For all the times David Letterman ran into legal troubles, Stephanie Birkitt was always there to rescue him. A US attorney, Stephanie is best known as the former assistant to David Letterman on Late Show with David Letterman. And while her legal abilities were rarely called for, her acting skills were on point. Even though she held the mantle of the character Vicki, she was referred to by several names. Mitty, Kitty, Monty, Gunther, and Dutch are just a few of the names Letterman would call his assistant. Even though Birkitt rarely practiced law, her knowledge of the field helped her to succeed in her TV career.
Early Life
Stephanie Anne Birkitt was born on the 7th of January 1975. Born and raised in Plymouth, New Hampshire, Stephaine’s dad worked as a dentist and her mom worked as an assistant principal. After finishing high school at Plymouth, she went to Wake Forest University in North Carolina. After graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Minor Communications in 1997, she applied to Yeshiva University’s Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. She was awarded her Juris degree in the summer of 0f 2008. The next couple of years proved to be great for Stephanie who passed her bar examinations in both New York and Connecticut in February of 2009. She officially earned her license as a US attorney in California in 2011.
Professional Career
Stephanie’s career began in 1996 when she started her internship in the CBS News TV series, 48 Hours. After earning her bachelor’s degree in 1997, she joined the CBS News page program. She started working as an executive producer for 48 Hours but later quit the news show. In the same year, Stephanie began working for David Letterman and handled his charities and his Indy car racing team.
Her first appearance on the Late Show came on the 24th of May, 1996. After a four-year gap, Stephanie appeared on the late show once again, on December 26, 2000.
What was a short skit developed into regular appearances and Stephanie took to her role as Vicki. In 2002, Stephanie was listed in the 21st spot by Pop Candy in its 100 People of the Year list. Loved by fans, Stephanie then covered several major events for Letterman including the Winter Olympics of 2002 and 2006. Her last appearance was in 2008 when Stephanie hung up her acting robes after 250 episodes of the series.
Controversy With Letterman
David Letterman and Stephanie Birkitt were involved in a scandal when it was revealed that they had an affair while working together on the Late Show with David Letterman. On the 1st of October 2009, Letterman revealed that he was being blackmailed by an anonymous source who threatened to reveal the sexual relationships of Letterman with his staff. The anonymous source was later identified as Joe Halderman who worked as a CBS TV producer.
He extracted the information from several of Stephanie’s mail while the pair were in a relationship. As the pair lived together till 2009, it was very easy for Joe to access Stephanie’s emails. Joe was later arrested for extortion and was put to prison for six months. Birkitt has not spoken publicly about the scandal. She moved to California in 2010 and became a licensed attorney there in 2011.
Life After
Since her scandal, Stephanie Birkitt has diversified her career field. She has worked as an associate for a law firm, and as a writer and producer for two television shows: Criminal Minds (2018-2020) and American Housewife (2017-2021). She has also worked as an additional crew member for three other shows: Bunheads (2012), and Criminal Minds (2015).
Wiki/Bio Facts
Fact | Value |
---|---|
Full name | Stephanie Anne Birkitt |
Date of birth | January 7, 1975 |
Place of birth | Plymouth, New Hampshire, USA |
Nationality | American |
Education | Wake Forest University (BA in history), Yeshiva University’s Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law (JD) |
Occupation | Attorney and former TV personality |
Known for | Former assistant to David Letterman on the Late Show with David Letterman |
Nicknames on the show | Vicki |
Other TV shows | The Tony Mendez Show (co-host) |
Bar licenses | New York, Connecticut, California |
Affair with Letterman | Lasted from 2001 to 2009, continued during her relationship with Robert Halderman |
Blackmail plot by Halderman | Demanded $2 million from Letterman to keep quiet about his affairs, was arrested after receiving a fake check from Letterman’s lawyer, pleaded guilty to attempted grand larceny and was sentenced to six months in jail and five years of probation |
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