Harry Joseph Letterman is another celebrity child that rode the back of fame but not in the way we are used to. His story is one that shows how sad celebrity kids may become if fame exposes them to bad people around.
While we love to catch up with David Letterman, Harry’s father on his shows and enjoy some nice interviews, there was a time his family came close to losing it all.
It begs the question of why he was almost kidnapped and other fascinating facts about Harry Joseph Letterman.
Biography Of Harry Joseph Letterman
Harry Joseph Letterman was born on 3 November 2003 in North Salem, New York. His father, David Letterman was a famous comedian and media personality well known for his Late Show with David Letterman.
Harry’s mother, Regina Lasko was a production manager best remembered for her work in Another World and Late Night with David Letterman. He is an only child from their union.
Harry Letterman is likely securing a place in college to obtain a degree but his current age is 21.
They had him years before they tied the knot in a civil union on 19 March 2009. His father announced his marriage to Harry’s mother while congratulating Bruce Willis on his marriage.
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Details About His Kidnap
When Harry Joseph Letterman was less than three years old, a sad event happened in his life that changed his story from being the child of a celebrity to a victim of fame.
A plan was hatched to kidnap Harry in 2005 with a ransom fee of $5 million to be paid. The kidnap was planned by their house painter, Kelly Frank.
The plan failed when the police arrested Kelly before he executed him. His fellow conspirator grew cold feet and confessed the plan of the kidnap to the Teton County sheriff’s office.
While Kelly received a sentence of 10 years in prison for the failed attempt to kidnap, he was escaped prison In 2007. Kelly was caught and ten years was added to his initial sentence.
He was released and arrested for another crime in 2015. Kelly’s final release was in 2018.
Despite being known for his strong interviews and stance on many issues is often careful discussing the kidnap of his son. While this is not a wish on anyone, this speaks a lot about how close the Letterman ‘boys’ are to each other.
7 Other Fascinating Facts About Harry Joseph Letterman
1. His Father Is the Longest-serving Late Night Show Host
With a record of hosting over 6,080 episodes of the late-night show, Harry’s father has surpassed other late nights show hosts.
David’s Letterman’s record has passed that of his closest friend and ally, Johnny Carson.
2. The Late Night Show Vs Tonight Show
The years leading to the fame and popularity of Harry’s father on his show had stiff competition from the Tonight show. For over two decades the two shows competed with each other and competed back to back.
Letterman moved from NBC to CBS after Johnny Carson’s retirement from the tonight show.
Letterman moved to CBS and started his own night show, Late Show with David Letterman. It was first aired on August 30th, 1993 on CBC.
He rebranded some of the things he brought from the Tonight Show like
The Longer Dialogue
Paul Shaffer and the World’s Most Dangerous Band were renamed CBS Orchestra.
3. His Father Hosts My Next Guest Needs No Introduction
The thing they say about old habits never dying is true. David Letterman despite his retirement in 2015 cannot help but give in to the regular temptation.
He started the Netflix show My Next Guest Needs No Introduction. It started airing in 2018. Yet since 2018, no new episodes have been released.
4. Harry Joseph Letterman’s Father Was Once Married
For close to two decades, Harry’s father was married to his college sweetheart, Michelle Cook. They got married on 2 July 1968 but parted ways in 1977 after he met another woman.
His second marriage to Harry’s mother, Regina has outlasted over three decades and there are no rumors of splitting.
5. The Palin Joke Controversy
Stemming from his controversial sexual joke on actress Sarah Palin’s daughter in 2009, David Letterman came under fire. The actress thought the jokes were made about her 14-year-old daughter.
He was referring to her 18-year-old daughter, Bristol who was an unmarried pregnant teenager. David made humor of Bristol’s pregnancy affecting the United States Presidential election o 2008.
His first apology stemmed more controversy till he apologized to the actress, her two daughters, and everyone who was offended by the joke.
6. Harry Joseph Letterman’s Father Was Issued A Death Threat By Al-Qaeda
In 2011, he reported that AlQaeda has passed a death threat on him for making a joke of the death of Ilyas Kashmiri.
While he made a light joke of it saying the authorities are on the case he said he knows it was caused by Leno.
7. Harry Joseph Father’s Superbowl Of Love
No one wants to know the real feuds that exist among our favorite TV hosts. Yet here is one many don’t know about.
In 1989, Oprah Winfrey appeared on the NBC Late Night hosted by David Letterman. shortly after, the two personalities entered a feud that lasted 16 years as a result of the interview.
The only reconciled on 2 December 2005 after Oprah appeared on the CBS Late Show with David Letterman. Letterman later tagged it the Superbowl of love.
Obviously, the love continued when the two were spotted on the CBS coverage of the Super Bowl XLI in February 2007.
Harry Joseph Letterman’s Net Worth
The celebrity child is a private person and says very little about what he does. While he may be in school, no rumors have come about his work.
Without any source of income, he may not have any money of his. His father, on the other hand, had a successful career.
His net worth is as high as $400 million. David Letterman loves collecting cars. In 1994, he bought a 108-acre property worth $5 million in North Salem.
