If I had to guess, I’d say David Letterman has pretty much seen it all.
But even the seasoned talk-show host couldn’t hide his shock when Eva Longoria made a cringe-worthy blunder right in front of him…
As a teenager, I’d stay up late just to catch David Letterman on The Late Show. To me, he isn’t just the greatest late-night host ever — he was also one of the best comedians of his time.
Sure, he had his flaws and made mistakes like anyone else, but when it came to handling those awkward moments on live TV, no one did it better than Dave.
Pure genius
David Letterman was the king of handling dead air.
When his guests said something inappropriate or outrageous, Dave wouldn’t rush to fill the silence — instead, he let it hang in the air, and the whole world couldn’t help but laugh. His physical comedy was pure genius; with just a single look or a raised eyebrow, his facial expressions perfectly captured what everyone was thinking without him having to say a word.
And nowhere was this more evident than when Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria made her unforgettable appearance at The Ed Sullivan Theater.
When Eva Longoria appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman, she was at the peak of her career. After years of hard work in the industry, the Texas-born beauty had finally reached the top. She was the highest-paid TV actress according to Forbes, and People magazine ranked her as the 14th most beautiful person in the world.
Eva, who was 36 at the time, was there to promote her new cookbook, which marked her first venture into the culinary world. But little did she know, the interview would end up being remembered for something way spicier than any dish in her book…
An unexpected turn
At first, everything was business as usual — it was the typical Late Show setup. The Desperate Housewives star and David chatted about food, though neither seemed that invested in the conversation.
They discussed how some people either love or hate cilantro, and Longoria chimed in with her own confession: she couldn’t stand okra. Letterman, always quick with a joke, pretended to be horrified and teased that Longoria had said she couldn’t stand Oprah Winfrey instead.
But then, just when it seemed like harmless fun, the interview took an unexpected turn.
When Longoria appeared on Letterman’s talk show in 2011, she had made quite an entrance, dressed in short shorts and a tuxedo jacket. The Desperate Housewives star had clearly put in the effort to look extra sharp for the occasion.
”I wore a tuxedo for you,” she said with a smile.
”Or part of one,” Letterman replied.
From what viewers could see, it looked like Longoria wasn’t wearing anything underneath the jacket — and that soon became a problem for her.
Fumbling with the button
When Eva laughed at David’s Oprah joke, things took an unexpected turn — one of the buttons on her tuxedo jacket popped open. The camera angle didn’t reveal much to the viewers, but it seemed like Letterman got a better view than intended. True to his style, he didn’t react right away, keeping his cool and letting the moment linger.
As Eva quickly tried to fix the wardrobe malfunction, Letterman leaned forward, watching the struggle unfold.
Then, with Longoria still fumbling with the button, his expression changed, and he suddenly leaned back in his chair, exclaiming, “Oh lord.”
It seemed like he may have seen more than she intended, but Eva wasn’t about to let it rattle her.
“I’m sorry. You didn’t see anything,” she assured him with a smile.
But Letterman couldn’t resist a quick joke, quipping, ”We’re going to lose our liquor license, I know it.”
Criticized and shamed
The incident quickly drew attention from both reporters and social media. Today, the wardrobe mishap has garnered over four million views on YouTube.
While many laughed along with the lighthearted exchange, not everyone saw the humor. Some even criticized Longoria for the mishap.
One website even accused her of staging the incident for attention, shaming her in harsh terms. The headline said: ”Eva Longoria Gets Desperate for Attention Again!”
One would have hoped that by 2011, the days of shaming women were behind us. Yet some of the comments carried a bitter taste, reminiscent of what was all too common during the 1990s and 2000s, when the media could be very unforgiving.
Even though Longoria faced some harsh criticism, her treatment was still mild compared to what stars like Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, and Jessica Simpson endured before her.
”I didn’t think it would be such a big deal. It just tells you how many pervs are in America. They’re like ‘boobies, boobies, boobies,’ when there’s no boob. No boob comes out,” Longoria pointed out during an interview with Extra.
Another wardrobe malfunction
As the cheerful and delightful person she is, Longoria turned the whole situation into a positive one. She has joked about the incident several times, which is a good way to downplay the embarrassment.
But believe it or not, her Late Show interview wasn’t the only time her wardrobe became the center of attention.
Two years later, in May 2013, she arrived at the Cannes Film Festival wearing a stunning pale green Versace gown. While many big stars graced the event, it was Eva who once again stole the show — thanks to another wardrobe malfunction.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Longoria flashed her lady bits while navigating the stairs on the red carpet.
”Ultimate attention seeking stunt”
After a rain shower, she lifted her dress to avoid the puddles, to prevent a fall and keep her outfit dry. However, the unintended consequence of lifting her dress was that it revealed she wasn’t wearing anything underneath.
Once again, Longoria found herself in the social media spotlight, and the little mishap reignited the debate over whether it was a genuine accident or a calculated publicity stunt.
Kat Dziekan of Metro wrote that after Eva Longoria’s recent wardrobe malfunction at Cannes, she couldn’t help but wonder how Longoria didn’t realize that pairing a super high-slit dress with no lingerie might lead to an accidental flash of her private parts.
”Isn’t going ‘commando’ the ultimate attention seeking stunt? A very handy tactic around the time of the premiere for your most recent feature,” Dziekan wrote.
To Eva’s credit, the brunette beauty took the attention and criticism in stride.
Later, she posted a picture of herself in another beautiful dress for a different event, playfully captioning it:
“Here’s my dress for tonight! No wardrobe malfunctions tonight!!!”
While some may dismiss these wardrobe mishaps as harmless accidents, others believe they serve a greater purpose in keeping stars in the spotlight.
What do you think? Share your thoughts in our comment section on Facebook, and don’t forget to share this article if you remember this incident!
