Paul's "oh no" was so sincere...He figured out this wasn't a bit way before the audience. I have never seen someone take the power away from someone like this. This an extremely unique moment in tv.
I would be very surprised if Dave didn't give his staff a heads-up that this was coming. I'm sure it wasn't a surprise to Paul. But I'd love to know what Dave was thinking when the audience continued to laugh about it. I actually laughed at home when he said, "Yes, I have" because duh... both his wife Regina & ex Merrill were his co-workers. I thought he was referring to them at the time.
I remember hearing this on the radio when commuting to college. This was discussed maybe for a week and then everyone stopped caring and moved on. Why? Because he owned it. That's all you have to do. I like how he handled it. He did not try to side-step or anything.
I know you posted your comment a long while ago but you (and he, for that matter) could not have used better words - for a celebrity of his caliber to come out, so very eloquently, and admit on public television that he was unfaithful to his wife took tremendous courage - somewhat self-serving - but courageous nonetheless
I don’t buy it. His entire tone, body language, and how often he cracked jokes shows he didn’t really care. He’s legit cracking jokes about cheating on his wife after he admitted it hurt her... didn’t even apologize bro lol
@@rkoistheman You care about Dave's wife because? Oh right, you must be a close friend of him and that's why his mistake changed how you view it, right? Otherwise it'd make no sense to care abou this
Man... that crowd went through the whole thing thinking 'ah this is probably a bit' combined with 'this is a hilarious man who says hilarious things and therefore we must laugh at all he says'... they had no idea how to react.
They're just doing their jobs, and Dave knows it but he's uncomfortable because they're laughing at a serious topic and he's not the only one affected by it.
So what do you think he should get? I mean, women who have an extra marital relationship with men usually get to destroy their families, alimony, victimization, the house, the car, the children and condolences...
@@Onigirli Not fair and not good advice. Nobody should have "carte blanch" to harm others. And far too many innocents make the mistake of apologizing, which often results in ruined reputations.
maybe this is where woody first got the idea to cheat on his wife - in a threesome with a paparazzi, no less. maybe thought "hey i can do it and get some applause and laughs too!"
I was in the audience at a Letterman show once. They tell you a thousand times before you go in to laugh out loud at every joke. People are so grilled to laugh that they start bursting out laughing everytime there is a pause. I doubt this audience knew what to do nor were they expecting such a serious announcement.
Dave's just naturally funny in his delivery since he's been doing it for so many years. Him saying "all the creepy things I had done" made me chuckle too.
Pleistocene The audience comes off as insane during this. It's really a matter of context, though. When you tell someone that a person is a comedian, their expectation that the person is funny really does most of the work for the comedian. If people are in a mood to laugh, they will laugh. For most of the story they didn't know it was a serious thing that Dave was confessing and by the time it happened I think they didn't know how to process what just happened. But, yeah, they come off as obtuse and insane.
@@JazGalaxy It's like you say. The fact that his delivery is masterful and full of quips right up to the serious point also sets the tone for the audience, and like you say, his actual reveal is met by probably shock and confusion by an audience that doesn't know how to react.
5:22 - I love this moment when Dave tells the audience how much the blackmailer wanted, $2 million - Dave's reaction to the audience shocked reaction is brilliant "was that the foreigners?" - as most Americans would think Dave got a cheap deal, as most blackmailers would ask for a lot more. A lot of foreigners come to see Dave's show.
This reminds me of when Jerry Seinfeld, as Dave's guest, brought out Kramer after the whole racial episode that blew up on TMZ. Kramer came out and sat down and was visibly upset, and the first reaction of the audience was to start laughing, because they thought it was a sketch, and Seinfeld said, "Don't laugh, don't laugh."
Obviously but i dont care if a talkshoe host is cheating on his wife im not his wife, his friend, or his family im a viewer snd this does not matter to me
@@elputas Uh, not cool when the boss wants sex from the subordinates. The subordinates feel obligated to provide sex to the boss out of fear of losing their jobs. Isn't right, my friend.
It's amazing how many people seem to feel that it's so "odd" and "disturbing" that the audience kept laughing. They're at a live taping. They're instructed to laugh. Nobody in the audience had any clue how serious the matter was. They were probably expecting it to end with "soooo, long story short, I'll be mowing Paul's front yard for the next year and a half". Or something along those lines. I love the way he presented the matter. Comedically serious and sincere.
they were laughing because 1 they prob didn't expect it to be serious...and 2 he has this deadpan humor ALLLLL the time, everything he says always sounds as if he serious when hes talks BUT its funny
That's kind of how he'd need it to go, as well. It seems like he's handled this in the best way possible with this response (and he delivers it incredibly well in what must be very very hard to say in front of an audience and the nation, when he drops the bomb). I always liked Letterman but this has really impressed me. I only learnt about this today through stories on Jeff Bezos' stand against AMI's blackmailing practices, glad I saw this!
A Man can make a mistake,he can become attracted to a colleague,infatuated even, It can happen,but there was more than one or two women involved with Dave.If he was married to my sister,I would want to stick his head down a dirty toilet bowl. I have wondered,what if that despicable Blackmailer had asked for $20,000,what would Dave have done? Letterman was a super talk show host,but he betrayed his wife,his family more than once.
oh shut up for gods sake, people are grown adults and when you spend 8to12 hours a day with people relationships can happen. i flirted with my manager, just because its fun and i ended up having 9 year relationship and moving in together. women dont have affairs and keep their mouths shut about them if they dont feel it was a totally mutual relationship.
Well, now that you're talking about abusing power, do you know what's really awful? That when women have an extra marital relationship, they completely destroy their families, they get alimony, they're awarded with the victim status, they get the house, the car, the children and the condolences and sympathies from friends and relatives because her bastard husband left her all alone while he was out working for her...
No not really. He clearly should of opened with a statement saying this is not a joke in anyway. The audience was laughing over and over. At no time did he mention this is serious . He knew if he said it the blackmailer would stop, but he clearly played up to the audience laughing so he could downplay It
@@blockchainshark1392 There is not much different he could do regarding the audience even if he would try his best. They are there to laugh. Most of them will take whatever he says as to be something more or less funny
@@blockchainshark1392 I don't think you understand the job of a late night host. His job is to entertain people. Ofc he peppered in jokes in a 9 min monolouge. Why would he tell people not to laugh when that's the entire point? He's try to keep them entertained while also explaining what happened, otherwise it would drag down the entire mood of the show. You can approach serious topics with some degree of levity without it being "downplayed." The two aren't mutually exclusive
My favorite reaction to this was that of his ex-partner and onetime head writer of Late Night, Merrill Markoe: “Aw, Dave, you said I was the only one you’d ever cheat on.”
@@ROZAKRIU yea a real class act fucking young women interns as a dude in a massive position of power, cheating on his wife and family. Super classy. He's a fuckin dirtbag
' _owning up to_ ' *getting caught* , you mean - with his pants down, schlong hanging out, no less. What made it even more unseemly was that he was nightly selling and encouraging others to promote this image of himself as the hapless, somewhat nerdish, clown who never 'got the girl' _meanwhile_ , the creep is backstage porking the crap out of every intern and bitch on his staff who answers to him
Dave's way of pitching this "story" is interesting, as he waited over 7 and a half minutes into the story before the finally revealed to a stunned audience both in the theater and at home of his affairs with female staff members who worked on his show.
this was awesome. finally a public figure who doesn’t try to bullshit their way through a scandal, he was upfront and admitted that he fucked up and he did it on his own.
And nine years ago you hadn’t had to listen to Trump denying demonstrable facts about him for seven years straight, and then trying to sue people for telling the truth (for free!).
Well, in consensual sex among adults, there's nothing for you or me to "condone" or "not condone". It belongs in the realm of the personal and private.
billyfan8305 People laugh in uncertain situations. The audience on a comedic talkshow is primed to laugh at stuff. Also they laughed to ease tension and show support.
I can't help thinking that things would have gone more smoothly if Letterman had begun by saying something like, "You know, ladies and gentlemen, night after night I sit up here, trying to make you laugh, and sometimes I actually succeed, but right now I have something totally serious that I think you need to know about..."
it's kinda scary how people continue laughing as David is closing in on his point, I know they tell you to laugh but at some point it's as creepy as what David is trying to say.
PEOPLE! Dave had relations with some co-workers BEFORE his 2009 marriage- he was single for 29 or 30 years!!! He did NOT cheat on his wife at the time this broke. He could NOT have handled the situation so well if he'd been cheating.
But he did cheat on his wife with several women who worked directly for him or his production company and he admitted it. Letterman had been married to Regina Lasko since March, 2009. They had lived together for some years prior to their marriage and had a son born in 2003. Letterman mentioned no one by name when he admitted on his show of October 1, 2009 to multiple affairs. But it soon came out that among those he had affairs with was his personal assistant Stephanie Birkitt who had been in a sexual relationship with him up until just before his on-air admission.
I know this comment was made 5 years ago but it’s not true. He was married in March of 2009. His affair with Stephanie Birkitt lasted until at least August 2009. He cheated.
@@patrickr9670 And your impeccable source is/are medie reporters... I'll believe Dave at his word, thank you. [PS- Being seen with someone is not proof of boinking said person!]
@@THE-HammerMan Maybe you should believe David. Because he has on multiple occasions mentioned that he was in a committed relationship with Regina for 23 years before he got married. He didn’t meet his wife in 2009. The mental gymnastics required to defend your hero is astounding.
What is amazing about a man who is in a corner and has no way out confessing to being a serial adulterer in order to save $2 million? He chose the lesser of two evils.
I think Dave handled this situation masterfully, he used humor to frame his experience in a way people could identify and easily sympathize with. My sources say the blackmailer was Robert Halderman, a director on "48 hours". He probably used his investigative journalism skills and inside position at CBS to accumulate tons of moderately scandalous material. Dave's been dating that Lasko lady on and off forever. Any sexual details with staffers are bound to be slightly embarassing.
@@Brinta3 No you're actually right. This video was posted on Oct. 2nd 2009. The original comment cannot be from earlier than that. I can find a TMZ article posted on Oct. 1st 2009 saying Halderman was arrested for blackmailing him.
Remember that David and his apologists judged and condemned Bristol Palin for being a unwed teenage mother. Now they are telling us to not be judgmental.
Perhaps that's because Bristol Palin and her mother made it a point to lecture others about being intimate before marriage, and she had not one but TWO kids out of wedlock. With two different guys.
Just Imagine sitting in the audience thinking it's a funny bit, or joke, and Dave is telling you the truth about his affair and a crime committed live on air.
If he thought, he had to explain anything to the viewers, he could have made it short, straight to the point n serious rather than comic. How humiliating for his wife.
If anybody wonders what happened, the guy served 4 months in jail, and he got back in show business, courtesy of the Discovery Channel as far as I know.
well i don't agree with getting blackmailed but just because you decide to be upfront about your extramarital affair doesn't make it right. he also didn't bother apologizing to his family who is the one who should be embarrassed in this whole situation. what a disgusting man and yes how embarrassing for the women that slept with him.
" hey honey the recording is going just taking so long Im gonna be home late again dont wait for dinner" *clunk" "alright girls now I want you to lie down on each other and hold this banana, and scream cowboy Dave"
A public apology to his wife would've been good, but only because her embarrassment was public. I'm confident he did the right thing by her in private. I have a lot of respect for Mr. Letterman for doing this. He owned it, just like anyone that messes up should. Too bad more celebrities don't have this much bravery. Bravo Mr. Letterman.
Tyler Universe Could you see how scared he was? The apprehension was obvious on his face and in his voice. Condemn him if you want but you cannot deny this took bravery to do on live television.
I'm a fan of Letterman -- I don't want this comment to be (mis)interpreted as spite or hatred -- but he only came forward and 'confessed' because was being blackmailed. In a parallel universe where the lady (Stephanie Birkitt) + her boyfriend (Robert Halderman) just blew it off, or otherwise handled it privately, instead of resorting to blackmail, I don't know that he ever would have faced or dealt with it. Regina (wife) was supposedly not pleased by this 'public apology,' and saw it as hammy schtick.
Dave: "I've had sex with co workers." Audience: HAHAHAHAHA Dave: Hey I'm serious Audience: HAHAHAHAHA Me: What the f.. why are you laughing you idiots. Audience: HAHAHAHAHA Me and Dave: Shut Up! Audience: HAHAHAHAHA Me and Dave: OK we're leaving now Audience: HAHAHAHAHA (Lights shut off, crew leaves too) Audience: HAHAHAHAHA (Dave comes into studio next morning) Audience: HAHAHAHAHA
It’s clear to me when he’s joking and not, but it could just be because I already knew the situation before watching this and the audience probably didn’t
Im not too sure what was funny either but Mr.Letterman couldnt have handled the situation any better. Was honest about it and kept it moving. People act like theyve never fucked up before.
Humans are robots. They like what they like and they'll defend it to the death. Look at the abortion situation. No remorse. Look at Nazi Germany. Same thing. Serial killers. Theives. People don't feel remorse because remorse hurts and people protect the people they love no matter what they do unless it affects them personally or social pressure becomes too strong against them. Then they change. But only through great personal pressure.
A blackmailer, or extortionist, is someone who finds out something about someone that that someone would rather not become the subject of idle speculation by strangers, and then decides to use said information TO DO SOMEONE HARM. That's why it is a crime. That's why it is evil.
There's been talk, for years, that Letterman is a constantly-angry person -- that his tight-lipped "Yup, yup, how bout that, ho ho ho, how funny" manner is a 24x7 partially-masked contempt. It apparently got (even) worse after he was blackmailed about the Stephanie Birkitt affair -- he felt like he couldn't trust anyone, on his staff or otherwise, like they were all garbage, like they were all out to get him -- I think you can see this in his monologue and teeth-gritted speech with uncooperative guests, and (to me) his "on-air philandering confession + spousal apology" felt like a heated, not-fully-sincere OMG they're making me do this, I'm gonna ham it up schtick. His session with Marc Maron has a bit of ugly past-youth/father history in it. Doesn't make me 'love' or 'hate' the guy, but he's very complex, not 100% as visible.
Another extramarital affair. I have to admit I have lost count. PS: He handled it smoothly, even the audience did not take it seriously. Well, he is a comedian.
Yeah it's the guest or whoever was sitting in the chair next to him. You can hear him a few more times throughout the video. That's the reason he was looking to his right a few times while he was talking. P.S. I'm sorry this didn't get to you a bit sooner....
What a strange moment in TV history.
Agreed 100%… I can’t believe this isn’t more talked about when historic TV moments are mentioned.. (or maybe it is, I don’t know lol)
Paul's "oh no" was so sincere...He figured out this wasn't a bit way before the audience. I have never seen someone take the power away from someone like this. This an extremely unique moment in tv.
Was just musing on this. Regardless of what you think of his behaviour, he handled this like a king.
I would be very surprised if Dave didn't give his staff a heads-up that this was coming. I'm sure it wasn't a surprise to Paul. But I'd love to know what Dave was thinking when the audience continued to laugh about it. I actually laughed at home when he said, "Yes, I have" because duh... both his wife Regina & ex Merrill were his co-workers. I thought he was referring to them at the time.
I remember hearing this on the radio when commuting to college. This was discussed maybe for a week and then everyone stopped caring and moved on. Why? Because he owned it. That's all you have to do. I like how he handled it. He did not try to side-step or anything.
Tom131 I mean and he didn’t rape anybody
I know you posted your comment a long while ago but you (and he, for that matter) could not have used better words - for a celebrity of his caliber to come out, so very eloquently, and admit on public television that he was unfaithful to his wife took tremendous courage - somewhat self-serving - but courageous nonetheless
This would not have been nearly as well received post Luar/Weinstein
I don’t buy it. His entire tone, body language, and how often he cracked jokes shows he didn’t really care. He’s legit cracking jokes about cheating on his wife after he admitted it hurt her... didn’t even apologize bro lol
@@rkoistheman You care about Dave's wife because? Oh right, you must be a close friend of him and that's why his mistake changed how you view it, right?
Otherwise it'd make no sense to care abou this
Man... that crowd went through the whole thing thinking 'ah this is probably a bit' combined with 'this is a hilarious man who says hilarious things and therefore we must laugh at all he says'... they had no idea how to react.
Its so painful to watch
Could see the frustration when he is putting all this out there and they treated it like a skit
Like a less serious version of when Redd Foxx had an actual heart attack and died in front of an audience who thought it was just a joke.
Probably an applause and laugh sign was used. The laughing was completely inappropriate though
Only man to get a round of applause for explaining an extra marital relationship (or two).
They're just doing their jobs, and Dave knows it but he's uncomfortable because they're laughing at a serious topic and he's not the only one affected by it.
NPC audience.
Was he married at the time he slept with coworkers?
So what do you think he should get? I mean, women who have an extra marital relationship with men usually get to destroy their families, alimony, victimization, the house, the car, the children and condolences...
@@mlouhig1536 He was NOT married. Check it out.
A simple rule for life: If you screw up, apologize sincerely. If you're accused of doing something wrong and are innocent, DO NOT apologize a bit.
No no no you have to apologize either way. But if you're innocent, you have carte blanche to do the deed you're accused of. Fair?
@@Onigirli Not fair and not good advice. Nobody should have "carte blanch" to harm others. And far too many innocents make the mistake of apologizing, which often results in ruined reputations.
Well, Dave screwed up but I didn't hear any apology in there.
@@jardbinkley3144 that might had happened in private
@@santiagoferrari1973 I was referring to a public one, of course.
Imagine being Woody Harrelson backstage, knowing that you had to follow that.
I remember watching this on tv when i was like 15 or something. Weird memory.
He was probably watching that thinking this was the most surreal thing ever
maybe this is where woody first got the idea to cheat on his wife - in a threesome with a paparazzi, no less. maybe thought "hey i can do it and get some applause and laughs too!"
Probably nobody better than woody to handle something like that. He's a wild personality himself.
I was in the audience at a Letterman show once. They tell you a thousand times before you go in to laugh out loud at every joke. People are so grilled to laugh that they start bursting out laughing everytime there is a pause. I doubt this audience knew what to do nor were they expecting such a serious announcement.
I bet they prepared the audience the exact same way for this episode.
Dave's just naturally funny in his delivery since he's been doing it for so many years. Him saying "all the creepy things I had done" made me chuckle too.
Lotta shows do this with their audiences and it's so annoying. Let the moments happen naturally.
Watching this in 2023. What a different world we live in today
His impression of the blackmailer sounds just like his Jay Lenno impression.
it was Leno who tried to blackmail him.
@@enstigatorofficial Any proof of this?
Edit: It wasn't Jay, it was a CBS producer.
@@sleepoversnackies5663 a joke. they caught the guy and arrested for blackmail.
@@enstigatorofficial😢
"Embarrassing...especially for the women." Like a boss
He admitted it right away, and this entire thing disappeared quicker than a bad cold.
"i am a towering mass of Lutherin midwestern guilt" *crowd applauds* ... ?
Alessandro Scuderi Lutheran. Crowd applauds because they knew he misspelled it.
Pleistocene The audience comes off as insane during this. It's really a matter of context, though. When you tell someone that a person is a comedian, their expectation that the person is funny really does most of the work for the comedian. If people are in a mood to laugh, they will laugh. For most of the story they didn't know it was a serious thing that Dave was confessing and by the time it happened I think they didn't know how to process what just happened. But, yeah, they come off as obtuse and insane.
@@JazGalaxy It's like you say. The fact that his delivery is masterful and full of quips right up to the serious point also sets the tone for the audience, and like you say, his actual reveal is met by probably shock and confusion by an audience that doesn't know how to react.
What a strange audience
Haha they prb made the audience laugh so the situation wouldnt be akward haha
smscandy Like a laugh sign that faces the audience and lights up.
they came expecting comedy so heard what he was saying through that filter.
I mean he was being pretty lighthearted about it at first so it’s pretty clear the audience thought it was a bit of some kind. Really not that deep
This man should be a PR specialist
It takes some dude to get caught doing this and come out looking like a hero
5:22 - I love this moment when Dave tells the audience how much the blackmailer wanted, $2 million - Dave's reaction to the audience shocked reaction is brilliant "was that the foreigners?" - as most Americans would think Dave got a cheap deal, as most blackmailers would ask for a lot more. A lot of foreigners come to see Dave's show.
Politicians should be half as transparent!!!
This reminds me of when Jerry Seinfeld, as Dave's guest, brought out Kramer after the whole racial episode that blew up on TMZ. Kramer came out and sat down and was visibly upset, and the first reaction of the audience was to start laughing, because they thought it was a sketch, and Seinfeld said, "Don't laugh, don't laugh."
That video is what brought me here actually
He only told it because he was caught and it would cost him either way
Great insight 🙄
Obviously but i dont care if a talkshoe host is cheating on his wife im not his wife, his friend, or his family im a viewer snd this does not matter to me
He's a sack of shiii and a shill
Unbelievable how the crowd applauds.
Well, why not. When you refer to CONSENSUAL SEX AMONG ADULTS as "terrible" or "nasty" that is very funny.
@@elputaswhy are you commenting at every single response similar to this? Chill
@@user-rz4wb5te4q Cause if feel like it. SO? What is it to you?
@@elputas Uh, not cool when the boss wants sex from the subordinates. The subordinates feel obligated to provide sex to the boss out of fear of losing their jobs. Isn't right, my friend.
@@user-rz4wb5te4qwhy are you reading every comment ? Chill
It's amazing how many people seem to feel that it's so "odd" and "disturbing" that the audience kept laughing.
They're at a live taping. They're instructed to laugh. Nobody in the audience had any clue how serious the matter was.
They were probably expecting it to end with "soooo, long story short, I'll be mowing Paul's front yard for the next year and a half". Or something along those lines.
I love the way he presented the matter. Comedically serious and sincere.
He could have said at any point,
"Folks, please, this is serious".
He let them laugh.
His response was epic!!
they were laughing because 1 they prob didn't expect it to be serious...and 2 he has this deadpan humor ALLLLL the time, everything he says always sounds as if he serious when hes talks BUT its funny
That's kind of how he'd need it to go, as well. It seems like he's handled this in the best way possible with this response (and he delivers it incredibly well in what must be very very hard to say in front of an audience and the nation, when he drops the bomb). I always liked Letterman but this has really impressed me. I only learnt about this today through stories on Jeff Bezos' stand against AMI's blackmailing practices, glad I saw this!
A Man can make a mistake,he can become attracted to a colleague,infatuated even,
It can happen,but there was more than one or two women involved with Dave.If he was married to my sister,I would want to stick his head down a dirty toilet bowl.
I have wondered,what if that despicable Blackmailer had asked for
$20,000,what would Dave have done?
Letterman was a super talk show host,but he betrayed his wife,his family more than once.
I think they thought the whole time that he was fucking with them and there'd be some funny punchline or something at the end
I’m glad he admitted it etc and the blackmailer was arrested. But it’s still really awful that he abused his power and hurt his family.
oh shut up for gods sake, people are grown adults and when you spend 8to12 hours a day with people relationships can happen. i flirted with my manager, just because its fun and i ended up having 9 year relationship and moving in together. women dont have affairs and keep their mouths shut about them if they dont feel it was a totally mutual relationship.
@@robinhooduk8255he cheated on his wife
Well, now that you're talking about abusing power, do you know what's really awful? That when women have an extra marital relationship, they completely destroy their families, they get alimony, they're awarded with the victim status, they get the house, the car, the children and the condolences and sympathies from friends and relatives because her bastard husband left her all alone while he was out working for her...
@@curtisholmes9988 It'd be interesting to see if his wife was also cheating on him...
@@wzxr7722 Exactly.
Genius from Letterman. Completely fucked the guy who tried to blackmail him.
Dave handled this the best way possible for someone in his position.
No not really. He clearly should of opened with a statement saying this is not a joke in anyway.
The audience was laughing over and over. At no time did he mention this is serious .
He knew if he said it the blackmailer would stop, but he clearly played up to the audience laughing so he could downplay It
@@blockchainshark1392 There is not much different he could do regarding the audience even if he would try his best. They are there to laugh. Most of them will take whatever he says as to be something more or less funny
@@blockchainshark1392 I don't think you understand the job of a late night host. His job is to entertain people. Ofc he peppered in jokes in a 9 min monolouge. Why would he tell people not to laugh when that's the entire point? He's try to keep them entertained while also explaining what happened, otherwise it would drag down the entire mood of the show. You can approach serious topics with some degree of levity without it being "downplayed." The two aren't mutually exclusive
Lucky he missed the #metoo
Nahh, his job was to shill.
The audience keep thinking it's all an elaborate joke because that's what they expect.
"Take the book and read along at the film" lol
1. This was a weird way to present and talk about this situation.
2. Why are people applauding and laughing?
My favorite reaction to this was that of his ex-partner and onetime head writer of Late Night, Merrill Markoe: “Aw, Dave, you said I was the only one you’d ever cheat on.”
This is disgusting. Why they are laughing
MiaMadeInChina Maybe it's because he's making jokes throughout it and he's a comedian?
MiaMadeInChina They are laughing because they must laugh. there is a sign that tell them when to laugh and when to applaud and when to say woooow
MiaMadeInChina whats disgusting? besides that fact that you let yourself get offended by nonsense
AlexRaGeAHoLiC Uh, no.
They thought it was joke dumbass. They didn't realize he was actually telling the truth
Well, he's got my respect for publicly announcing it and owning up to his mistakes. I think he handled the entire situation very well.
Why dose its smelly bad?
Dave has always been a class act in my opinion
@@ROZAKRIU yea a real class act fucking young women interns as a dude in a massive position of power, cheating on his wife and family. Super classy. He's a fuckin dirtbag
Youre a joke. Dude is a piece of 💩. Admitting youre gutter trash means nothing. Hes still the same piece of 💩
' _owning up to_ ' *getting caught* , you mean - with his pants down, schlong hanging out, no less. What made it even more unseemly was that he was nightly selling and encouraging others to promote this image of himself as the hapless, somewhat nerdish, clown who never 'got the girl' _meanwhile_ , the creep is backstage porking the crap out of every intern and bitch on his staff who answers to him
Dave's way of pitching this "story" is interesting, as he waited over 7 and a half minutes into the story before the finally revealed to a stunned audience both in the theater and at home of his affairs with female staff members who worked on his show.
"oh shit we laughed and clapped at this?"
Good point. We all came to this site knowing what to expect and the severity of the matter. The audience had no idea that this was something serious.
this was awesome. finally a public figure who doesn’t try to bullshit their way through a scandal, he was upfront and admitted that he fucked up and he did it on his own.
And nine years ago you hadn’t had to listen to Trump denying demonstrable facts about him for seven years straight, and then trying to sue people for telling the truth (for free!).
He didn't admit it on his own..He was being blackmailed and had no choice. He is an asshat
Please. His abuse of staff and sorry, sordid life is hardly entertainment.
Plenty just do do it. Hes with the other gutter scum. Dudes a piece of 💩
@@mariedewitt5033ok Karen.
I see no ring.
While I don’t condone David’s actions, he did take ownership and handled it real well
Well, in consensual sex among adults, there's nothing for you or me to "condone" or "not condone". It belongs in the realm of the personal and private.
Does anyone else think it was hilarious that WOODY was his guest that night?
wow......The audience must not believe him...That's the only way I can account for their response.
billyfan8305 People laugh in uncertain situations. The audience on a comedic talkshow is primed to laugh at stuff. Also they laughed to ease tension and show support.
+billyfan8305 He handled it with pure class.
+billyfan8305 Very similar to the appearance by Michael Richards after his infamous n-word incident. You don't know what is real and what is not.
They're uncomfortable and don't know what's actually jokes and what's serious
When Paul Shaffer says “oh no” 🤣
I can't help thinking that things would have gone more smoothly if Letterman had begun by saying something like, "You know, ladies and gentlemen, night after night I sit up here, trying to make you laugh, and sometimes I actually succeed, but right now I have something totally serious that I think you need to know about..."
That's what I was wondering. He never said it was while he was married.
The thing I can appreciate is that he recognized that any of the women that participated have every right to talk about it.
it's kinda scary how people continue laughing as David is closing in on his point, I know they tell you to laugh but at some point it's as creepy as what David is trying to say.
I don't think people knew if he was being serious or not.
PEOPLE! Dave had relations with some co-workers BEFORE his 2009 marriage- he was single for 29 or 30 years!!!
He did NOT cheat on his wife at the time this broke.
He could NOT have handled the situation so well if he'd been cheating.
But he did cheat on his wife with several women who worked directly for him or his production company and he admitted it. Letterman had been married to Regina Lasko since March, 2009. They had lived together for some years prior to their marriage and had a son born in 2003.
Letterman mentioned no one by name when he admitted on his show of October 1, 2009 to multiple affairs. But it soon came out that among those he had affairs with was his personal assistant Stephanie Birkitt who had been in a sexual relationship with him up until just before his on-air admission.
I know this comment was made 5 years ago but it’s not true. He was married in March of 2009. His affair with Stephanie Birkitt lasted until at least August 2009. He cheated.
@@patrickr9670 And your impeccable source is/are medie reporters... I'll believe Dave at his word, thank you. [PS- Being seen with someone is not proof of boinking said person!]
@@THE-HammerMan Maybe you should believe David. Because he has on multiple occasions mentioned that he was in a committed relationship with Regina for 23 years before he got married. He didn’t meet his wife in 2009. The mental gymnastics required to defend your hero is astounding.
@@patrickr9670 Maybe you should bite me.
Dave's the man. I always had respect for him honestly and this is one reason I do.
Because youre as much a piece of 💩 as he is
He cheated on his first wife too. Broke her heart. He's a piece.
One of the most awkward moments in Late Night history.
I didn't know this was a real thing that had happened. And Dave's openness to share this was truly an amazing thing to see. So very well handled.
You respect a piece of 💩 because you are a piece of 💩
What is amazing about a man who is in a corner and has no way out confessing to being a serial adulterer in order to save $2 million? He chose the lesser of two evils.
@@tcudahey9550I agree
I'm glad I watched this today.
At least Letterman confessed when caught and took responsibility for being flawed vs. so many that deny what they've done.
What a great way of handling damage control
This is probably when Charles Grodin decided not to appear on Letterman again.
Remember being blackmailed is not as bad as being convicted of extortion
I respect him so much for this
If he'd asked for like 100 grand, he would have gotten it.
The audience literally is like mindless drones laughing and clapping it’s weird
Why is the audience clapping and laughing when he's clearly being serious?
Perhaps the continued use of the word “hinky”
They are nervous, they don't understand how to react. This was all unloaded on to them with no preparation.
Maybe they think it's actually a joke of some kind ..since it is a comedy show. They don't know how to take it.
I think Dave handled this situation masterfully, he used humor to frame his experience in a way people could identify and easily sympathize with.
My sources say the blackmailer was Robert Halderman, a director on "48 hours".
He probably used his investigative journalism skills and inside position at CBS to accumulate tons of moderately scandalous material. Dave's been dating that Lasko lady on and off forever. Any sexual details with staffers are bound to be slightly embarassing.
“My sources”
It’s not exactly a secret, it’s even on Halderman’s Wikipedia page.
@@Brinta3 You commented on a post from 13 years ago.
“my sources”
Lmaooo
@@ChaosZero.
You’re right, my comment was unfair. It may not have been public knowledge back then.
@@Brinta3 No you're actually right. This video was posted on Oct. 2nd 2009. The original comment cannot be from earlier than that. I can find a TMZ article posted on Oct. 1st 2009 saying Halderman was arrested for blackmailing him.
Remember that David and his apologists judged and condemned Bristol Palin for being a unwed teenage mother.
Now they are telling us to not be judgmental.
Perhaps that's because Bristol Palin and her mother made it a point to lecture others about being intimate before marriage, and she had not one but TWO kids out of wedlock. With two different guys.
Just Imagine sitting in the audience thinking it's a funny bit, or joke, and Dave is telling you the truth about his affair and a crime committed live on air.
Being truthful was best move he made.
To all the people berating the audience for laughing, to be fair, he's cracking gags all the way through, what do you expect them to do?
Impeccable delivery the entire time
I actually saw this episode when it aired, and I rarely watched Letterman by this point.
If he thought, he had to explain anything to the viewers, he could have made it short, straight to the point n serious rather than comic.
How humiliating for his wife.
What's with the laughing zombie... not one joke in this confession. Very sobering
If anybody wonders what happened, the guy served 4 months in jail, and he got back in show business, courtesy of the Discovery Channel as far as I know.
The guy was living and in a relationship with an assistant on the show who Letterman was porking on the side.
@@23HF23 wo it was all highschool drama revenge? that adds another layer to it.
Nope, he later worked for fellow convicted criminal James O'Keefe.
He's talking to Paul Shaffer, the band leader.
"especially for the women"
crowd: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAA
well i don't agree with getting blackmailed but just because you decide to be upfront about your extramarital affair doesn't make it right. he also didn't bother apologizing to his family who is the one who should be embarrassed in this whole situation. what a disgusting man and yes how embarrassing for the women that slept with him.
" hey honey the recording is going just taking so long Im gonna be home late again dont wait for dinner" *clunk"
"alright girls now I want you to lie down on each other and hold this banana, and scream cowboy Dave"
Yeah, but he dissipated the whole thing by saying it first and being comedic about it. Lessons in there...
Here from TheOfficialPodcast
My response to him admitting that: yes. I want to be you.
I felt Dave's pain that night!
A public apology to his wife would've been good, but only because her embarrassment was public. I'm confident he did the right thing by her in private. I have a lot of respect for Mr. Letterman for doing this. He owned it, just like anyone that messes up should. Too bad more celebrities don't have this much bravery. Bravo Mr. Letterman.
mike112769
Bravery isn't cheating on your Wife and sorta owning up to it.
Tyler Universe Could you see how scared he was? The apprehension was obvious on his face and in his voice. Condemn him if you want but you cannot deny this took bravery to do on live television.
too bad that's bullshit..
mike112769 he wasn’t married then
I'm a fan of Letterman -- I don't want this comment to be (mis)interpreted as spite or hatred -- but he only came forward and 'confessed' because was being blackmailed. In a parallel universe where the lady (Stephanie Birkitt) + her boyfriend (Robert Halderman) just blew it off, or otherwise handled it privately, instead of resorting to blackmail, I don't know that he ever would have faced or dealt with it. Regina (wife) was supposedly not pleased by this 'public apology,' and saw it as hammy schtick.
why are they laughing
Lmfao even David's like "come on guys that's not funny"
The books always better than the movie.
When he said he had sex with staff they started cheering. You can tell this was before "Me Too".
extortion makes you worse than guilty
Dave: "I've had sex with co workers."
Audience: HAHAHAHAHA
Dave: Hey I'm serious
Audience: HAHAHAHAHA
Me: What the f.. why are you laughing you idiots.
Audience: HAHAHAHAHA
Me and Dave: Shut Up!
Audience: HAHAHAHAHA
Me and Dave: OK we're leaving now
Audience: HAHAHAHAHA
(Lights shut off, crew leaves too)
Audience: HAHAHAHAHA
(Dave comes into studio next morning)
Audience: HAHAHAHAHA
You can't get mad at three audience for laughing when he himself made jokes during the discussion. Either you want to be taken seriously or you don't
It’s clear to me when he’s joking and not, but it could just be because I already knew the situation before watching this and the audience probably didn’t
Fully agree with you - he could have made it clear from the start that it wasn't a joking matter.
Im not too sure what was funny either but Mr.Letterman couldnt have handled the situation any better. Was honest about it and kept it moving. People act like theyve never fucked up before.
How intriguing!
Jay Leno blackmailed him?
This has gotta be a form of insecure laughter on parts of the audience. The other interpretation wouldn't be so flattering.
Humans are robots. They like what they like and they'll defend it to the death. Look at the abortion situation. No remorse. Look at Nazi Germany. Same thing. Serial killers. Theives. People don't feel remorse because remorse hurts and people protect the people they love no matter what they do unless it affects them personally or social pressure becomes too strong against them. Then they change. But only through great personal pressure.
The crowd laughing at the things Letterman is saying, regardless of context, is absolutely bizarre
The only thing he "handled well" was out of his control, timing. This happened before Me Too. He kept his job only for that reason.
So. The screenplay failed . ❤
I know this must of been a horrible moment for him. He handled it well.
Poor piece of 💩
He caused it. Don't have extra marital affairs and you won't get POS's snooping around trying to blackmail you. Be a good husband.
No one judged or condemned Bristol Palin, they judged her mother!
Dave is so good at his job and balls the size of grapefruits. He had the crowd eating out of his hand and just say hey I did this now what
A blackmailer, or extortionist, is someone who finds out something about someone that that someone would rather not become the subject of idle speculation by strangers, and then decides to use said information TO DO SOMEONE HARM. That's why it is a crime. That's why it is evil.
That poor philanderer...
I don't think that this is something you make fun of.
There's been talk, for years, that Letterman is a constantly-angry person -- that his tight-lipped "Yup, yup, how bout that, ho ho ho, how funny" manner is a 24x7 partially-masked contempt. It apparently got (even) worse after he was blackmailed about the Stephanie Birkitt affair -- he felt like he couldn't trust anyone, on his staff or otherwise, like they were all garbage, like they were all out to get him -- I think you can see this in his monologue and teeth-gritted speech with uncooperative guests, and (to me) his "on-air philandering confession + spousal apology" felt like a heated, not-fully-sincere OMG they're making me do this, I'm gonna ham it up schtick. His session with Marc Maron has a bit of ugly past-youth/father history in it. Doesn't make me 'love' or 'hate' the guy, but he's very complex, not 100% as visible.
Like us all. I take lessons from it.
Another extramarital affair. I have to admit I have lost count.
PS: He handled it smoothly, even the audience did not take it seriously. Well, he is a comedian.
Not an extramarital affair. Quid pro quo with the staff is illegal..Dave should have been fired.
@@horacesheffield7367he had a serious girlfriend for 10 years
Yeah it's the guest or whoever was sitting in the chair next to him. You can hear him a few more times throughout the video. That's the reason he was looking to his right a few times while he was talking.
P.S. I'm sorry this didn't get to you a bit sooner....
He made great efforts to thank people and protect the women, but what about his wife and kid? At the very least apologize to them. No class.
Protect the women? He is an old letch who protects himself...He humiliated his wife.
I'm sure the audience changed their last names to "Stupid", so if you her Jack or Sally Stupid don't be shocked.
He made jokes all along, so when a joke is made, people tend to laugh.
He could have handled it seriously.
Yikes. His joking is so awkward like he’s really trying to not come off like a creep.