Despite what David Letterman told his viewing audience last Thursday night, rumors are circulating that suggest the affair between former intern Stephanie Birkitt and the talk show host was still very much ON just a few months ago and may have sparked the extortion attempt.
We know that Birkitt left her Girl Friday duties with Letterman to further her education in 2005 and subsequently moved in with Robert Joe Halderman. She passed the Connecticut bar exam in February 2009 and has since reestablished herself at The Late Show as Dave’s attorney. See more Birkitt pics and video here.
Letterman and Birkitt both live in Connecticut. Reports indicate that he drove her home on an evening in August and the two shared a romantic kiss at the end of Halderman’s driveway, where she was living at the time. That interlude, witnessed by partner Joe, is reportedly the catalyst that sent him down the extortion path.
Birkitt has since been placed on paid administrative leave following the grand jury testimony of Letterman and his on-air confession.
So where does that leave things between Letterman and his wife Regina Lasko? We got a pretty good clue when Dave made a public apology to her earlier this week. After his flip admission last week, this particular on-air statement, though an afterthought, seemed sincere. We find it interesting that it came after a particularly “rocky weekend” at home….Dave’s words, not ours.
Some of that angst and ire was probably because Birkitt had accompanied the Letterman family on several vacation jaunts, including a Caribbean getaway to St. Barts. She had also been a guest at their Montana ranch on multiple occasions, and would often set off alone with her boss to hike the property.
Another former intern Holly Hester, now 40, has acknowledged a year long affair with Letterman in the 90’s. She admits that she was “madly in love” at the time. She is now a California-based writer and producer for television.
Other than the reported fallout at home, Letterman appears to be enjoying a significant ratings bump. It should be interesting to see if this just fades away or goes in some other direction. Stay tuned…
View more photos below. Check out Regina Lasko photos here.