Monica Lewinsky has had it rough.
Arguably no one person in American memory has had their reputation so thoroughly, horrifically
wrecked as she did.
Her name, face, and clothes were paraded about as both political weapon and late-night punchline.
The former White House intern avoided the spotlight for a time, but that time away allowed
her to undergo an amazing transformation.
Her own words In the years following the Clinton scandal,
Lewinsky tried almost everything to get her life in order, but no amount of reinvention
seemed to stick.
Her frustrating attempts to reclaim her reputation led her to try a public image Hail Mary in
June 2014.
For the first time, in her words, Lewinsky told her story and shared her reflections
in the pages of Vanity Fair.
Lewinsky's searing, soul-searching essay was nominated for a National Magazine Award and
single-handedly changed the conversation about Lewinsky as "the other woman" to Lewinsky
as "the victim of public scrutiny."
Her message played a major part in positioning herself for a new role as an advocate against
bullying, in all its ugly forms.
Battling depression In her piece for Vanity Fair, Lewinsky touched
upon the tragic story of Tyler Clementi, a freshman at Rutgers University who ended his
own life in 2010 after a video of him kissing another man was posted on Twitter.
"We actually now have a new word in our lexicon, which is 'bullycide,' which talks about the
people who have died by suicide as the result of bullying."
Lewinsky's mother took the story especially hard, which initially confused her, until
Lewinsky realized her mother was reliving the worst moments of 1998.
She shared: "She was replaying those weeks when she stayed
by my bed, night after night, because I, too, was suicidal.
The shame, the scorn, and the fear that had been thrown at her daughter left her afraid
that I would take my own life - a fear that I would be literally humiliated to death."
Her dating life Given the insane amount of public humiliation
she went through, one would forgive Lewinsky for avoiding the dating game.
Yet, to her credit, she totally dove in, but did reveal for Vanity Fair that she's guarded.
"I once left a front-row seat along the third-base line at a Yankees game when I learned that
my date [...] was actually in another relationship.
It was only a green-card marriage, but I freaked that we could be photographed together and
someone might call the gossip rags.
I've become adept at figuring out when men are interested in me for the wrong reasons."
Her #MeToo moment In her essay for Vanity Fair, Lewinsky recounted
her years of isolation during a time when understanding of relationships between powerful
men and young women was not as evolved as it is today.
She also revealed the hope provided by the #MeToo movement.
Although Lewinsky regrets the role she played in history, she now fully understands that
what transpired with former President Clinton constituted what she calls a "gross abuse
of power."
She explained: "He was my boss.
He was the most powerful man on the planet.
He was 27 years my senior, with enough life experience to know better."
Lewinsky revealed she was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and thanked the #MeToo movement
for - quote - "the safety that comes from solidarity."
She added: "I am in awe of the sheer courage of the women
who have stood up and begun to confront entrenched beliefs and institutions."
Standing up to bullying The attention Lewinsky received from Vanity
Fair has earned her multiple public speaking engagements.
She now utilizes her experience to focus on the topic of bullying, shaming, and guilt.
Her mission has been well-received.
"When this happened to me 17 years ago, there was no name for it.
Now, we call it cyberbullying and online harassment."
She's also been unashamed and honest about her experiences.
"I've seen some very dark days in my life.
It was the compassion and empathy from my family, friends, professionals, and sometimes
even strangers that saved me."
Walking away During a live interview in Jerusalem in 2018,
Lewinsky walked off the stage when asked about her affair with Bill Clinton - a subject the
former White House intern claimed she specifically asked the interviewer to avoid.
"I'm so sorry, I'm not going to be able to do this."
"Thank you for talking."
In response, the news organization said it "stood up to all of its agreements" with Lewinsky,
releasing a statement that read: "We believe the question asked on stage was
legitimate and respectful, and one that certainly does not go beyond Ms. Lewinsky's requests
and does not cross the line."
Lewinsky took to Twitter to release a statement of her own, tweeting:
"There were clear parameters about what we would be discussing and what we would not,"
and said her decision to leave the interview was "because it is more important than ever
for women to stand up for themselves and not allow others to control their narrative."
The Impeachment of Bill Clinton Scheduled for release in November 2018, the
A&E docuseries The Impeachment of Bill Clinton will reportedly take a deep dive into one
of the most notorious political scandals in our nation's history.
Lewinsky participated in the project, and the limited TV series will reportedly include
archival footage and fresh interviews, including previously unseen footage of Lewinsky and
Clinton.
Director Blair Foster told Deadline that working on the project was eye-opening:
"I quickly realized much of what I thought I knew was incomplete, or worse, inaccurate.
[...] The deeper I got the clearer it became that this series is as much about the present
day as it is about the 1990s."
Grab your popcorn.