Monica Lewinsky is taking a step to reshape her public image with the launch of her new podcast, Reclaiming. In the first episode, she openly discussed her infamous affair with then-President Bill Clinton, which took place when she was an intern at the White House. At 51, Lewinsky reflected on how the experience stripped her of anonymity, derailed her future, and shattered her self-confidence. She revealed that, at the time, she believed the relationship might lead to something lasting.
Lewinsky, who was just 22 when the affair began, shared that her life has never been the same since. “I’m 51 years old and I’m still trying to find my way,” she said on the podcast, adding, “Coming out of ’98, I lost my anonymity, I lost my future, I lost my awareness. I think I lost my self-confidence.”
Looking back, she noted how she became enamored with Washington, D.C., the White House, and her role there. But her admiration soon turned into an affair with her boss—who was married and, as the world’s most powerful man, held a position that complicated their relationship. “What followed was an inappropriate relationship that lasted two years,” Lewinsky admitted.
As she delved into her personal reflection, Lewinsky revealed that turning 40 led her to reconsider her younger years. “Once you get past 40, you start to re-contextualize your younger years,” she explained.
During the 1990s, when the scandal erupted and Clinton’s impeachment hearings were underway, Lewinsky faced an unprecedented level of media scrutiny. The spotlight only grew when Clinton admitted to the affair. After retreating from public life for nearly two decades, Lewinsky reappeared in 2015 with a viral TikTok video. She addressed the 1998 scandal and her efforts to move past public humiliation and online harassment.
Now, the scandal is being revisited through the lens of the #MeToo movement. The modern perspective highlights the power imbalance between the then-President and Lewinsky, who was much younger and far more vulnerable.
In recent years, Lewinsky has contributed to projects shedding light on the consequences of public shaming. She served as co-executive producer of 15 Minutes of Shame, a documentary focusing on the impact of such humiliation. Additionally, she was an executive producer for Impeachment: American Crime Story, a series that retold the Clinton scandal from the perspective of the women involved.
