Monica Lewinsky is finally comfortable enough to candidly speak out about herself, 25 years after her scandalous affair with former President Bill Clinton was revealed.
She says that after years of being in “terror” of getting exposed, she is “incredibly grateful” to now be seen as a respected writer after initially having to shy away from the limelight.
Apparently, she’s now capitalizing off the attention swirling around her by selling books and more.
According to Lewinsky, “I have been able to find a purpose to my past.”
(Video Credit: TODAY)
Lewinsky felt in order to “reclaim” her life, she had to make the “terrifying” decision to resurface publicly. It was a huge step after the thunderous fallout following her torrid affair with Clinton.
It’s hard to believe that Lewinsky is now 50. She appeared on the “Today” show, speaking with host Savannah Guthrie on Tuesday concerning how the “younger generations” shifted the perception of her story which resulted in her 40s being the “best decade” of her life.
“I was so overwhelmed with gratitude in that people see me for my true self now,” she told Guthrie. “That I have been able to find a purpose to my past, that my narrative has been revisited, and I was able to reclaim it – in large part [with help] from younger generations.”
“It was terrifying. I mean, and I find doing this [interview] hard. It’s not natural to me,” Lewinsky noted. “But it was a long journey from 1998. It’s been 25 years now. And I am really grateful for where things are now.”
Monica Lewinsky recalls her ‘terror’ at stepping back into the public eye after years of hiding in the wake of the Bill Clinton scandal – as she opens up about her ‘long journey’ to finding joy in 25 years since her affair with then-President https://t.co/mZ8jIPirZV via @Femail
— Frankie Crisostomo (@FrancCrist) October 3, 2023
The affair with the former president started in 1995 and continued into 1997. Lewinsky was only 22 years old at the time and was working as an unpaid White House intern. The sordid affair eventually led to Clinton being impeached.
Clinton had repeatedly denied the affair. But on August 17, 1998, he appeared on television and finally admitted it. He said at the time he was “solely and completely responsible” for the relationship in what is now known as the Clinton–Lewinsky scandal.
In 2014, Lewinsky finally ventured out into public view. She wrote a personal essay for Vanity Fair as part of her return to public life.
Since then, she has become an advocate fighting against bullying online. She has worked to help create a safer atmosphere on social media, according to the Daily Mail.
Lewinsky’s story was made into a documentary that she produced. It was called “Impeachment: American Crime Story” and detailed her affair with Clinton and his ensuing impeachment trial.
American Crime Story: Impeachment (1 season)
Franchise American Crime Story ini bercerita tentang skandal perselingkuhan Presiden AS ke-42, Bill Clinton dg anak magang di White House, Monica Lewinsky. pic.twitter.com/IcrnWhD27z
— V (@vonny_simarmata) January 18, 2023
She also founded her own production company called Alt Ending Productions in 2021.
“It has been the best decade for me. I’m incredibly grateful. Turning 40 was horrible and turning 50 was very empowering,” Lewinsky noted on the “Today” show.
Guthrie pointed to Lewinsky working on a new TV project following the success of her docudrama with Ryan Murphy.
“I wish it were announced already, but I’m executive producing a series on another young woman who found her life decimated and ripped apart on the world stage, but she somehow managed to survive,” Lewinsky revealed.
“I think it’s going to be really powerful and hopefully they will announce it soon,” she shared.
Lewinsky appeared on the show to promote a new PSA concerning the dangers of self-bullying.
what if the only way to stand up for yourself, is to stand up to yourself? this anti-bullying month, let’s all take a closer look at the kind of bully we rarely stand up to.
…
Learn more about how to deal with negative self-talk at https://t.co/Iwtko8BQzz #StandUpToYourself pic.twitter.com/91gK3bpeAz— Monica Lewinsky (she/her) (@MonicaLewinsky) October 3, 2023
“Self-bullying is bullying,” she pointed out. “This year’s campaign was really personal for me, so I had an experience about ten years ago or so where I had taken these four seminars anonymously.”
“In the course of hearing myself say these [inner thoughts] out loud, I realized how cruel I was being to myself and I would never say those things to someone else,” Lewinsky continued.
“I think for me and what I found is, first of all, we have to recognize the likelihood we’re going to eradicate the negative voice in our head is not very high,” she said.
“It is about catching yourself and course correcting. Whether that course correcting is to something positive, and if you can’t do that, then try going neutral,” Lewinsky added.