David Letterman Apologizes to Wife Regina Lasko: "She Has Been Horribly Hurt by My Behavior"
"My wife Regina, she has been horribly hurt by my behavior. And when something happens like that, if you hurt a person and it's your responsibility, you try to fix it," he told his "Late Show" audience. "At that point there is only two things that can happen, either you are going to make some progress and get it fixed or you're gonna fall short and perhaps not get it fixed. So let me tell you folks, I got my work cut out for me."
Letterman's audience applauded the late night funny man after his remarks. He also stated flat-out that those affairs "are in the past."
Letterman and Lasko married in March after a years-long relationship. They have a son together.
This was Letterman's first show taping since last Thursday, when he revealed he had worked with law enforcement officials to prevent an alleged extortion plot that threatened to reveal his office trysts.
Robert "Joe" Halderman, 51, a long-time CBS News producer who had a romantic relationship with one of Letterman's alleged lovers, Stephanie Birkitt, 34, was charged with attempted first-degree grand larceny against Letterman. He was released on $200,000 bail.
Law enforcement officials have said a diary Birkitt kept and Halderman allegedly copied and presented to Letterman, has been at the center of the alleged extortion plot against the talk show host.
On last night's show, Letterman also apologized to his employees, "I'm terribly sorry that I put the staff in that position," Letterman said. "I just wasn't thinking ahead."
As Letterman faces future shows, how he deals with this situation could, ironically, solidify his recent ratings success in late-night TV.
When he first addressed the alleged $2 million blackmail plot against him last Thursday his ratings jumped 38 percent.
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