David Letterman Embroiled in Blackmail Plot

Don't people watch Coen brothers' films? Blackmail is a tough business. Even the simplest plan to extract some cash from a rich guy almost always blows up in the plotters' faces. After a series of hilarious reversals and mistakes set to an awesome soundtrack, of course. It's a time-honored (and sometimes even Academy Award-honored) formula that rarely, if ever, changes.

Take the plot against David Letterman that the Late Show host first revealed during his show last night. Letterman, who's been enjoying a resounding ratings victory over NBC's Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien of late, told his studio audience and viewers at home that he'd been embroiled in a blackmail plot by an unnamed person who demanded $2 million to keep certain "secrets" about the host out of a screenplay and/or book.

Those secrets? That Letterman had slept with female staffers on his show.

In a 10-minute segment, Letterman explained in creepy—and sometimes hilarious—detail how three weeks ago he found a package on the backseat of his car at 6 a.m. that contained his blackmailer's opening salvo. It said, according Letterman's recounting, "I know you do some terrible, terrible things." (Classic Coens!)

With the help of his attorney, the host contacted the New York District Attorney's Special Prosecution Bureau, which, according to the Manhattan DA's website, handles "employee embezzlement, insurance fraud, or housing fraud." Together, the DA and Letterman set up a sting involving a phony $2 million check to nail the guy. (This really is a Coen brothers' movie—I mean, have you ever seen Manhattan DA Robert Morgenthau? The guy is Herb Myerson, the ancient law partner from Intolerable Cruelty.)

The New York Daily News reports that Letterman's antagonist is Robert Halderman, a producer for CBS News' 48 Hours, who's being held on attempted grand larceny. TMZ is reporting that Halderman has been suspended from his CBS job.

The News also reports that Halderman lived with Stephanie Birkitt, Letterman's assistant, who once described the host to Entertainment Weekly as "the best boss I've ever had."

Expect more details to emerge in the next few days. In the meantime, the Coens have a new movie in theaters called A Serious Man.

Hey, come to think of it, that title would've been perfect for the Letterman movie.