Letterman Deserves Our Understanding

CLEVELAND - David Letterman had consensual sex with several females on his The Late Show staff over time while engaged to the woman who became his wife. This fact became the genesis of a blackmail scheme authored by a vengeful CBS News producer to extract $2 million from the comic.

Wow.

I'm not saying that Letterman is an innocent and pure victim that deserves endless streams of our sympathy. I'm also not suggesting that it was acceptable to cheat on his girlfriend because she was not yet his wife. But in the five days since his stunning and dramatic revelation of this sordid tale, the media and general public have alternately vilified and defended Letterman for several things and inspired national discussions about the acceptability of sex in the workplace.

Robert "Joe" Halderman, a CBS producer on the show 48 Hours, is the man that threatened to go public with Letterman's sexual escapades in the form of a proposed screenplay which was to highlight the talk-show host's sexual affairs if Letterman didn't pay up. He was soon arrested for extortion and released on bail.

I know we live in a very hypocritical world where everyone acts as though they are perfect. Letterman certainly isn't, as this is only the latest in a stream of gaffes that the 62-year old celebrity has gotten himself involved with. He apologized to his staff and particularly his wife on last night's telecast of his show and seemed sincere and contrite while mastering the fine act of self-deprecation, one of his trademarks.

We need to understand that Letterman didn't sexually assault anyone, nor did he commit adultery. He did cheat on his long-term girlfriend and may have benefited from his position of power to attract young women who wanted to move up the ranks in the entertainment industry. He hasn't been accused of abusing his high rank for sexual favors and he truly seems to regret the hurt he's caused to his colleagues and wife. Taking all these facts together, Letterman shouldn't be repudiated or castigated. He's a human being and as such, he's susceptible to making mistakes and making bad judgments. And let's not forget, Letterman is the one that had the crime committed against him by Halderman. Crazy as it seems, he is a victim.

At least, let's hear all the facts before we stone the man.