HispanicBusiness

David Letterman took his audience completely by surprise yesterday by using his show to reveal that a CBS News producer tried to extort $2 million from him by threatening to write a book and produce a movie about how the funnyman has slept with several women who work on the show.

Letterman, 62, went on to admit that this has indeed occurred.

The producer, 51-year-old Robert Halderman, known by many as Joe Halderman, was a producer for CBS's "48 Hours" show.

"This whole thing has been quite scary," he said. "I had to tell them how I was disturbed by this. I was scared for my family. I felt menaced by this man."

Letterman said he went to talk with a grand jury, and "had to tell them all the creepy things I had done."

When the confused audience broke out into laughter, Letterman asked: "Now why is that funny?"

"Now of course we get to what was it was - we get to all the creepy stuff," Letterman said.

"I have had sex with women who work for me on this show."

Halderman, an Emmy Award-winning producer, is being held on grand larceny charges, the New York Daily News reported.

News reports indicate that Halderman had been living with 34-year-old Stephanie Birkitt, a former assistant to Letterman who made frequent appearances on the show.

Halderman had been paying up to $6,800 a month to his ex-wife in alimony payments, according to TMZ.com.