David Letterman Responds To Blackmailer Sentencing

David Letterman took to his late night show Tuesday to respond to the sentencing of the man who once tried to blackmail him.

“It was handled professionally, skillfully and appropriately,” he said of the concluded case on Tuesday night’s “The Late Show,” adding that he had been “full of anxiety and nervous and worried.”

He issued a statement earlier in the day praising the prosecutors involved with the case.

“When they became involved with this case, I had complete faith that a just and appropriate result was inevitable. On behalf of my family, I am extremely grateful for their tireless efforts,” he said in the statement.

On Tuesday, the man in question, former CBS producer Robert (“Joe”) Halderman, pleaded guilty to charges of second-degree larceny and was sentenced to six months in prison over his attempt to extort $2 million from the comedian. He was also sentenced to five years probation and 1,000 hours of community service.

Following the sentencing, Halderman apologized to the late night host and Stephanie Birkitt, the former “Late Show” intern who had dated Halderman and conducted a liaison with Letterman.

The case made headlines when Letterman himself revealed the blackmail attempt on “The Late Show” last October, announcing and confirming that he had had sexual relationships with women who worked on the show.

The host married longtime girlfriend Regina Lasko in March 2009.

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