Like many of the key players from the scandal involving U.S. President Bill Clinton's relationship
with White House intern Monica Lewinsky, controversial whistleblower Linda Tripp has largely disappeared
from the spotlight.
Whatever happened to her?
We've got the scoop.
Battling breast cancer
In December 2003, Tripp spoke publicly for the first time about her battle with breast
cancer.
In an interview with Larry King, she revealed that she'd had a lumpectomy and went through
eight rounds of chemotherapy.
She also noted that she lost her hair during treatments and that her nail beds fell off.
Tripp said her reaction to the diagnosis in 2001 was, quote, "terror, sheer terror."
She elaborated,
"The terror was emotionally difficult.
Because I was so afraid that I'd put my children through so much with this Clinton thing, I
didn't want to now leave them without a mom.
So that was my big concern ... I didn't think my kids were prepared not to have a mom on
top of everything else."
Suing the government
The Clinton-Lewinsky affair wasn't the last time Tripp was involved with the highest levels
of American government.
In November 2003, she settled a lawsuit against the Department of Defense in which she accused
the Pentagon of releasing confidential information about her past criminal record to The New
Yorker.
She was awarded $595,000 as part of the settlement.
In a statement, she said,
"The government should never be permitted to use Privacy Act protected information to
discredit political opponents.
This is a long-awaited first step toward holding the government accountable."
She also noted,
"Today the Department of Defense has accepted liability.
My ultimate goal is to ensure that any sitting president be required by law to honor the
Privacy Act regardless of political motive."
Tripp later referred to the settlement as a moral victory, but not a financial one.
New love in bloom
In 2004, Tripp married architect Dieter Rausch, whom she first met when she was just 10 years
old.
She revealed to Larry King that Rousch was her first kiss at age 14.
Years after their childhood fling, they reunited around the year 2000 in Germany.
Coincidentally, Rousch at one point lived next door to Tripp's grandmother.
He showed his devotion by helping her through her battle with breast cancer, and he later
moved to Middleburg, Virginia to be by her side.
Tripp had previously been married to Army officer Bruce Tripp, but their union ended
in divorce in 1992.
They have two children together, a son named Ryan and a daughter named Allison.
Christmas all year
When you think of Linda Tripp, holiday cheer probably doesn't immediately spring to mind,
but it turns out that's how her life has gone after political infamy.
In 2002, she and Dieter Rausch opened a year-round Christmas store called The Christmas Sleigh.
The shop sells everything from ornaments to beer steins and incense smokers.
The store made headlines in 2014 after it received a handful of mixed reviews on Yelp.
One user wrote,
"I ordered from them and had a terrible experience.
Very slow, no follow-up, they lie straight to you and if something goes wrong, they offer
no help, no consideration, do not reply to emails.
Horrible, they have my money and I was left with nothing, would not even supply an invoice.
Run!"
Then again, it's the internet, where complaining is raised to an artform.
And to the store's credit, later reviews were significantly more positive.
"So come experience the magic.
Take a step back in time, and enjoy the wonders of the Christmas Sleigh.
You'll be glad you did."
Tough stance on Hillary Clinton
In a 2015 interview with the Daily Mail, Tripp painted a ruthless portrait of what Hillary
Clinton was like during her husband's two terms in the White House.
According to Tripp,
"Hillary Clinton ruled the White House even as early as 1993, and every scandal that originated
in the Clinton administration was the brainchild of Hillary.
When I think of Hillary Clinton I think of a lingering taint of scandal and wrongdoing
and, in my opinion, possible criminal activity."
Tripp also dished dirt alleging that the Clintons shared a common goal of obtaining power and
that Hillary's bid for the White House had been planned for many years.
She added,
"I think the most compelling thing about Hillary is that she will stop at nothing to achieve
her end and that she views the public as plebeians easily seduced into believing her point of
view."
Linda and Monica
In 2017, Amazon Studios secured the rights to Linda and Monica, a film about the complicated
relationship between the two women at the center of that scandal from twenty years ago.
Regarding who should play her, Tripp joked to Page Six,
"They should check John Goodman's availability."
Tripp was referring to Goodman's rather unflattering portrayal of her from several nineties Saturday
Night Live sketches.
"How many times do you think you played her over the course of-" "I thought one too many,
but uh..."
But in all seriousness, Tripp wants members of the public to know that Goodman might not
be the best choice anymore.
She told Page Six,
"They might be surprised to see what I look like today.
That hulking person no longer exists.
I'm happy now and not eating myself into oblivion to relieve stress."
Tripp doesn't have high hopes for historical accuracy on the screen, as she explained,
"It's unlikely they'll show Bill Clinton as a predator exploiting a willing young girl
… She consented.
She instigated.
But she was a kid."
Tripp also revealed that she hasn't spoken to Lewinsky in years but hopes that the producers
do her justice.
"Had I had the proof that I should have had, the result would have been different."
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