# Letterman can't keep his pants zipped. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 2, 2009, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/letterman-cant-keep-his-pants-zipped/512314 "2009-10-02T03:43:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/letterman-cant-keep-his-pants-zipped/512314/1 "2009-10-02T03:43:47Z")
[Admits affair; was involved in sting of attempted blackmailer.](http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091002/ap_en_ot/us_tv_letterman_extortion) Yikes. He leads an interesting life. ---
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/letterman-cant-keep-his-pants-zipped/512314/2 "2009-10-02T04:06:49Z")
Well, they are world _wide_ pants. This couldn’t happen to a more deserving jerk, as far as I’m concerned. Oh, and he admit to affair_S_… ---
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/letterman-cant-keep-his-pants-zipped/512314/3 "2009-10-02T04:24:06Z")
OK. Arrested was 51-year-old Robert Halderman, a producer for CBS’s _ **48 Hours** _. Apparently he was living with one of the women Letterman was involved with. Letterman claimed the guy was threatening to write a screenplay about what he knew about the talk-show host’s misdeeds. A screenplay writer? An artist? Let me be the first to say, “Free Robert Halderman!” (After all, it wasn’t really _blackmail_ blackmail, was it?) ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/letterman-cant-keep-his-pants-zipped/512314/4 "2009-10-02T04:54:44Z")
> [@Stephe96](#): > > …A screenplay writer? An artist? Let me be the first to say, “Free Robert Halderman!” (After all, it wasn’t really _blackmail_ blackmail, was it?) Are you talking about the attempted extortion of $2 million to keep it under wraps? Yeh, I’d call that blackmail. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/letterman-cant-keep-his-pants-zipped/512314/5 "2009-10-02T04:59:47Z")
> [@Stephe96](#): > > Well, they are world _wide_ pants. Yeah- now we know what that name means. It’s not clear if he cheated on his wife, but it looks that way, and (I guess) I hope this isn’t how she found out about the affairs. And it sounds like the blackmailer was caught red-handed, so good for that. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/letterman-cant-keep-his-pants-zipped/512314/6 "2009-10-02T05:03:10Z")
Letterman seems to attract weirdos for whatever reason. There was an attempt to kidnap his son at one point, and earlier he was stalked by a schizophrenic. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/letterman-cant-keep-his-pants-zipped/512314/7 "2009-10-02T05:07:53Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > Letterman seems to attract weirdos for whatever reason. There was an attempt to kidnap his son at one point, and earlier he was stalked by a schizophrenic. I don’t think that’s unique to Letterman. Conan O’Brien was stalked by a _priest_. For weirdness, that’s pretty hard to top. ---
**Author:** ![KellyCriterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b3f665/32.png) [@KellyCriterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KellyCriterion)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/letterman-cant-keep-his-pants-zipped/512314/8 "2009-10-02T05:12:28Z")
Here’s the vid, frame rate is a bit choppy though: [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xPre-Wwz9I) ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/letterman-cant-keep-his-pants-zipped/512314/9 "2009-10-02T05:13:55Z")
That’s disappointing. I thought he had more integrity than that. Still, it’s his life. He can do as he pleases, surely. ---
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/letterman-cant-keep-his-pants-zipped/512314/10 "2009-10-02T05:20:33Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Yeah- now we know what that name means. > . World Wide Open Pants. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/letterman-cant-keep-his-pants-zipped/512314/11 "2009-10-02T06:30:35Z")
> [@Stephe96](#): > > OK. Arrested was 51-year-old Robert Halderman, a producer for CBS’s _ **48 Hours** _. Apparently he was living with one of the women Letterman was involved with. > > Letterman claimed the guy was threatening to write a screenplay about what he knew about the talk-show host’s misdeeds. > > A screenplay writer? An artist? Let me be the first to say, “Free Robert Halderman!” (After all, it wasn’t really _blackmail_ blackmail, was it?) Seems like probable cause for an arrest as far as I am concerned. Maybe the idiots in showbiz can demand that Halderman be set free like they are doing for Polanski. Or is blackmail not a serious enough crime like rape? ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/letterman-cant-keep-his-pants-zipped/512314/12 "2009-10-02T07:33:21Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > I don’t think that’s unique to Letterman. Conan O’Brien was stalked by a _priest_. For weirdness, that’s pretty hard to top. Well in all fairness he does act like he’s twelve. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/letterman-cant-keep-his-pants-zipped/512314/13 "2009-10-02T07:43:23Z")
Being blackmailed is a difficult position to be in. Whatever happens in the end, you’re pretty much screwed because either your nasty little secret is going public, or you’re shelling out money indefinitely, so I feel for Letterman a little. The only outcome where you’re not so screwed is if your blackmailer suddenly has a fatal “accident”. ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/letterman-cant-keep-his-pants-zipped/512314/14 "2009-10-02T10:02:06Z")
Couldn’t give a shite about who he’s fucked. It’s not like he holds himself up as a moral crusader. Great way to deal with a blackmailer though. Fair play. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 10:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/letterman-cant-keep-his-pants-zipped/512314/15 "2009-10-02T10:16:40Z")
Yeah, having sex with women who work for you is skanky. Don’t know if any of it counts as cheating with his wife, whom he married in March of this year (if I recall correctly) but that’s none of my business. That’s between Mr. Letterman, his family, and whoever he was humping as far as I’m concerned. This is really the only way to effectively deal with blackmail - turn the bastard in then confess the secret yourself. You’ll have to face the music, of course, but at least you’re not out $2 million and no one can blackmail you on the issue in the future. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/letterman-cant-keep-his-pants-zipped/512314/16 "2009-10-02T10:51:06Z")
> [@yojimbo](#): > > Couldn’t give a shite about who he’s fucked. It’s not like he holds himself up as a moral crusader. > > Great way to deal with a blackmailer though. Fair play. Yeah I basically agree. I think he made the only sane choice. Come clean, and try to deal with it on his terms, during his appearances when he has the full control to deliver the story as he wishes to. Not a stupid man. (well, depending on how his marriage holds up, at least). ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/letterman-cant-keep-his-pants-zipped/512314/17 "2009-10-02T11:42:05Z")
When he said the blackmailer asked for 2 mil, I thought-- Wow! He must have diddled the dog! He could be open to sexual harassment charges if the employees he screwed were underlings-- and since he’s the boss of them all, I can’t see how they weren’t. If the blackmailer was on of the employees he had sex with, then the 2 mil would make sense. Maybe it was crazy, kinky stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/letterman-cant-keep-his-pants-zipped/512314/18 "2009-10-02T12:49:20Z")
The blackmailer was male. Letterman stated it was women he had sex with. That would seem to exclude the blackmailer as a sexual partner. Yes, Letterman is now open to sexual harassment charges. I’m sure he realizes that. He stated that he will not mention the women involved, it is up to _them_ if they want to come forward or pursue the matter in any way. They may not want to. Not everyone who screws the boss wants to take him to court afterward. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/letterman-cant-keep-his-pants-zipped/512314/19 "2009-10-02T12:57:43Z")
The names of the women will probably come out , they will likely be in court documents but they might come out before that. Tabloids will be all over this trying to find the women. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/letterman-cant-keep-his-pants-zipped/512314/20 "2009-10-02T13:10:35Z")
I know the blackmailer was male. [He was a producer for 48 hours](http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g5No12hnyS8EWTaz9u37uQYgyVTgD9B2O9TG0) and has been arrested. The morning drive radio show said the name, but I don’t remember what it was. Also-- what kind of idiot blackmailer asks for a check? Wire transfer all the way! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/letterman-cant-keep-his-pants-zipped/512314.md?page=2)