Monica Lewinsky, who rose to international fame in 1998 for her affair with President Bill Clinton, has broken her media silence in an interview with Vanity Fair that will run in their latest issue.
While only excerpts of the interview are currently available, we are already getting a fascinating glimpse into the psyche of one of the people most responsible for the internet’s initial growth. Now 40 years old, Lewinsky has finally decided to break her silence.
She says that she was inspired by the 2010 suicide of Rutgers freshman Tyler Clementi, who was bullied online after having a stream of him kissing another man broadcasted out to the world. The tragedy struck a chord with Lewinksy, who herself combatted suicidal urges for years following the Clinton scandal. She realized that, “perhaps by sharing my story, I reasoned, I might be able to help others in their darkest moments of humiliation. The question became: How do I find and give a purpose to my past?”
Lewinsky also discusses her difficulties in finding a job, the scapegoating she was forced to endure during the investigation, and her general regret over the entire situation. Regarding her silence, she says that “the buzz in some circles has been that the Clintons must have paid me off; why else would I have refrained from speaking out? I can assure you that nothing could be further from the truth.”
This will certainly be a huge national story, and one that will be fascinating to follow once the initial furor dies down. In an age where trolling and bullying online have become significant issues, Lewinsky is a unique figure who has an opportunity to use her past to make a huge impact on others.
The full transcript will be available to Vanity Fair’s digital subscribers on May 8, and will hit newsstands on May 13.
[via Vanity Fair]
