Monica Lewinsky has emerged again, this time in her new podcast, Reclaiming, where she speaks for herself for the first time. In the first episode, she described her years at the White House during Bill Clinton’s tenure as president and the scandal that haunted her for decades.
This scandal became one of America’s most infamous political scandals, but now that Lewinsky is 51, she is no longer remembered as the mere intern at the center of the chaos. Over the years, she has built her career as a producer, writer, and anti-bullying activist.
Inside the Monica Lewinsky scandal
During her internship at the White House in the mid-90s, Lewinsky had a romantic relationship with President Bill Clinton, who was married to Hillary Clinton at the time. The affair went on for two years and was hidden for a while until it became public, altering Lewinsky’s life forever.
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She spoke about being caught up in the thrill of living and working at the White House, where she became infatuated with her boss, who happened to be one of the most powerful men alive. Lewinsky knew the relationship was not right but did not realize how devastating it would turn out to be.
What did Monica Lewinsky do after the scandal?
After the affair leaked to the public, Lewinsky’s regular life took a hit, and she recently explained how her usual activities became extremely limited throughout the investigation. Paparazzi followed her everywhere, and even getting to simply dine at a restaurant became impossible due to unwanted publicity.
Having to begin life all over again, she decided to pursue further studies and attended graduate school. After graduating, she was unable to get a job. She eventually resisted the humiliation in the later stages of her life, and co-executive produced 15 Minutes of Shame. The documentary series examines the public shaming culture, and also worked on Impeachment: American Crime Story, which retold the Clinton scandal from the women’s perspective.