Paul Shaffer: I Still "Respect" David Letterman

Celebrity News October 7, 2009 AT 2:10PM
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."

See photos of stars caught cheating

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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  • October 08, 2009 - 8:04am Mirabai

    Paul Shaffer looks like a hard boiled egg with glasses.

  • October 07, 2009 - 11:42pm Anonymouse

    The question is - did David and Paul have sex together? At least Paul respected David in the morning.

  • October 07, 2009 - 4:25pm Anonymous

    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?

  • October 07, 2009 - 3:20pm Anonymous

    Letterman's affairs occurred before he was married.

  • October 07, 2009 - 3:07pm Anonymous

    Wait, Paul Shaffer is straight?!

  • October 07, 2009 - 3:02pm Chris

    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

  • October 07, 2009 - 2:57pm Anonymous

    He respects people who have affairs in the workplace? What a tool.

  • October 07, 2009 - 2:24pm Anonymous

    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.

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