David Letterman Admits Stardom Made Him a ‘Worse Person’—but Moving Back to Small-Town Life in Indiana Finally Helped Him Find Happiness

TV legend David Letterman has candidly opened up about his decision to quit the Hollywood lifestyle in favor of returning to his home state of Indiana, admitting that living in the center of the world’s show business capital made him a “worse person.”

The 77-year-old former host of the “Late Show With David Letterman,” who quit his popular show in 2015, was born and raised in Indianapolis. He left his hometown in 1975, when he was in his late 20s, to pursue his dream of stand-up comedy.

Now, the TV icon has returned—although, he hastened to add in a recent interview with GQ, he has not retired—explaining that the pressures of life in the celebrity fast lane turned him into someone that he didn’t particularly like.

“In show business, I find that I have pretended to be someone I’m truly not,” he told the outlet. “In my life here in Indiana and at my home with my family, I am probably the person I actually am. And I regret that they don’t kind of cross at any point.”

When asked whether he believes that Hollywood made him a “worse person,” Letterman, who spent much of his late-night career living in New York, was quick to agree.

“Yes. You’re exactly right,” he said.

“I just feel like, personally, I have greater humanity than I did when I was in show business,” he added. “It was all single-minded and great pressure, real unimagined, and I felt like it’s all on me and it’s all on me, and that it was all nonsense.”

After quitting his show after a 22-year run, Letterman largely withdrew himself from the trappings of fame and continued to pursue his on-screen career.

In leaving behind the seemingly glamorous lifestyle that comes with that level of success, Letterman chose to base himself back in Indiana, where he spent his formative years growing up in a humble three-bedroom abode. It recently changed hands for just $347,500.

Now, that home is being rented out for $200 per night on Airbnb, with Letterman’s star power a major attraction for the area.

“Stay in David Letterman’s childhood home nestled in Broad Ripple—one of the most vibrant neighborhoods in Indianapolis,” the rental listing states. “Walkable to popular restaurants and shops, this is a quiet spot in a tree-lined, well established neighborhood. Enjoy updated bathrooms and comfortable beds, and relax in the lovely screened in porch.

“Take advantage of quick access to downtown Indy or walk to Broad Ripple’s culture and night life. Book a stay in this quaint Broad Ripple bungalow and see a piece of history!”

Though he has not returned to his childhood home, instead picking up a new property for himself and his family, Letterman has found true contentment in himself having moved back to his home state. It is where he says he is once again able to focus on other, more important aspects of life.

“All I cared about was television, one hour of television that I was responsible for, for 30 years. That’s all I cared about,” he said of his life in Hollywood. “Everything fell apart, went away. I didn’t even know if it was falling apart or not. And now I have the energy and the broader focus to recognize humanity has other fulfilling pursuits.”

Even while he was living in Los Angeles, Letterman maintained a close connection with Indiana, specifically the Indianapolis 500. He is a part-owner of the Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing team.

However, he confessed in a 2019 interview with NBC that his hometown had gone through many changes while he was living in L.A. He had to rely on local landmarks to get his bearings whenever he visited, he joked.

“Every time I come here, I get lost. I don’t recognize things, I know landmarks, and I can find my way to the speedway,” he said. “I know where Broad Ripple High School is. I know where Monument Circle is. I know where Long’s Doughnuts is off 16th Street. I know where Shapiro’s Deli is and a few landmarks like that.

“Other than that, it could be Tucson. I don’t know. Burger Chef is gone, but is that really a loss? It’s more like a public service.”

However Indiana is not the only state that Letterman calls home—he also owns a sprawling 2,700-acre ranch in Montana, which he purchased in 1999, and a massive compound in upstate New York, which is made up of two properties, bought more than 10 years apart.

First, the TV host snapped up an 88-acre estate in North Salem, which features an expansive main residence, as well as a swimming pool. Then, he paid around $5 million for an adjacent 20-acre plot in 2007.