Robert Joe Halderman’s Day of Fame and the Saga of Destroyed Reputations
David Letterman, Joe Halderman and Stephanie Birkitt are the main actors of a PR scandal without precedent.
“48 Hours” producer Robert Joe Halderman is allegedly the extortioner who tried to get no less than US$2 million from David Letterman.
Letterman, who married his longtime girlfriend Regina Lasko earlier this year, revealed recently that he had affairs with numerous female employees of the Late Show, because someone threatened to make the information public.
The affair shocked the media and triggered instant reactions. Robert J. Halderman is being held on charges of attempted grand larceny.
It’s unbelievable to learn that a man who apparently has been a CBS News producer for decades decides to prejudice his career this way. He hadn’t made the headlines since 2006 when Three Days in September, a documentary he wrote and produced, was very well received by the media.
Although Letterman didn’t actually reveal the name of the extortionist, reputable sources like the Associated Press cited “confidential information” and released Halderman’s name. At this point, CBS only stated that a “48 Hours” employee was arrested on charges of attempted grand larceny and that this employee had been suspended, without naming the suspect.
Joe Halderman is an Emmy Award-winning producer, and according to sources a “nice guy.” Many still find it difficult to believe that he is involved in such a scandal. Some blame Stephanie Birkitt, Joe Halderman’s girlfriend, a former assistant for Letterman, who has made several appearances on the “Late Show.” Apparently she is the one who “spilled the beans” that gave Halderman the extortion idea.
Although she is reportedly “mortified Halderman is using her fling with Letterman to blackmail her boss,” Stephanie Birkitt is now a hot topic for the media, and she will not get out of this scandal with a clean reputation anymore.
The PR consequences for Letterman himself could be disastrous if he doesn’t play his cards right. As a matter of fact, none of the actors of this PR scandal can come out clean. Birkitt will probably suffer the least consequences, Halderman’s career is over, and Letterman’s credibility goes down… What a mess!
Photo credit: Joe Halderman courtesy CBS.
About the Author
Liliana Dumitru-Steffens is public relations consultant for Pamil Visions PR. She writes for Everything PR since January 2009. Previously she worked for My-tronic GmbH and Unilever Romania. Email Liliana at lsteffens [at] pamil-visions [dot] net.
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Comment by Dillon on 2 October 2009:
Why would Letterman’s credibility go down? He had an affair with a staffer that ended when his relationship with his now wife got more serious. Big deal, she was never fired. Interoffice relationships are extremely commonplace. Everyone knew he was a horndog anyways, is this going to ruin his rep anymore than the time he uncomfortably asked Jennifer Aniston whether he could lick her on his show?
His wife probably already knew about the affair.
Comment by Carolyn on 2 October 2009:
It is unbelievable to me that Halderman would think that he could get away with his plot. For someone who has lived a life filled with hard work as an author and producer destroyed due to a thoughtless decision. David Letterman is one person that has asked tough questions no matter who he was interviewing. It does not surprise me that he came out to tell it like it is. That’s who he is and I do not believe his credibility would go down. I believe that it would only make his credibility go up. Mess with the bull and you get the horns Halderman!
Comment by Mihaela Lica on 3 October 2009:
For so many years he was mocking other celebrities who had sex with their employees without mocking himself. A hypocrite. If his credibility still stands, that’s because he was smart enough to “come clean” in time. Besides, his viewers are mostly cynics… I never liked him that much. His wife probably knew about it, but then again, probably she was naive to believe that with the marriage he stopped his escapades.
Comment by morning brew on 3 October 2009:
“For so many years he was mocking other celebrities who had sex with their employees without mocking himself. A hypocrite.”
I watched his show over the years and Letterman made fun of a lot of people all the time. Also, he is a comedian. If he can be successful doing his style of comedy that means that people out there enjoy it. I see this current news as a personal matter that is sad and is not the business of the public but between Letterman and his family and co-workers. We only know about it because someone with information tried to commit a crime.
Comment by Mihaela Lica on 3 October 2009:
You have a very strange idea of what is personal matter and what not. Letterman never respected personal matters. Why would his escapade be treated as such, when all other celebrities stand in the front line?
Comment by morning brew on 3 October 2009:
“Why would his escapade be treated as such, when all other celebrities stand in the front line?”
On the contrary, you have a strange idea of what is a public matter. Do you always use other people’s poor behavior as a measure for your own? Because Letterman made fun of other people should you now treat him according to a low standard? Do unto others starts within.
Comment by Sam on 4 October 2009:
Letterman who obviously never followed your “do onto others” rule, should be forgiven just because he made a smart PR move coming “clean” in this mess? FYI, even consensual, sex with employees is still a form of harassment. Birkitt was not fired, because she accepted to have sex with him. A clear display of power on his behalf. Young women like Birkitt only sleep with him to secure their jobs.
Comment by morning brew on 4 October 2009:
Letterman who obviously never followed your “do onto (sp) others” rule…..
1) whether or not someone else follows this rule is never the point. It is always about you taking responsibility for yourself- regardless.
2)If you feel like you need to forgive David Letterman for something, or withhold your forgiveness, that is your own business. Personally I don’t see any of this subject as being related to my own life. As a result I don’t feel the need to forgive Letterman for anything.
3)sexual harassment has been generally defined as: “when submission to or rejection of conduct of a sexual nature explicitly or implicitly affects an individual’s employment, unreasonably interferes with an individual’s work performance or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment.”
By the public statements of the girl in question this was absolutely NOT what David Letterman was doing.
Comment by Mihaela Lica on 5 October 2009:
Gosh, Brew, you must be a man!
Pingback by Regina Lasko Still Silent, Joe Halderman "Not Guilty" on 6 October 2009:
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