Monica Lewinsky opens up about her relationship with former president Bill Clinton in a new series set to debut on Sunday.
Lewinsky – a 22-year-old intern when she and Clinton began a sexual relationship that ultimately led to his impeachment – has emerged as an anti-bullying advocate and voice in the #MeToo movement after having years of her life derailed by the scandal that broke 20 years ago.
She gave 20 hours of interviews for the new A&E docuseries, called The Clinton Affair – a title Lewinsky found appropriate.
“Bye-bye, Lewinsky scandal,” she wrote in an essay in Vanity Fair last week, explaining her decision to speak out for the series. “I think 20 years is enough time to carry that mantle.”
In clips released from the series, Lewinsky recalls sexual encounters with Clinton in his private suite off the Oval Office, and their unsuccessful efforts to keep the relationship private.
“We were both cautious. But not cautious enough,” she said in a clip aired on Good Morning America.
Lewinsky recounted how Clinton warned her that she could face questioning as part of a sexual harassment lawsuit brought by another woman, Paula Jones.
“I was petrified. I was frantic about my family and this becoming public,” she said, explaining that Clinton told her she could sign an affidavit to avoid testifying.
“He did not say: ‘Listen, you’re going to have to lie here.’ But on the flip side, he also didn’t say: ‘Listen, honey, this is going to be really awful – we’re going to have to tell the truth.’”
Lewinsky signed a document denying the relationship, which Clinton also denied publicly and under oath. Clinton faced impeachment for lying about the affair, but the Senate declined to remove him from office and he went on to complete his second term.
“Some closest to me asked why would I want to revisit the most painful and traumatic parts of my life – again. Publicly. On-camera,” Lewinsky wrote in Vanity Fair. “An important part of moving forward is excavating, often painfully, what has gone before.
“Filming the documentary forced me to acknowledge to myself past behavior that I still regret and feel ashamed of. There were many, many moments when I questioned not just the decision to participate, but my sanity itself,” she wrote.
After his presidency, Clinton went on to run a charitable foundation and campaign for his wife for president, facing only occasional scrutiny over his affair with Lewinsky and allegations of sexual harassment and assault lodged by other women.
With the advent of #MeToo, some Democrats have reconsidered their steadfast support for Clinton two decades ago.
He was asked in June in an interview on NBC whether he owed Lewinsky an apology, and said he did not.
“What feels more important to me than whether I am owed or deserving of a personal apology is my belief that Bill Clinton should want to apologize. I’m less disappointed by him, and more disappointed for him. He would be a better man for it,” Lewinsky wrote. “And we, in turn, a better society.”
She noted Clinton’s answer in another interview where he was asked why he entered into an inappropriate relationship with an intern and answered: “Because I could.”
“Why did I choose to participate in this docuseries? One main reason: because I could,” Lewinsky wrote. “Throughout history, women have been traduced and silenced. Now, it’s our time to tell our own stories in our own words.”