LATE NIGHT HOST CONFESSES HE SLEPT WITH EMPLOYEES

Late night talk show host David Letterman shocked his audience Thursday by disclosing on air that he had sex with women who work for him and that a CBS employee had blackmailed him for $2 million.

The revelation came during Letterman’s opening monologue on the Late Show. A confused audience waiting for the punchline watched for nearly 10 minutes as Letterman intertwined jokes with the narrative of being extorted before admitting the affairs.

“I was worried for myself, I was worried for my family,” Letterman said. “I felt menaced by this, and I had to tell them all of the creepy things that I had done.”

He said, “the creepy stuff was that I have had sex with women who work for me on this show. My response to that is yes, I have. Would it be embarrassing if it were made public? Yes, it would, especially for the women.”

The would-be extortionist was arrested after an investigation by the Manhattan District Attorney’s office and identified by CBS as working on the show “48 Hours.” The suspect, Robert J. Halderman, has been suspended by the network.

Letterman said he had to testify before a grand jury and called the entire experience “quite scary.” Letterman married longtime girlfriend Regina Lasko, with whom he has a 6-year-old son, in March.