Letterman Apologizes for Sexcapades, Admits Wife Is “Horribly Hurt”

David Letterman apologized to his wife Regina Lasko during a taping of his talk show Monday afternoon in his first appearance since revealing the alleged extortion plot against him last week.

“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 during his opening monologue. “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.”

The “Late Show” host also insisted the affairs were ancient history saying, “It’s very, very unpleasant and I would like to just set the record straight: No, I’m not having sex with these women,” he said. “Those episodes are in the past.” Dave went on to say he didn’t regret breaking the news about the attempted blackmail the way he did. “Through all the attention the embarrassment and heartbreak, I still feel I did the right thing,” he said.

Letterman also noted what a tough time this has been for both current and past staff members of his production company, Worldwide Pants. “I’m terribly sorry that I put the staff in that position,” Letterman also said tonight. “Inadvertently, I just wasn’t thinking ahead. And moreover, the staff here has been wonderfully supportive to me, not just through this furor, but through all the years that we’ve been on television and especially all the years here at CBS, so, again, my thanks to the staff for, once again, putting up with something stupid I’ve gotten myself involved in.”

The couple of 23 years, who married in March, have a 5-year-old son, Harry.

Never one to pass up a moment of humor, the first thing Letterman said when he walked onstage was, “Did your weekend fly by? I’ll be honest with you, right now I’d give anything to be hiking in the Appalachian Mountains.”

“It’s fall here in New York City, and I just spent the whole weekend raking my hate mail,” he said. “It’s chilly outside my house. It’s chilly inside my house.” Letterman quickly lightened the atmosphere by joshing, “Normally, when I’m shaken down for money, you know, it’s my relatives.”

Letterman – famous for skewering philandering politicians – drew big laughs at the mere mention of former President Clinton and South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford. How about that Eliot Spitzer?” Letterman said to huge guffaws.

During his second taping of the day, Letterman said, “Good evening ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the late show. Are you sure you want to be seen with me?”

Guests Steve Martin and Martin Short both poked fun at Letterman, but also acknowledged the situation was no laughing matter. Letterman welcomed his first guest, comedian Steve Martin, who opened with a joke of his own. “I had a great weekend,” Martin said, drawing a chuckle from Letterman. At one point Short fell backwards into Martin’s lap, playing a puppet to Martin’s ventriloquist. Martin joked about the other comedian getting too close and risking “sexual harassment charges.”

Although many Letterman fans were stunned by the comic’s admissions, most said they were sticking by their favorite funnyman.