People & Relationships

David Letterman and Regina Lasko Marriage Profile

By Sheri & Bob Stritof, About.com Guides

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David Letterman has a son with his long-term partner, Regina Lasko. The scandal involving David Letterman and female staff members hurt his wife Regina even though the affairs took place before David and Regina were married. Learn more about their marriage relationship and about David's previous relationships.

News Updates

10/05/2009: David Letterman apologized to his wife Regina on his television show.

David: "She [Regina] has been horribly hurt by my behavior, and when something happens like that, if you hurt a person and it's your responsibility, you try to fix it," Letterman said. "And at that point, there's only two things that can happen: Either you're going to make some progress and get it fixed, or you're going to fall short and perhaps not get it fixed, so let me tell you, folks, I got my work cut out for me."
Source: Gary Levin. "David Letterman: 'I'm terribly sorry.'" USAToday.com. 10/05/2009.

10/02/2009: Arrested and charged with attempted grand larceny for a $2 million extortion plot against David Letterman was Robert "Joe" Halderman. Halderman is a producer for the CBS show "48 Hours."

"During the "Late Show with David Letterman," the TV host said that he was the victim of an attempted extortion case over his acknowledged sexual relationships with several female employees."
Source: "Experts: Letterman Was Right to Come Clean." CBSNews.com. 10/02/2009.
"The real victims in this sordid story are Letterman's wife, son, and maybe even the staffers. They are the collateral damage."
Source: Natalie Holder-Winfield. "David Letterman's Collateral Damage." HuffingtonPost.com. 10/2/2009.

Born

David Michael Letterman: April 12, 1947 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Regina Lasko: Abt. 1961.

David and Regina Info:

According to David's marriage announcement, David and Regina began dating in February 1986. Regina was a "Late Show" staff member.

In September 2003, there were reports that the couple were secretly wed at his Montana ranch, but that didn't happen.

Wedding Date:

David and Regina were married at 3:00 pm on March 19, 2009 at the Teton County Courthouse in Choteau, Montana. Their son Harry was with them during the wedding ceremony.

The wedding ceremony was officiated by Justice of the Peace J.L. "Pete" Howard. Witnesses were Genevieve and Lee Barhaugh. According to People.com, "The bride wore a navy blue suit and a peach-colored rose corsage."

Letterman said that their truck got stuck in the mud on the way to the courthouse.

David: "So now we think: Well, somebody'll come," he said. "No, nobody … comes along. Nobody comes along. It's Thursday afternoon, who's coming along, Zorro? No, nobody –- so I get out of the truck and I walk two miles back to the house into a 50 mile per hour. It's not Beverly Hills, it's Montana, for God's sakes. And the whole way, I'm thinking: See, smart ass, see, see, you try to get married, this is what happens."
Source: Source: Mike Fleeman. "David Letterman Marries Longtime Girlfriend Regina Lasko." People.com. 3/23/2009.

Children:

David has one son.

Harry Joseph Letterman: Born in 2003. Harry's mother is Regina Lasko.

Occupations and Interests:

David: Talk show host, racing fan.

Residences

David has a home in North Salem, New York, a vacation home on St. Bart's, and a 2,700-acre ranch near Choteau, Montana in Teton County.

Previous Marriage and Relationship

David had one previous marriage and one previous long-term relationship.

Michelle Cook: David and his college sweetheart, Michelle Cook were married in 1969. They divorced in 1977.

Merrill Markoe: Merrill was born in 1951. An author, actress, television writer, stand up comedian, "Late Night" producer, and lifestyle reporter, Merrill had a long-term relationship with David throughout the 1980s.

Quotes About the Love and Marriage of Regina Lasko and David Letterman:

David: "Because you think an explosion has taken place and you're looking at the shards and you say, 'Well, can we put this back together?' " Letterman said. "And by God, maybe you can put it back together. And maybe it won't be the same, but maybe it will be different, and maybe it can even be better in a different way."
Source: Blane Bachelor. "David Letterman is Putting His Marriage Back Together." People.com. 4/30/2010.

David: "People say, 'Geez, Dave, you were together so long. Does it feel any different?'" Letterman said on the show. "And I say, 'Yeah. It does.'"
Source: Pamela Warrick. "Details of David Letterman's Surprise Wedding Revealed." People.com. 3/24/2009.

David: "I had avoided getting married pretty good for, like, 23 years and I ... secretly felt that men who were married admired me, like I was the last of the real gunslingers."
Source: Mike Fleeman. "David Letterman Marries Longtime Girlfriend Regina Lasko." People.com. 3/23/2009.

David about his relationship with Regina Lasko: "We kind of got the cart before the horse here. But I'm just seeing how much I can get away with."
Source: Time.com

Merrill Markoe about her breakup with David: "... a very bitter, sad, horrible breakup."
David's comment about their breakup: "I did not behave well at the end of that relationship."
Source: NNDB.com

David about his relationship with Merrill Markoe: "Every day at work was a fistfight. Every night at home was a fistfight. Figuratively speaking."
Source: Rotten.com

_{Additional Resources:

Bill Carter. "On 'Late Show,' Letterman Reveals He's Married." NYTimes.com 3/23/09.}