After performing his opening monologue as usual, Letterman took a seat at his desk and explained -- with a mix of seriousness and his trademark humor -- that about three weeks ago he'd received a package from an individual threatening him to pay $2 million or chance having the news of his affairs come to light.
Letterman said he went to his attorney about the threat and they decided to arrange a meeting with the individual allegedly attempting to extort him. After the meeting, during which the alleged extortionist reiterated his intentions to disclose Letterman's affairs in a screenplay, Letterman said he and his lawyer called the Special Prosecution Bureau, a division of the Manhattan district attorney's office.
Continuing on, he said the officials advised him to arrange a second meeting with the alleged extortionist. Letterman said that at that meeting, the individual threatened to also write a novel revealing Letterman's affairs. Later on, at a third meeting, Letterman said he gave the individual a “phony” $2 million check. The late-night host then said the individual had been arrested Thursday afternoon after a warrant was issued.
Letterman added that he’d testified before a grand jury on the matter: "This morning, I did something I've never done in my life," he said. "I had to go downtown and testify before a grand jury." He said that while testifying, he acknowledged the sexual relationships with his staff members.
"My response to that is, yes I have," Letterman said. "Would it be embarrassing if it were made public? Perhaps it would. I feel like I need to protect these people. I need to certainly protect my family."
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