David Letterman Gushes About Son Harry

Though David Letterman has had a successful showbiz career spanning nearly 50 years, the TV star admits his greatest joy in life is his son, Harry.

In a recent interview, the 70-year-old comedian confessed he’s only concerned with being remembered because of Harry, 13. “You want your kids to know what you did,” David said.

MORE: David Letterman’s Mother Dorothy Mengering Has Died at Age 95

The Late Show with David Letterman host and his wife, Regina Lasko, welcomed their now-teenage son back in November 2003. David and Regina, 56, tied the knot in March 2009 after dating for 23 years.

David announcing his son’s birth on the Late Show in 2003.

“You are in love with your wife,” the star once said of his marriage. “But the real deal doesn’t happen until you have a kid.”

When David retired from the Late Show in May 2015, his wife and son were both in the audience for his final episode. “Thank you for being my family. I love you both, and really nothing else matters, does it?” he told Regina and Harry on-air.

MORE: David Letterman and Jay Leno’s Feud — New Book Claims David Was Always “Seething With Unhappiness”

Life hasn’t always been so sweet for David. After his father, Harry Joe Letterman, passed away from a heart attack when David was just 25 years old, the aspiring star focused on his ambition to succeed in Hollywood. “I just felt like he never quite got to do what he wanted to do. I really wanted to make good on my personal commitment [to comedy],” he once said.

David’s wife and son at the Late Show finale.

David later felt his world was “crumbling” when a blackmailer threatened to go public with details of the comedian’s secret extramarital affairs with co-workers. He later admitted to the indiscretions and likened the experience “to having killed your family in a car crash. [But] I had to tell the truth.”

MORE: See David Letterman, Harrison Ford, and More Stars Slowly Transforming Into Santa Claus (Yes, Seriously)

Thankfully, David’s wife Regina stayed by his side through the storm — and now the pair seem happier than ever.