David Letterman grabbed Justin Bieber’s arm on live TV — and things got awkward real fast
David Letterman was one of the most controversial talk show hosts of his time. In one such episode, Letterman asked Justin Bieber, questions that made the singer truly uncomfortable. In 2012, when Bieber appeared on Letterman’s talk show, he had fewer tattoos than he does now, making his "Believe" tattoo stand out. Letterman reached out and grabbed Bieber’s arm, pretending to rub the tattoo off as a joke.
Letterman was known for provoking strong reactions from guests, including making Lindsay Lohan cry. He asked Bieber not to get anymore, saying, “Tell me that’s the last one. Honestly, how does that help the way you look?” Even after letting go of Bieber’s arm, Letterman continued to tease him about tattoos. He assumed Bieber’s mother wouldn’t approve and warned him not to go overboard with body ink. Letterman then joked that Bieber shouldn’t get so many tattoos that his arm would look like the Sistine Chapel. Bieber’s response made the audience laugh again when he mistakenly said, “I’m not going for the Sixteenth Chapel,” as per Today.
Letterman had a long history of provoking strong reactions from guests, such as when he made Lindsay Lohan cry. But this time, he seemed to regret his actions. Later that night, before Bieber’s performance, Letterman checked in with him. "Are you all right? Is your tattoo OK? Everyone said, well it's a brand-new tattoo and I hurt your tattoo." He also admitted that people thought he was too harsh. "And then other people said, 'you were snappish to the boy."' Bieber reassured him, saying, "Everything's great. It's all good. You're fine. Don't worry. You were not snappish. You were fine ... I think I expected it."
Years later, Letterman reflected on the moment in an interview with Oprah Winfrey, explaining why he checked on Bieber and acknowledging the singer’s resilience. "I thought I made Justin Bieber cry and I felt bad about that. But, I don't think I did. The kid can take a punch. I like the kid. He's really pretty good but something happened. I don't even know what it was. And I thought, 'Oh geez.' Maybe, you forget that they're only, they're sixteen, you know, forget that they're little kids." After four years of persuasion, Cher finally agreed to appear on 'Late Night' in May 1986. From the start, the interview was awkward. Letterman told Cher she smelled "terrific" and even asked what perfume she was wearing.
Cher, unimpressed, asked, "Is this as good as it gets?" Annoyed, Letterman asked what kind of questions she’d prefer. Cher responded, "I don't know because I've watched this show," in a tone that seemed a bit sharp. When Letterman asked why it took her so long to appear, Cher decided to be honest. She said it was because she thought he was an "a-hole."** The audience had mixed reactions, cheering and booing. Letterman, seemingly accepting of the comment, said, "You know, I think a lot of people feel that way about me, though." Later in the interview, Letterman asked Cher to show her tattoos, but he seemed distant and distracted. Noticing this, Cher asked, "You okay?" Letterman, still affected by her earlier remark, replied, "I don't know ... that 'a--hole' comment ... You're the first person to call me that in person..." In March 2017, Cher revealed at a concert that she only agreed to the interview because the show's producers offered to cover her $28,000 hotel bill, according to Daily Mail.