Letterman Apologizes to Palins on 'Late Show'

After a public war of words, David Letterman is apologizing to the Palin family for a joke he told last week.

On last Monday's "Late Show," Letterman made a joke about Alaska governor and former Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin and her daughter attending a New York Yankees game, saying: "During the seventh inning, her daughter was knocked up by Alex Rodriguez."

David explains on tonight's show that he meant to joke about Palin's daughter Bristol, 18, who recently had a baby and graduated high school, but he later learned that it was Palin's 14-year-old daughter Willow who was at the Yankees game. Regardless, Letterman says, "I told a bad joke. I told a joke that was beyond flawed, and my intent is completely meaningless compared to the perception. And since it was a joke I told, I feel that I need to do the right thing here and apologize for having told that joke. It's not your fault that it was misunderstood, it's my fault that it was misunderstood."

"So I would like to apologize," Letterman continues,"especially to the two daughters involved, Bristol and Willow, and also to the governor and her family and everybody else who was outraged by the joke. I’m sorry about it and I’ll try to do better in the future."

Published 6/15/09 by the Insider

Comments (74)

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  • What he said is no worse than what Jaime Foxx said about 16 yr old Miley Cyrus & he didn't just stop at a one line joke. He kept going on an on, he should be fired too. Foxx knew exactly who he was talking about, Letterman thought it was 18 yr old...
    Anonymous 6/19/09 Reply
  • hi folks its me sarah palin again its true todd did rape my daughter willow
    willow does do drugs behind my back willow is a meth user
    willow is pregnant with my hubby todds child, todd is already the daddy of my other daughter bristol's baby...
    Anonymous 6/18/09 Reply
  • hi this is me the real john mccain from arizona yes i had sex with my fat daughter meghan meghan has nice breasts meghan has a hairy pussy shes having my baby i did incest with my daughter todd palin has incest all time with his daughters so thats...
    Anonymous 6/18/09 Reply
  • They need to get over it. It was a joke move on.
    Anonymous 6/18/09 Reply
  • I think I've ever saw him on ~~~ dot com ~~~ It's a place for interracial romance…
    Anonymous 6/17/09 Reply
  • hi this is the real todd palin yes i did rape my daughters and i did get bristol pregnant i smoked dope with bristol and put date rape drugs in bristol water i am very naughty first nude perverted molester child rapist incest dude of alaska


    ...
    Anonymous 6/17/09 Reply
  • Are you people thick? The joke was directed toward Sarah palin's perfectly legal eighteen-year-old daughter. The WRITERS (David Letterman is paid to read off of a television screen) wrote an 'edgy' joke and didn't do their research properly. There...
    Anonymous 6/17/09 Reply
  • Letterman needs to be fired..........He has crossed the line one too many times.
    Anonymous 6/17/09 Reply
  • Sarah Palin has milked this joke for all she could get out of it. Sarah get a life and run Alaska. This women wants to be a celebrity.
    Anonymous 6/17/09 Reply
    • why make it political? only people that hate sarah make it political. showing how narrow minded they are that they can't see beyond their hate to see the real issue! OUR YOUTH, are not to be the blunt of "adult jokes"! THAT IS IT PLAIN AND SIMPLE!...
      Anonymous 6/17/09
  • Mr. Letterman's second apology is not an honest apology. CBS needs to get it's act together. This network has changed so much over the years it is unrecognizable. The political climate being reflected by CBS is not how at least one half of this...
    poptoy 6/17/09 Reply
  • Letterman only after the public started calling for him to be fired. His first so called apology was nothing more than added insults - that backfired. Letterman's time is up, it's time for him to go. He used to be funny, now he is just pathetic
    Anonymous 6/17/09 Reply
  • Some people on here are really pathetic...The man explains that he was making the joke about the 18 year old NOT the 14 year old but people still say they are outraged that he made a joke about a 14 year old...Can you people seriously not read or...
    Anonymous 6/17/09 Reply
  • ap reports Levi Johnston the fiance of knocked up veep hopeful teen, did commit stat rape against Bristol. levi johnston is wanted by the FBI for raping bristol palin gop boycott gop
    gop sucks gop are terrorists gop scumbags gop is the nazi party,...
    Anonymous 6/17/09 Reply
    • your sick
      Anonymous 6/17/09
    • you're*
      Anonymous 6/17/09
  • hi this the real sarah palin yes my husband todd did rape my daughters, todd did get bristol pregnant thats true
    levi johnston does do drugs levi has a large meth lab in his house. i am getting a divorce i dont like my hubby todd he is a...
    Anonymous 6/17/09 Reply
  • I am disgusted with his comments and he needs to be fired. I have daughters and if one of my friends made a comment like that they would be picking them self up off the floor, and would not longer be an acquaintance of mine. I feel that this show...
    Anonymous 6/16/09 Reply