Robert Pattinson laughs off cheating scandal and drowns sorrows in ice cream on TV

Actor Robert Pattinson laughed and joked his way through his first TV interview since his girlfriend Kristen Stewart cheated on him after admitting the scandal would have been better handled had he hired a publicist.

The British hunk was left heartbroken last month (Jul12) when his Twilight co-star and girlfriend Stewart confessed to an "indiscretion" with married director Rupert Sanders behind Pattinson's back.

The revelation appears to have ended the young couple's three-year romance, but Pattinson refused to let the personal heartache interfere with his promotional duties for his new film Cosmopolis, and he sat down for his first TV appearance on Monday (13Aug12) on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.

The host greeted the actor with two tubs of Ben & Jerry's ice cream and they dug into the sweet treats as Stewart indirectly addressed the hot topic on everyone's lips by asking Pattinson how he was doing.

Shifting in his seat, Pattinson admitted he was a little unprepared for the inevitably "awkward" chat, saying, "This is the weird thing about these interviews... My biggest problem in life is I'm cheap and I haven't hired a publicist and normally these awkward interviews are scripted... I'm gonna hire a publicist."

Pattinson continued to dig into his dessert and the sugar seemed to lift his spirits, telling Stewart: "This is a great idea, I feel amazing."

Comedian Stewart then proceeded to share a few observations about fans' reactions to the star's personal turmoil and express his hopes for Pattinson.

He said, "The last time I had a bad break up, Ben & Jerry got me through some of the tougher times so I thought you and I could bond over this (ice cream) and talk about, 'Boy, you are better off, kick her to the curb!'"

Getting serious, Stewart added, "When you are young and you break up, it is powerful and feels like the world is ending. This is the first time I have seen the world actually act that way. It's insanity. Here is my wish for you - that you get to handle your business in private in your personal life and I wish you all the best."

The Daily Show appearance aired hours after Pattinson faced the public and the media and walked the red carpet at the New York premiere of Cosmopolis.

As he signed autographs for the crowd, Pattinson avoided talking about the issue and simply told fans, "Thank you, guys, for being here."

However, the film's director David Cronenberg did address the headline-grabbing story, insisting the actor's personal issues won't have a negative effect on the movie, telling the New York Daily News, "(The Kristen Stewart scandal) doesn’t touch me and it doesn't touch the film."