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NEWS ABOUT: blackmail

Halderman 'Enraged' Over 'Passionate Embrace'

Alleged extortionist spotted Letterman and Birkitt as recently as August

(Newser) - David Letterman’s accused extortionist, Robert “Joe” Halderman, is “a great human being “ but “he's positioned as a bad guy,” says friend and former co-worker Dr. Bob Arnot. “No one’s standing up for Joe,” he continues—so, certainly, Halderman must be glad... More »

6 Other Extorted Celebs

From Cameron Diaz all the way back to the 19th century, Letterman ain't the first

(Newser) - David Letterman isn’t the first celebrity to be brazenly blackmailed. Mental Floss lists six other notable cases:
  • Cameron Diaz: A photographer who snapped bondage-themed nude photos of the actress threatened to sell them to magazines if she wouldn’t buy them for $3.5 million—he ended up in
... More »

Grandma: Birkitt Never Had Sex With Letterman

Stephanie Birkitt's grandmother is no fan of Halderman, but seems to like Dave

(Newser) - Stephanie Birkitt, David Letterman’s galpal, may not be commenting on the extortion scandal—but her 90-year-old grandma is. Birkitt and Letterman “joked and kidded around,” but “they were just good friends,” she tells the New York Post. “She worked for Dave for 11 years.... More »

Just Wait: 'Trashy' Letterman Letters Are Coming

Birkitt penned series of 'Dear Dave' letters, plus more on extortion

(Newser) - It’s only a matter of time before Stephanie Birkitt’s “trashy” love letters to David Letterman become public. Sadly, “we’re not talking crazy sexual escapades,” a source tells the New York Daily News. “It’s her musings about them. It’s trash.” More... More »

C'mon, Dave Letterman Is No Bill Clinton

And he's no Clarence Thomas, either. He didn't harass—or lie.

(Newser) - These days you can't drink and smoke in the office like the ad execs on Mad Men, but when it comes to affairs with young women, working men are still living in the 1960s, writes Maureen Dowd. David Letterman is only the latest boss to fall for the interns and... More »

Galpal Cheated on Halderman With Dave

Stephanie Birkitt was still seeing Letterman until last fall, sources say

(Newser) - The story of David Letterman’s twisted love triangle with alleged extortionist Robert Halderman continues to unfold. Former Late Show staffer Stephanie Birkitt was still sleeping with Letterman even after moving in with Halderman—and as late as last fall Birkitt and Letterman went hiking together, sources tell the New ... More »

Letterman Gets Mostly Raves for Handling Scandal

Plus: Late Show host did not violate company guidelines with affairs

(Newser) - Nope, the David Letterman extortion story didn’t lose momentum over the weekend. From fans to fellow talk show hosts, everyone’s still talking:
  • “If we are now holding late-night talk-show hosts to the same moral accountability as we hold politicians or clergymen, I'm out,” said Letterman follow-up—
... More »

Letterman Apologizes to Wife, Staff —and Palin

Late Show host still glad he pushed back against alleged extortionist

(Newser) - David Letterman wasn’t planning to talk anymore about his extortion scandal, “but it seems like people want to talk about it,” he said on last night’s Late Show. After apologizing to the staff for subjecting them to “hounding” from reporters, he made it clear that,... More »

Letterman 'Manipulating' Audience: Halderman Lawyer

Robert Halderman's attorney also wonders why Letterman would pay by check

(Newser) - David Letterman is “a master at manipulating audiences,” and he’s not telling the whole story of the alleged extortion plot by Robert Halderman, says Halderman’s attorney. Gerald Shargel did the talk-show circuit this morning, E! reports, and he pointed out to Today that, “in the... More »

CBS Tries to Bury Letterman Vid

As network works to erase confessional, more info on extortion, galpal comes out

(Newser) - For reasons unknown to Rachel Sklar, CBS spent the weekend removing “unauthorized copies” of David Letterman’s confession from YouTube—and still hasn't posted the clip on its own site. “Check your Fair Use rules,” Sklar writes on Mediaite. “Videos of Letterman’s mea culpa don’... More »

Letterman, Crew Steel for Fallout

Scandal may hurt talk show king with female audience

(Newser) - Staffers of the David Letterman show were girding for fallout today before the first two tapings of the program since the talk show king's shocking revelation that he was being blackmailed over sex with female assistants. "We've seen a lot before with Dave," a source told the Daily ... More »

Extortion Try Just Latest Weirdness in Dave's Life

Letterman's extortion plot follows earlier stalkers, would-be kidnapper

(Newser) - David Letterman’s extortion drama is just the latest in a long line of bizarre happenings. A look back:
  • 1993: Margaret Ray, who stole Letterman’s Porsche in the 1980s and called herself “Mrs. David Letterman,” broke into his home at least seven times and was arrested in
... More »

Letterman Paid for Assistant's Degree: Rumor

Host said to keep three to five young women on staff at all times

(Newser) - David Letterman can be a great boss for certain special employees. In the case of Stephanie Birkitt, who once dated alleged blackmailer Robert Halderman, Letterman paid her way through college, Gawker reports, citing “the scuttlebutt on the set.” Birkitt was Letterman’s top assistant—the host employed at... More »

At First Blush, Fans Forgive Dave

Scandal-tainted David Letterman rules in ratings and with devotees

(Newser) - David Letterman’s fans—at least the handful surveyed by the Daily News—agree: All is forgiven. In fact, his extortionist is the one who should be ashamed of himself. “We love Letterman no matter what he does. He brings us joy,” said a would-be audience member outside... More »

Louisville Coach Admits Sex With Accused Blackmailer

Woman charged with $10M extortion attempt

(Newser) - University of Louisville men's basketball coach Rick Pitino told police that he had consensual sex with a woman who later accused him of rape and tried to blackmail him for $10 million, according to records obtained by the Courier-Journal. Karen Sypher, the estranged wife of the team's equipment manager, has... More »

'Abstinence' State Senator Quits After Intern Affair

(Newser) - Pro-abstinence Tennessee State Sen. Paul Stanley has stepped down in the wake of revelations that he had an affair with his 22-year-old intern, reports AP. The 47-year-old married father of two admitted the affair to investigators after his intern's boyfriend allegedly attempted to blackmail Stanley for $10,000. "Due... More »

Blackmail Triggered Senator's Affair Confession: Aides

Cuckolded husband demanded money from Ensign after tryst, according to sources

(Newser) - Sen. John Ensign went public with the news of his extramarital affair after the woman's husband tried to blackmail him, insiders tell Politico. The Nevada Republican had the affair with a staffer while he was separated from his wife, according to current and former aides. He gave her a severance... More »

Pols Pushed U. of Illinois Into Taking Students

'Clout list' just amounts to 'blackmail:' critics

(Newser) - Prominent state lawmakers have been pressuring administrators at the University of Illinois to accept favored applicants or risk facing their wrath, the Chicago Tribune reports. Analyzing 1,800 documents, the paper found that subpar applicants on a “clout list” gained admission over the objections of admissions officers after school... More »

Stolen RAF Files on Drug Use, Sex Spark Blackmail Fears

Data bares UK officers' foibles

(Newser) - Top British military officials are at risk of blackmail after three Royal Air Force hard drives containing revealing vetting details were stolen, the Daily Mail reports. Files on the drives told of “criminal investigations, drug abuse, use of prostitutes, and extra-marital affairs,” said a Ministry of Defense memo.... More »

'Swiss Gigolo' Gets 6 Years in Blackmail Schemes

(Newser) - Helg Sgarbi, the man European media nicknamed “the Swiss Gigolo,” was sentenced to 6 years in prison today after pleading guilty in German court to seducing and conning the BMW heiress who is Germany's richest woman, along with several others. Sgarbi apologized to his victims, none of whom... More »

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