Blackmailer Read Letterman All Wrong

When Robert Halderman asked David Letterman for $2 million, he probably assumed the notoriously private Letterman would pay him off to avoid public embarrassment. But "all Dave cares about is his career," a source tells New York in a lengthy look at the host and the scandal. "Dave is like, 'No one f---s with me. You f--- with me, you die."

As for mistress Stephanie Birkitt, "she was smart," says one source. She wasn't “this vixen, slutty, hitting-on-your-husband kind of girl.” The story says it's unclear whether Letterman's wife knew of the affair and notes that the staff—though some have grumbled they wish Letterman just paid the bribe—have rallied around their boss. "I think the prevailing feeling was, 'How can we help?’" says one.
(More David Letterman stories.)