David Letterman was having an affair with his former personal assistant way more recently than Dave had us believing -- according to documents filed by the alleged extortionist's lawyer.

According to legal papers filed today by the defense, Robert Halderman confronted Stephanie Birkitt in December 2008 with evidence of the affair and she promised to end it. But Gerald Shargel, Halderman's lawyer, claims the relationship continued "unabated" into this past summer.

Letterman's rep has said the affair ended before Letterman's marriage in March. Dave blew the whistle on the alleged extortion plot in early September.

Today Letterman's lawyer refused to say when the talk show host broke off his affair with Birkitt. Halderman's lawyer was coy outside court about the Letterman/Birkitt relationship and said we'll be hearing a lot more about this.

In court papers filed today, Halderman's lawyer asked the judge to dismiss the extortion case, on grounds authorities were swept up in "the sensationalism surrounding the indictment" and the grand jury didn't have enough evidence to target Halderman.

The lawyer claims the $2 million demand was "a pure commercial transaction" over a screenplay.

These avant-garde makeup artists need a second look in the mirror!

Dr. Conrad Murray was on the phone with his girlfriend as Michael Jackson was dying ... sources connected to the case tell TMZ.

We've learned Dr. Murray was on a cell phone with his girlfriend from Houston between 12:03 and 12:13 PM on June 25, 2009 -- the day Jackson died.

Sources say the girlfriend told LAPD detectives about 5 minutes into the call, she heard Dr. Murray abruptly drop the phone and then heard him administer CPR. The girlfriend said there was no indication Dr. Murray knew anything was amiss before dropping the telephone.

Sources say the girlfriend does not know if Murray was in the room with Jackson when he called her or if he walked in just before realizing MJ was in deep trouble.

The bodyguard called 911 at 12:21 PM, approximately 13 minutes after Dr. Murray dropped the phone.

It has been widely reported Dr. Murray was on the phone for 47 minutes before calling 911. It appears those calls were actually made before Dr. Murray realized Jackson was in distress.

The hardest thing to find in Hollywood ain't a virgin ... it's a good wig. Unbeweaveable!

What a turn! Katherine and Joe Jackson are fighting each other in court ... right now.

Katherine's new lawyer, Adam Streisand, is arguing to the judge that Joe has no legal standing to object to John Branca and John McClain as executors, nor does he have any standing to object to the validity of the will.

Streisand is arguing .... since Michael Jackson cut Joe out of the will, he has no dog in this fight.

During the fight, Billie Jean Jackson -- you know -- just stood up and said that she's an heir so she'll object ... so Joe's got that going for him.

Leave the spray tans and spandex outfits at home, these celebs are doing the cha-cha with the chicken of the sea.

This is Spot. See Spot make a spot. Bad Spot!

These bushy browed stars could use a weed wacker to the face!