The Letterman extortion

[MikeWaters]

What exactly constitutes extortion?

Let's say you are a celeb, and I have a nude picture of you that has been legally obtained. I can sell this picture to a tabloid for 2 million.

But if I inform the celeb's agent that I would be willing to release the picture to the celeb for 500k, then that is extortion?

[SoonerCoug]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

What exactly constitutes extortion?

Let's say you are a celeb, and I have a nude picture of you that has been legally obtained. I can sell this picture to a tabloid for 2 million.

But if I inform the celeb's agent that I would be willing to release the picture to the celeb for 500k, then that is extortion?

I've been wondering the same thing. I'm sure the defense will be that he was merely offering to sell the screenplay to Letterman first. The most incriminating aspect of the story is the description of the package sitting on the back seat of the car when Letterman went to work in the morning, which implies that someone broken into the car. I think the fact that the producer was so willing to meet with Letterman and his attorney suggests that the producer did not consider selling the screenplay to be criminal activity.

[MikeWaters]

Letterman sounds like a real creep.

He violated the #1 rule of work: do not shit where you sleep.