TV talk-show host David Letterman said on Thursday he was the victim of a $2 million blackmail scheme by a man who threatened to go public about Letterman having having affairs with employees.
CBS said in a statement that an employee of CBS’s show “48 Hours” was arrested in connection to the blackmail plot.
Letterman told the audience on CBS’s “Late Show with David Letterman” that he found a package in his car three weeks ago from a person claiming to have information about his sexual affairs. The person also went on to say that he wanted $2 million to avoid going public with the information he claimed to have.
Letterman quoted a note as saying: “I know that you do some terrible, terrible things and I can prove that you do these terrible things.”
“Sure enough, contained in the package was stuff to prove that I do terrible things,” Letterman said.
The TV talk-show host said that after consulting his attorney, he arranged to meet the man who said he planned to go public with a screenplay and a book about “all the terrible stuff” Letterman did unless he was paid off.
“The creepy stuff was that I have had sex with women who work for me on this show,” Letterman told a stunned audience, which seemed unsure how to react to the story, laughing and applauding at times and exclaiming at others.
“My response to that is, yes I have,” Letterman said. “Would it be embarrassing if it were made public? Perhaps it would, especially for the women.”
“It’s been a very bizarre experience. I feel like I need to protect these people. I need to certainly protect my family. I need to protect myself. I hope to protect my job,” he said.
An investigation led to an arrest earlier on Thursday. As part of the investigation, Letterman said he handed over a “phony” check for $2 million to the individual.
A name has not been released as to the man’s identity.