Violent Act Causes Letterman To Fire Long-Time Cue Card Guy

Tony Mendez had the easiest job in showbiz for over 23 years, holding up David Letterman's cue cards. But now he's out of a job because of a violent act.

The NY Post reports that Mendez was fired from Late Night with David Letterman after assaulting a writer for the show. The 69-year-old cue card boy said he simply had enough harassment from Bill Scheft, a 15-time Emmy nominated writer. Mendez claims that Scheft undermined his work by looking over his shoulder and dictating how to write lines on the cue cards. Of course, as a writer of the show one would expect Scheft to tell the cue card guy what to write on the cards, but Mendez claimed it went too far.

The post quotes Mendez as saying:

[Scheft] encroaches on my work. He tells me what to do, and I have to say, ‘I know what I’m doing.’ And a lot of time when I am making changes [to the cards], he’ll stand there looking over my shoulder, and he’ll say something like, ‘Put that on top,’ because he got an idea.

It all came to a head on October 9 when Mendez violently confronted Scheft, telling him to "get off my back." David Letterman told Tony to stand down. Mendez quoted Letterman as saying "Tony, your sour disposition isn't helping." The cue card veteran then snapped back at Letterman telling him "You're the one who has the sour disposition, mother****!"

Hurt by Letterman's lack of support, Mendez says he stewed all night and then the next day attacked Scheft. By his own account, Mendez grabbed Scheft's shirt and threw him against a wall. CBS personnel immediately kicked him off the premises for the violent act and he was informed on Monday that he was officially let go.

Sources close to the show told The Post that Letterman has offered to pay Mendez and cover his health insurance until the show signs off for good in May.

Besides holding cue cards, Tony was also given his own segment that airs on the Late Show's YouTube channel. It mostly consists of him complaining about things. Here's a sample:

So what do you think? Did Mendez go to far? Should he pay the price by losing the easiest and best job on TV?