Monica Lewinsky Calls Bill Clinton Affair An 'Abuse Of Power' That Left Her Facing 'Excruciating Humiliation'

More than 30 years after the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal, Monica Lewinsky says the public fallout was excruciating and life-altering.

Though the relationship was consensual, she now views it as a "gross abuse of power" and believes she bore far heavier consequences.

Monica Lewinsky has since reclaimed her story through producing the series, "Impeachment: American Crime Story," and launching her podcast, "Reclaiming with Monica Lewinsky."

Monica Lewinsky Reflects On The Lasting Impact Of Her White House Scandal

Almost three decades after her relationship with former U.S. President Bill Clinton became global news,  Lewinsky is reflecting on how deeply the experience reshaped her life.

In a recent interview with The Times of London, the 52-year-old activist and podcast host described the backlash she received as "excruciating," saying the intense scrutiny and ridicule at the time made her life difficult.

"The public humiliation was excruciating; life was almost unbearable," Lewinsky told the publication.

The affair, which began in the mid-1990s when Lewinsky was a White House intern in her early twenties, became public in 1998 and triggered one of the most infamous political crises in American history.

Clinton, who was president at the time, initially denied the relationship. He was later impeached following an investigation but ultimately cleared of the charges.

According to Lewinsky, she has not spoken to Clinton in nearly 30 years and has little insight into how he processed the events, adding that she believes he was far less affected by the consequences than she was.

Monica Lewinsky Reframes Past Relationship As A 'Gross Abuse Of Power'

Although Lewinsky has long acknowledged that the relationship was consensual, she now views it through a different lens.

She described it as a "gross abuse of power," while also taking responsibility for her own actions and acknowledging the harm caused to others.

"That doesn't mean I didn't make mistakes, that I didn't make wrong choices, that my behaviour didn't hurt other people. But at the heart of it was a gross abuse of power," she said.

With time and personal growth, she explained, her perspective has evolved. Distance from the events, emotional healing, and shifts in cultural conversations around power and consent have allowed her to re-examine what happened with greater clarity.

"The farther away you get from something, the more mature you get and the more healed you get, and as the world changes, you start to see something differently, and you're able to hold it and examine it in a way that you couldn't before," she said.

Monica Lewinsky Reveals Bill Clinton's Public Denial Of Their Affair Left Lasting Emotional Scars

Lewinsky told The Times that when the relationship began, she was in her early twenties and truly believed she was in love.

She said the emotions she felt at the time were genuine to her, even if her understanding of the situation has since changed.

What proved especially damaging, she explained, was watching Clinton publicly deny the affair, most notably through his now-infamous statement, "I did not have sex with that woman," an experience that left lasting emotional scars.

The Activist Says It Has Become 'Easier' To Deal With The Scandal

Today, Lewinsky says life feels lighter. "It has got a lot easier the more I've been able to fill out my own life, with me as my true self," she said.

After making several public attempts to reshape her image, Lewinsky largely stepped away from public attention in the mid-2000s.

In recent years, however, she has taken a more active role in reclaiming her own story.

She served as a producer on FX's "Impeachment: American Crime Story," helping to reframe the narrative surrounding the scandal.

Monica Lewinsky Launches New Podcast Focused On Healing After Public Scandal

In January 2025, Lewinsky launched her podcast, "Reclaiming with Monica Lewinsky.

According to the show's description, Lewinsky draws from her own life, including navigating a global scandal at just 24, to explore how people recover, rebuild, and rediscover themselves after defining moments.

During a February appearance on the "Call Her Daddy" podcast, the activist spoke candidly about how she believes the situation should have been handled once the affair became public.

She suggested that the most ethical response would have been for Clinton to step down or, at the very least, address the situation without deception or placing blame on someone far younger and far less powerful.

Lewinsky added, "At the same time, I hear myself say that, and it's like, 'Okay, but we're also talking about the most powerful office in the world.' I don't want to be naive either."