Who Is David Letterman's Wife? All About Regina Lasko
David Letterman and his wife Regina Lasko got married at a courthouse
David Letterman met his future wife, Regina Lasko, in the 1980s, but the couple dated for over 20 years before tying the knot.
“I had avoided getting married pretty good for, like, 23 years, and I — honestly, whether this happened or not — I secretly felt that men who were married admired me ... like I was the last of the real gunslingers,” Letterman said on the Late Show, according to Reuters. He was previously married to his college sweetheart Michelle Cook.
Throughout their decades-long relationship, Lasko and Letterman have hit many milestones: They welcomed their first and only child together, son Harry, in 2003; wed at a surprise courthouse ceremony in 2009; and celebrated the end of his 22-season run on the Late Show in 2015.
They also weathered Letterman's 2009 sex scandal together, though the talk show host later told Oprah Winfrey that he “wasn’t certain at the time” if Lasko would stay with him. However, the scandal ended up bringing them closer. “We went through this together. We have that in common,” he shared on Oprah’s Next Chapter in 2013.
Here’s everything to know about David Letterman’s wife, Regina Lasko.
She worked in broadcasting
Like her husband, Lasko also worked in broadcasting. Letterman said he and his wife were “a practical combination” during a 2015 interview with Rolling Stone.
“She’s very smart,” he said of Lasko. “She worked in broadcasting, so she knows everything I do here. And in addition to being a practical combination, we just have a lot of fun.”
According to Entertainment Weekly, Lasko worked for Letterman on the Late Show.
Lasko and Letterman started dating in the 1980s
The couple reportedly met at the Late Show and began dating in 1986.
“Regina and I began dating in February of 1986,” Letterman shared on a March 2009 episode of the Late Show. “I said, ‘Well, things are going pretty good; let’s just see what happens in about 10 years.' ”
Letterman announced her pregnancy on the Late Show
In 2003, Letterman revealed on the Late Show that he and Lasko were expecting their first child together. "I have an announcement to make and I'll be honest with you, I'm a little bit nervous. I have some trepidations about this. I feel a little silly because it's one of those things where I thought never in my life this would happen," Letterman said, according to CBS News.
He continued: "And here I am, 56, and by all rights it shouldn't be happening. But, there's nothing we can do about it now. And I'm terribly excited about this. I'm scared silly about this. I'm going to be a father."
She and Letterman share a son
Letterman and Lasko welcomed their son, Harry Joseph Letterman, on Nov. 3, 2003. “I could never imagine ever being a part of something that turned out this beautiful,” the proud dad said on his show after Harry was born.
Related: All About David Letterman’s Son Harry Letterman
Letterman revealed on the program that he named his son after his late father. “My father … passed away when he was 57. I’m 56 years old and yesterday I had my first child,” he shared. “So I named him for my father and his name is Harry Joseph Letterman. So God bless Dad, and God bless Harry.”
Lasko and Letterman wed in 2009
After more than two decades together, the comedian and his longtime girlfriend tied the knot. The wedding took place on March 19, 2009, at a courthouse in Montana.
Lisa Sinton, the Teton County clerk who issued their license, told PEOPLE that she was surprised to see Letterman at the courthouse. “They used a friend to call in to get the information about what they needed to do [to get married at the courthouse],” Sinton said. “So I really had no idea it was going to be David.”
Letterman publicly apologized to Lasko amid scandal
Months after their wedding, Letterman was blackmailed by CBS News producer Joe Halderman, forcing the talk show host to admit to past sexual relationships with female staffers. Halderman attempted to extort $2 million from Letterman in exchange for keeping silent about his relationships with female employees.
Following a sting operation launched by the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, Halderman pled guilty to a charge of attempted grand larceny in 2010. He received a six-month jail sentence, followed by probation and mandatory community service.
During an October 2009 episode of the Late Show, Letterman shared that he had testified before a grand jury and had to tell them “all of the creepy things” he had done.
The TV personality later clarified that the “creepy stuff” was that he had “had sex with women who work for me on this show.” Letterman added, “I feel like I need to protect these people. I need to certainly protect my family.”
A source close to Letterman told PEOPLE at the time that his affairs “pre-existed his marriage” to Lasko.
After apologizing to staff and thanking them for putting up “with something stupid I’ve gotten myself involved in,” Letterman turned his attention to his wife during an episode of the Late Show. “My wife, Regina, she 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,” he said.
Letterman continued: “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.”
They worked on repairing their relationship
In 2010, Letterman spoke about repairing his relationship with Lasko following his sex scandal. “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?’ ” he said during an appearance on Live! with Regis and Kelly. “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.”
Letterman added that they were “putting the thing back together” to see what it was “going to look like.”
She was by his side at the Kennedy Center Honors
Letterman, who was among the 2012 Kennedy Center honorees, had his wife by his side at the 35th Annual Kennedy Center Honors. Buddy Guy, Dustin Hoffman, Natalia Makarova and Led Zeppelin were also honored alongside the late-night host.
Letterman thanked Lasko in his final Late Show signoff
Letterman gave his wife and son a special shout-out during his last episode of the Late Show in 2015. “I want to thank my own family: my wife, Regina, and my son, Harry. Thank you,” said the host, who retired after 33 years in late-night television. “Just seriously, just thank you for being my family.”
The My Next Guest Needs No Introduction star added, “I love you both and really nothing else matters, does it?”
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