Stephanie Birkitt
Encyclopedia
Stephanie Anne Birkitt was an assistant to David Letterman
on Late Show with David Letterman
.
Although Birkitt was usually treated as a character named Vicki, in some of her appearances, Letterman referred to her by various other surreal nicknames such as Smitty, Kitty, Monty, Gunter, and Dutch. It has been alleged that she and Letterman were lover
s.
started when she became a member of the CBS page
program. She worked as an intern
for CBS News
, 48 Hours
, and the Late Show during the spring of 1996. She was an associate producer at 48 Hours on segments for correspondent Erin Moriarty
. Deciding she was not "much of a news hound," she applied for a job as an office worker for David Letterman, helping to handle his charities
and his Indy car racing team
.
Her employment with Letterman led to Birkitt's first appearance on the Late Show, on May 24, 1996. Her next appearance came more than four years later, on December 26, 2000, when Letterman called her in her office during the show. Beginning in January 2001, Letterman began to call her regularly as an on-air feature of the show. Said Birkitt, "He started talking to me more, and we developed a rapport."
By 2002, Birkitt began to be featured on the Late Show as a character outside of her role as Letterman's assistant. She appeared during the CBS Mailbag segment numerous times, sometimes donning costume
s that related to a specific ongoing festival or event. She was given a number of on-air names, including Vicki, Smitty, Kitty, Monty, Gunter, and Dutch. She interviewed Survivor castoffs, asking them "Did you see or touch any monkeys?" much to the feigned displeasure of Letterman. In 2002, she was named #21 in USA Today
's "Pop Candy's 100 People of the Year!" list. As herself, she gave on-air reports from the sites of the Winter Olympics in 2002
and in 2006
. In all, she made more than 250 appearances on the show between 1996 and 2008.
In addition to her appearances on Late Show with David Letterman, Birkitt co-hosts The Tony Mendez Show, a spin-off program with Tony Mendez
(also known as "The Cue Card Boy") that is hosted on the Late Show website.
Birkitt described her relationship with Letterman in an interview with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram
in 2004. In the article, titled "Letterman Aide is Dave's Main Tease", Birkitt stated, "[Letterman is] just playful. We play catch sometimes in the office, and we all go to screenings together. We eat food together, we sit around and watch TV together and goof on people. And he teases me in real life, too, but I give it back a lot more in real life.”"
In a statement released on October 7, 2009, Letterman's production company Worldwide Pants
announced that Birkitt had been placed on a "paid leave of absence" from the Late Show.
attempt, in which an alleged blackmail
er — since identified by police as CBS television producer Joe Halderman
— threatened to reveal that Letterman had engaged in sexual affairs with multiple female employees. Letterman said that the allegation was true, but did not reveal the names or any identifying information of the female employees. Soon afterward, the extortionist was identified by media as a former boyfriend of Birkitt, and anonymous sources alleged that Birkitt and Letterman had had a sexual relationship.
Birkitt reportedly was neither aware of nor involved in the blackmail attempt. According to CBS News
, Birkitt and the CBS News producer Joe Halderman
lived together in Halderman's Norwalk, Connecticut
home until August 2009, when she reportedly moved out; she was also romantically linked to David Letterman
during the same time. The New York Post
broke a story on October 6 that Birkitt had an affair with Letterman, which continued during her relationship with Halderman. Copies of Birkitt's diary, as well as emails between her and Letterman, were reportedly the basis of the blackmail package allegedly placed in Letterman's car by Halderman.
— her mother is an assistant principal and her father is a dentist
. She graduated from Wake Forest University
in 1997, where she majored in history and minored in communications.
In 2006, her younger brother Johnny Birkitt became a field producer on ABC's Dancing With The Stars
.
She attended the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law
and in February 2009 she passed the New York State and Connecticut bar examinations.
David Letterman
David Michael Letterman is an American television host and comedian. He hosts the late night television talk show, Late Show with David Letterman, broadcast on CBS. Letterman has been a fixture on late night television since the 1982 debut of Late Night with David Letterman on NBC...
on Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman is a U.S. late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and is produced by Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated. The show's music director and band-leader of the house band, the CBS Orchestra, is...
.
Although Birkitt was usually treated as a character named Vicki, in some of her appearances, Letterman referred to her by various other surreal nicknames such as Smitty, Kitty, Monty, Gunter, and Dutch. It has been alleged that she and Letterman were lover
Sexual partner
Sexual partners are people who engage in sexual activity together. The sexual partners can be of any gender or sexual orientation. The sexual partners may be in a committed relationship, either on an exclusive basis or not, or engage in the sexual activity on a casual basis...
s.
Career
After graduation from college, Birkitt's career at CBSCBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
started when she became a member of the CBS page
Page (servant)
A page or page boy is a traditionally young male servant, a messenger at the service of a nobleman or royal.-The medieval page:In medieval times, a page was an attendant to a knight; an apprentice squire...
program. She worked as an intern
Intern
Internship is a system of onthejob training for white-collar jobs, similar to an apprenticeship. Interns are usually college or university students, but they can also be high school students or post graduate adults seeking skills for a new career. They may also be as young as middle school or in...
for CBS News
CBS News
CBS News is the news division of American television and radio network CBS. The current chairman is Jeff Fager who is also the executive producer of 60 Minutes, while the current president of CBS News is David Rhodes. CBS News' flagship program is the CBS Evening News, hosted by the network's main...
, 48 Hours
48 Hours (TV series)
48 Hours is a documentary and news program broadcast on the CBS television network since January 19, 1988. The program originally presented documentaries of various events related to a particular subject occurring within a 48-hour period, and is credited as one of the first to air a "reality show"...
, and the Late Show during the spring of 1996. She was an associate producer at 48 Hours on segments for correspondent Erin Moriarty
Erin Moriarty
Erin F. Moriarty is an American television news reporter and correspondent.Moriarty attended Upper Arlington High School in Columbus, Ohio, and is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Ohio State University...
. Deciding she was not "much of a news hound," she applied for a job as an office worker for David Letterman, helping to handle his charities
American Foundation for Courtesy and Grooming
The American Foundation for Courtesy and Grooming is a private foundation whose president and primary contributor is David Letterman. The foundation's treasurer is Fred Nigro, who has appeared on Late Show with David Letterman where he has been identified as Letterman's accountant...
and his Indy car racing team
Rahal Letterman Racing
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing is an auto racing team that currently races in the American Le Mans Series and part–time in the IndyCar Series. Based in Hilliard, Ohio, it is co–owned by 1986 Indianapolis 500 winner Bobby Rahal, television talk show host David Letterman, and businessman Mike...
.
Her employment with Letterman led to Birkitt's first appearance on the Late Show, on May 24, 1996. Her next appearance came more than four years later, on December 26, 2000, when Letterman called her in her office during the show. Beginning in January 2001, Letterman began to call her regularly as an on-air feature of the show. Said Birkitt, "He started talking to me more, and we developed a rapport."
By 2002, Birkitt began to be featured on the Late Show as a character outside of her role as Letterman's assistant. She appeared during the CBS Mailbag segment numerous times, sometimes donning costume
Costume
The term costume can refer to wardrobe and dress in general, or to the distinctive style of dress of a particular people, class, or period. Costume may also refer to the artistic arrangement of accessories in a picture, statue, poem, or play, appropriate to the time, place, or other circumstances...
s that related to a specific ongoing festival or event. She was given a number of on-air names, including Vicki, Smitty, Kitty, Monty, Gunter, and Dutch. She interviewed Survivor castoffs, asking them "Did you see or touch any monkeys?" much to the feigned displeasure of Letterman. In 2002, she was named #21 in USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
's "Pop Candy's 100 People of the Year!" list. As herself, she gave on-air reports from the sites of the Winter Olympics in 2002
2002 Winter Olympics
The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event that was celebrated in February 2002 in and around Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Approximately 2,400 athletes from 77 nations participated in 78 events in fifteen disciplines, held throughout...
and in 2006
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...
. In all, she made more than 250 appearances on the show between 1996 and 2008.
In addition to her appearances on Late Show with David Letterman, Birkitt co-hosts The Tony Mendez Show, a spin-off program with Tony Mendez
Tony Mendez (Host)
Tony Mendez was born in Cuba in 1945.Mendez has a long and varied entertainment background. Mendez performed briefly with the Houston Ballet and was an apprentice with the Harkness Ballet...
(also known as "The Cue Card Boy") that is hosted on the Late Show website.
Birkitt described her relationship with Letterman in an interview with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram is a major U.S. daily newspaper serving Fort Worth and the western half of the North Texas area known as the Metroplex. Its area of domination is checked by its main rival, The Dallas Morning News, which is published from the eastern half of the Metroplex. It is owned...
in 2004. In the article, titled "Letterman Aide is Dave's Main Tease", Birkitt stated, "[Letterman is] just playful. We play catch sometimes in the office, and we all go to screenings together. We eat food together, we sit around and watch TV together and goof on people. And he teases me in real life, too, but I give it back a lot more in real life.”"
In a statement released on October 7, 2009, Letterman's production company Worldwide Pants
Worldwide Pants
Worldwide Pants Incorporated is an American television and film production company owned by comedian and talk show host David Letterman. Its ongoing productions are Late Show with David Letterman and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson...
announced that Birkitt had been placed on a "paid leave of absence" from the Late Show.
Alleged affair
On October 1, 2009, Letterman announced on-air that he had been the victim of an extortionExtortion
Extortion is a criminal offence which occurs when a person unlawfully obtains either money, property or services from a person, entity, or institution, through coercion. Refraining from doing harm is sometimes euphemistically called protection. Extortion is commonly practiced by organized crime...
attempt, in which an alleged blackmail
Blackmail
In common usage, blackmail is a crime involving threats to reveal substantially true or false information about a person to the public, a family member, or associates unless a demand is met. It may be defined as coercion involving threats of physical harm, threat of criminal prosecution, or threats...
er — since identified by police as CBS television producer Joe Halderman
Joe Halderman
Robert Joel "Joe" Halderman is an American television news writer, director, producer, and convicted felon.-Career:Halderman's journalistic career began in the early 1980s, when he was a producer on the CBS Morning Show with Diane Sawyer and Bill Kurtis...
— threatened to reveal that Letterman had engaged in sexual affairs with multiple female employees. Letterman said that the allegation was true, but did not reveal the names or any identifying information of the female employees. Soon afterward, the extortionist was identified by media as a former boyfriend of Birkitt, and anonymous sources alleged that Birkitt and Letterman had had a sexual relationship.
Birkitt reportedly was neither aware of nor involved in the blackmail attempt. According to CBS News
CBS News
CBS News is the news division of American television and radio network CBS. The current chairman is Jeff Fager who is also the executive producer of 60 Minutes, while the current president of CBS News is David Rhodes. CBS News' flagship program is the CBS Evening News, hosted by the network's main...
, Birkitt and the CBS News producer Joe Halderman
Joe Halderman
Robert Joel "Joe" Halderman is an American television news writer, director, producer, and convicted felon.-Career:Halderman's journalistic career began in the early 1980s, when he was a producer on the CBS Morning Show with Diane Sawyer and Bill Kurtis...
lived together in Halderman's Norwalk, Connecticut
Norwalk, Connecticut
Norwalk is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of the city is 85,603, making Norwalk sixth in population in Connecticut, and third in Fairfield County...
home until August 2009, when she reportedly moved out; she was also romantically linked to David Letterman
David Letterman
David Michael Letterman is an American television host and comedian. He hosts the late night television talk show, Late Show with David Letterman, broadcast on CBS. Letterman has been a fixture on late night television since the 1982 debut of Late Night with David Letterman on NBC...
during the same time. The New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
broke a story on October 6 that Birkitt had an affair with Letterman, which continued during her relationship with Halderman. Copies of Birkitt's diary, as well as emails between her and Letterman, were reportedly the basis of the blackmail package allegedly placed in Letterman's car by Halderman.
Personal life
Birkitt was born in Plymouth, New HampshirePlymouth, New Hampshire
Plymouth is a town in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States, in the White Mountains Region. Plymouth is located at the convergence of the Pemigewasset and Baker rivers. The population was 6,990 at the 2010 census...
— her mother is an assistant principal and her father is a dentist
Dentist
A dentist, also known as a 'dental surgeon', is a doctor that specializes in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases and conditions of the oral cavity. The dentist's supporting team aides in providing oral health services...
. She graduated from Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University is a private, coeducational university in the U.S. state of North Carolina, founded in 1834. The university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina, the state capital. The Reynolda Campus, the university's main campus, is...
in 1997, where she majored in history and minored in communications.
In 2006, her younger brother Johnny Birkitt became a field producer on ABC's Dancing With The Stars
Dancing with the Stars
Dancing with the Stars is the name of several international television series based on the format of the British TV series Strictly Come Dancing, which is distributed by BBC Worldwide – the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the format has been licensed to over 35 countries...
.
She attended the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law
Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law
The Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law is the law school of Yeshiva University, located in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The school is named for Supreme Court Justice Benjamin N. Cardozo. Cardozo's success as a young school has been remarkable, leading some to characterize Cardozo as a...
and in February 2009 she passed the New York State and Connecticut bar examinations.