Monica Lewinsky Reflects on Her Scandal, Power Imbalance, and Reclaiming Her Voice After 30 Years

Keywords: Monica Lewinsky today, Bill Clinton affair, Monica Lewinsky podcast interview, White House intern scandal, public shaming, power dynamics, female empowerment, media accountability

Monica Lewinsky Reclaims Her Narrative at 51

It’s been 30 years since Monica Lewinsky’s name exploded into headlines and became synonymous with one of the most infamous political scandals in American history. Today, at 51, she’s no longer just a footnote in someone else’s story—she’s reclaiming her own voice.

In a candid conversation on Elizabeth Day’s How To Fail podcast, Lewinsky opened up about the emotional complexity of her relationship with then-President Bill Clinton, the consequences that followed, and the lasting trauma of being publicly shamed as a young woman.

“It Was a Young Woman’s Love” — But Also an Abuse of Power

When the affair first became public, Monica was just 22 years old. Clinton, then 49 and President of the United States, held the most powerful office in the world. What followed wasn’t just political fallout—it was a cultural reckoning that disproportionately villainized Monica.

“It was 22 to 24-year-old young woman’s love,” she reflected. “I think there was some limerence there and all sorts of other things, but that’s how I saw it then. I think it was also an abuse of power.”

How the White House Framed the Narrative

Lewinsky didn’t shy away from criticizing the Clinton administration’s spin following the scandal. She explained how damaging it was to be branded with dismissive and sexist labels.

“My very first job out of college was working in the White House,”

she said.

“I wasn’t a dumb bimbo. I was portrayed to be, and that was a big struggle for me to deal with that.”

The White House may have lit the fuse, but the flames were fanned by society—especially women, Lewinsky added.

“That mantle was picked up by a lot of women,”</blockquote> she said of the degrading public perception.

When Clinton eventually admitted the affair in August 1998, the damage to Monica’s reputation had already been done.

The Toll of Becoming a National Punchline

In another raw interview on the Call Her Daddy podcast with host Alex Cooper, Monica delved deeper into the psychological impact of becoming a national spectacle.

“You were 22 years old, he was 49, you were an intern. He was the President of the United States,”

Cooper emphasized.