship was his longtime personal assistant [[Stephanie Birkitt]], who often appeared on the show. She had also worked for ''48 Hours''.<ref name="huffpo">{{cite news| url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/02/stephanie-birkitt-letterm_n_307558.html|title=Stephanie Birkitt|last=Shea|first=Danny|date=October 2, 2009|newspaper=[[The Huffington Post]]|access-date=October 2, 2009}}</ref> Until a month before the revelations, she had shared a residence with Halderman,<ref name="NYT1">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/03/business/media/03extort.html|title=Letterman Extortion Raises Questions for CBS|first1=Bill| last1=Carter|first2=Brian|last2=Stelter| newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=October 2, 2009}}</ref> who allegedly had copied her personal diary and used it, along with private emails, in the blackmail package.<ref name="diary">{{cite news|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/stephanie-birkitt-photo-secret-diary-at-center-of-letterman-sex-extortion-say-cops/|title=Stephanie Birkitt Secret Diary at Center of Letterman Sex Extortion, Say Cops|date=October 5, 2009|newspaper=CBS News|agency=Associated Press|access-date=October 5, 2009}}</ref>

In the days following the initial announcement of the affairs and the arrest, several prominent women, including [[Kathie Lee Gifford]], co-host of NBC's ''[[Today (NBC program)|Today Show]]'', and NBC news anchor [[Ann Curry]], questioned whether Letterman's affairs with subordinates created an unfair working environment.<ref name=bauder>{{cite news|title=Will women viewers turn away from Letterman?|agency=Associated Press|date=October 4, 2009|access-date=October 4, 2009| url=http://www.today.com/id/33167148/ns/today-entertainment/t/will-women-viewers-turn-away-letterman| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180101135310/http://www.today.com/id/33167148/ns/today-entertainment/t/will-women-viewers-turn-away-letterman| archive-date=January 1, 2018}}</ref> A spokesman for Worldwide Pants said that the company's [[sexual harassment]] policy did not prohibit sexual relationships between managers and employees.<ref name=latimesharassment>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-letterman3-2009oct03-story.html|title=David Letterman affair is no joke|first1=Matea|last1=Gold|first2=Scott|last2=Collins|date=October 3, 2009|access-date=October 4, 2009|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|quote='We have a written policy in our employee manual that covers harassment', the spokesman said in a statement. 'It is circulated to every employee every year. Dave is not in violation of our policy and no one has ever raised a complaint against him.'}}</ref> According to business news reporter Eve Tahmincioglu, "CBS suppliers are supposed to follow the company's business conduct policies" and the CBS 2008 Business Conduct Statement states that "If a consenting romantic or sexual relationship between a supervisor and a direct or indirect subordinate should develop, CBS requires the supervisor to disclose this information to his or her Company's Human Resources Department".<ref>{{cite web|title=Sleeping with the boss often leads to trouble: Policies on workplace romances aim to limit legal liabilities|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/33146450|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728120211/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/33146450|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 28, 2020|first=Eve|last=Tahmincioglu|date=October 4, 2009|access-date=October 4, 2009|work=[[NBC News]]|quote=If a consenting romantic or sexual relationship between a supervisor and a direct or indirect subordinate should develop, CBS requires the supervisor to disclose this information to his or her Company's Human Resources Department to ensure that there are no issues of actual or apparent favoritism, [[conflict of interest]], [[sexual harassment]], or any other negative impact on others in the work environment.}}</ref>

On October 3, 2009, [[TMZ]] reported that a former CBS employee, Holly Hester, had had a yearlong secret affair with Letterman in the early 1990s while she was his intern and a student at [[New York University]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://gothamist.com/news/former-letterman-intern-lover-i-was-madly-in-love-with-him|title=Former Letterman Intern-Lover: "I Was Madly In Love With Him"|date=October 4, 2009|website=Gothamist}}</ref> On October 5, 2009, Letterman devoted a segment of his show to a public apology to his wife and staff.<ref name=msnbcapology>{{cite news|url=https://www.today.com/popculture/letterman-apologizes-horribly-hurt-wife-1C9404523|title=Letterman apologizes to 'horribly hurt' wife
|agency=Associated Press|publisher=Today|date=October 5, 2009| access-date=May 31, 2022}}</ref><ref name=cnnapology>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/TV/10/05/david.letterman.apology|title=Letterman makes in-studio apology to wife, staffers|author=Doug Ganley|publisher=CNN|date=October 5, 2009|access-date= October 5, 2009|display-authors=etal}}</ref> Three days later, Worldwide Pants announced that Birkitt had been placed on a "paid leave of absence" from the ''Late Show''.<ref name=telegraph>{{cite news|title=David Letterman's former mistress Stephanie Birkitt banned from Late Show set|date=October 8, 2009|access-date=October 12, 2009|work=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|location=London|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/6271085/David-Lettermans-former-mistress-Stephanie-Birkitt-banned-from-Late-Show-set.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/6271085/David-Lettermans-former-mistress-Stephanie-Birkitt-banned-from-Late-Show-set.html |archive-date=January 11, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live}}{{cbignore}}</ref>