Posted Mar 9th 2010 8:16PM by TMZ Staff
David Letterman went on his show tonight, gushing with gratitude and thanking members of the team that prosecuted extortionist Robert Halderman.
The " Late Show" host said he'd "never been involved in anything like this" and was "concerned and full of anxiety and nervous and worried."
He then gave props to those who put Halderman behind bars by saying the case was "handled professionally, skillfully and appropriately ... thank you for all your help."
Dave called out Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance and former D.A. Robert Morgenthau for helping.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, TV, David Letterman
Posted Mar 9th 2010 2:29PM by TMZ Staff
David Letterman's extortionist just pled guilty to one count of attempted grand larceny in the second degree.
Robert Halderman was just sentenced to 6 months in jail, 5 years probation and 1,000 hours of community service.
Under the terms of the deal, Halderman will serve 500 hours of community service in New York and the rest in Connecticut.
In the courtroom, Halderman said, "I have great remorse and sincerely apologize to David Letterman and Stephanie Birkitt. I attempted to extort $2 million from David Letterman." Halderman called it "a thinly veiled threat."
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, David Letterman
Tags: court, david letterman, DavidLetterman, extortion, late show, LateShow, plea, robert halderman, RobertHalderman
Posted Mar 9th 2010 12:19PM by TMZ Staff
David Letterman's alleged extortionist, Robert Halderman, will plead guilty this afternoon to extortion, according to Halderman's lawyers who spoke with TMZ.
Halderman -- who allegedly tried to squeeze $2 million out of Letterman last year in return for not blowing the lid off his "Late Show" sexual liaisons -- pled not guilty to one felony charge of attempted grand larceny in the first degree back in October.
The New York Daily News and the New York Post are reporting Halderman's plea will score him a 6 month jail sentence, followed by 4 1/2 years probation and 1,000 hours of community service.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, David Letterman
Tags: david letterman, DavidLetterman, extortionist, grand larceny, GrandLarceny, robert halderman, RobertHalderman, the late show, TheLateShow
Posted Feb 9th 2010 6:45AM by TMZ Staff
Jay Leno and David Letterman have called a ceasefire -- and their Super Bowl ad is to blame.
While talking about filming the spot last night, Jay put the cheap shots aside and said "Whatever happened the last 18 years disappeared, it was great to see my old friend again."
Filed under: TV, David Letterman, Jay Leno
Tags: david letterman, DavidLetterman, jay leno, JayLeno, late night with david letterman, LateNightWithDavidLetterman, oprah winfrey, OprahWinfrey, super bowl, SuperBowl, the jay leno show, TheJayLenoShow
Posted Jan 25th 2010 9:30AM by TMZ Staff
Despite becoming the target of every late night joke, Jay Leno remained in good spirits when we caught up with him Sunday night in Hermosa Beach.
Jay said he thought Conan O'Brien did a good job with his farewell episode of "The Tonight Show." When we asked him why he thought David Letterman was taking such personal shots at him, Jay laughed, "Dave's always been that way! What, you think this is new? Don't you watch the show? That's what Dave does."
Jay also told us he hasn't spoken to Conan since the mess with NBC began.
BTW -- whatever you think of him, Leno stops for a picture with every fan who wants one.
Filed under: TV, David Letterman, Jay Leno
Tags: conan obrien, ConanObrien, david letterman, DavidLetterman, jay leno, JayLeno, the tonight show, TheTonightShow, video
Posted Jan 19th 2010 9:32AM by TMZ Staff
A judge just rejected Robert Halderman's motion to dismiss the David Letterman extortion case.
Halderman is due back in court on March 9.
UPDATE: After leaving court, Halderman's lawyers bailed on him and used a car service -- while Robert walked around for 15 minutes, surrounded by cameras, looking for a cab.
Story developing...
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, David Letterman
Tags: david letterman, DavidLetterman, robert halderman, RobertHalderman
Posted Jan 19th 2010 9:25AM by TMZ Staff
In just a matter of minutes, the guy suspected of extorting David Letterman will hear if a judge will proceed with the case -- or toss the whole thing out.
Robert Halderman just arrived to a Manhattan courtroom, where the judge will also rule on whether the "Tiger Woods" motion -- that just like Rachel Uchitel, Robert Halderman was entitled to make a money-for-story deal -- will fly in court.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, David Letterman
Tags: david letterman, DavidLetterman, new york city, NewYorkCity, robert halderman, RobertHalderman, tiger woods, TigerWoods
Posted Dec 29th 2009 5:31PM by TMZ Staff
Gloria Allred is pissed that the lawyer for the man accused of extorting money from David Letterman has filed legal docs saying Allred and Rachel Uchitel did essentially the same thing.
Allred told TMZ that Robert Halderman's lawyer, Gerald Shargel, does not have permission to use her name or the name of her client. Gloria adds, "I have no personal knowledge of his client's case and he has no personal knowledge and therefore, no basis for his remarks about my representation of Ms. Uchitel."
Shargel wants the case against his client booted, in part because of the new Tiger Woods defense.
Gloria added this zinger: "...Mr. Shargel should spend his time representing his client based solely on the facts of his case, rather than comparing it to other matters of which he has no personal knowledge."
In other words, Rachel's settlement was confidential.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, Exclusives, David Letterman
Tags: david letterman, DavidLetterman, extortion, extortionist, gloria, gloria allred, GloriaAllred, money, rachel uchitel, RachelUchitel, robert halderman, RobertHalderman, tiger woods, TigerWoods
Posted Dec 29th 2009 3:35PM by TMZ Staff
The guy who allegedly masterminded an extortion plot against David Letterman is now using the Tiger Woods scandal as precedent to get the charges against him thrown out ..according to new documents obtained by TMZ.
Robert Halderman's lawyer, Gerald Shargel, filed legal papers asking that the charges against his client be dismissed. In the papers, Shargel notes that when news of Tiger's infidelity surfaced, Mistress #1, Rachel Uchitel, reportedly inked a multi-million dollar settlement in return for her silence -- with the help of Gloria Allred.
Shargel notes, "Their behavior was capitalist, not criminal."
Halderman's lawyer says his client essentially just "offered to sell his very marketable story to David Letterman." Shargel says that celebrity misdeeds have "significant fair market value" and they are "routinely suppressed through private business arrangements."
Shargel's point -- Rachel and Gloria didn't get prosecuted, so why should Halderman?
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, Exclusives, David Letterman, Tiger Woods
Tags: david letterman, DavidLetterman, defense, extortion, gloria allred, GloriaAllred, rachel uchitel, RachelUchitel, robert halderman, RobertHalderman, tiger woods, TigerWoods
Posted Dec 16th 2009 12:15AM by TMZ Staff
David Letterman's alleged extortionist worried that someone might kill him in retaliation for peddling his screenplay about the sexual escapades of the late night host ... at least that's the story of Robert Halderman.
In conversations secretly-taped by law enforcement, the CBS "48 Hours" producer said, "Should I be fired mysteriously... if my house burns down ... any number of things .... I have no idea who or what he is or is capable of, someone might decide the only way to be sure I never talk to anybody is for somebody to kill me."
Halderman's lawyer, Gerald Shargel, claims his client wasn't extorting Letterman ... he was just giving Dave the right of first refusal on a screenplay "relating to Letterman's poor conduct."
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, David Letterman
Tags: 48 Hours, 48Hours, alleged extortion, AllegedExtortion, CBS, Dave Letterman, DaveLetterman, David Letterman, DavidLetterman, death, extortion, gerald shargel, GeraldShargel, kill, Late Show with David Letterman, LateShowWithDavidLetterman, Robert Halderman, RobertHalderman
Posted Nov 16th 2009 7:00AM by TMZ Staff
David Letterman's people made a bold statement this weekend -- not every supermarket tabloid story about Dave's marriage is true.
One of Dave's reps flatly denied a recent report in the National Enquirer, which explained how Dave's wife threw him out of their Westchester mansion -- over that whole affair/extortion thing -- and is now living in a loft in Manhattan.
Letterman's rep tells the Daily News, "The National Enquirer has it wrong."
Whatever. That alien is totally pregnant with Elvis' love child.
Filed under: Gossip/Rumors, David Letterman
Tags: daily news, DailyNews, david letterman, DavidLetterman, extortion, national enquirer, NationalEnquirer, plot, wife
Posted Nov 11th 2009 9:20AM by TMZ Staff
David Letterman was offered $2 million for the "screenplay" of accused extortionist Robert Halderman, and all the stuff about sexual impropriety is the reason the treatment went at a premium price -- this according to a new interview by Halderman's lawyer.
Attorney Gerald Shargel was on "The Early Show" this AM, saying he was giving Dave the right of first refusal for the proposal. Shargel says it's a business transaction -- the way Hollywood works.
So the question ....
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, TV, David Letterman
Tags: david letterman, DavidLetterman, gerald shargel, GeraldShargel, robert halderman, RobertHalderman, the early show, TheEarlyShow
Posted Nov 10th 2009 1:37PM by TMZ Staff
David Letterman was having an affair with his former personal assistant way more recently than David's rep had us believing -- according to documents filed by the alleged extortionist's lawyer.
According to legal papers filed today by the defense, Robert Halderman confronted Stephanie Birkitt in December 2008 with evidence of the affair and she promised to end it. But Gerald Shargel, Halderman's lawyer, claims the relationship continued "unabated" into this past summer.
Letterman's rep has said the affair ended before Letterman's marriage in March. Dave blew the whistle on the alleged extortion plot in early September.
Today Letterman's lawyer refused to say when the talk show host broke off his affair with Birkitt. Halderman's lawyer was coy outside court about the Letterman/Birkitt relationship and said we'll be hearing a lot more about this.
In court papers filed today, Halderman's lawyer asked the judge to dismiss the extortion case, on grounds authorities were swept up in "the sensationalism surrounding the indictment" and the grand jury didn't have enough evidence to target Halderman.
The lawyer claims the $2 million demand was "a pure commercial transaction" over a screenplay.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, David Letterman
