Paul Shaffer: I Still "Respect" David Letterman
Credit: Peter Kramer/Getty Images
Late Night With David Letterman bandleader Paul Shaffer is standing by his longtime buddy and coworker, who is embroiled in a $2 million sex extortion scandal.
"Dave is my close and dear friend, and there is nobody like him," Shaffer, 59, tells Entertainment Tonight in a new interview. "There's nobody I respect more."
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The musician wouldn't comment on the extortion incident, explaining "it's an actual criminal proceeding."
But he and Letterman have long confided in one another on matters of the heart.
Read about other celeb sex scandals
After he met Cathy Vasapoli, a former Good Morning America booking agent, in the late '70s, they kept breaking up and making up.
Shaffer said Letterman told him, "''When you find somebody, it's so hard to find anybody you can get along with . . . You should keep her.'"
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Turns out, Letterman was right: Shaffer went on to wed Vasapoli in 1990, and the two recently celebrated their 19th wedding anniversary.















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8Paul Shaffer looks like a hard boiled egg with glasses.
The question is - did David and Paul have sex together? At least Paul respected David in the morning.
Marriage means you will not be with another person. Dave was not married. Why should Paul not respect him? If your friends made a mistake would you no longer respect them? How can everyone be so judgemental. I guarantee you that Dave's wife isn't contemplating divorce so why would you all think you know Dave better than she and his long term friends?
Letterman's affairs occurred before he was married.
Wait, Paul Shaffer is straight?!
I stand by Pauls comment. It isn't like the guy roasted Gov Mark Sanford for cheating on his wife while he was cheating on his. That would maje him a hypocriate. Love the integrity Paul
He respects people who have affairs in the workplace? What a tool.
Hmmm...so I bet HIS wife of 19 years is wondering how many times HE has cheated since he still respects Letterman after this. Plus, I thought Paul was gay.