Three decades after her name became synonymous with scandal, Monica Lewinsky, now 51, is reclaiming her narrative.<\/p>\n
On Elizabeth Day\u2019s How To Fail<\/em> podcast, the former White House intern reflected on her affair with then-President Bill Clinton, a relationship that led to impeachment proceedings and nearly destroyed her life. At 22, Lewinsky became the target of intense public shaming\u2014most of it directed at her.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was a young woman\u2019s love,\u201d she said. \u201cThere was limerence\u2026 but it was also an abuse of power.\u201d<\/p>\n She criticized the White House\u2019s narrative that painted her as a \u201cbimbo,\u201d a damaging label amplified by both media and women. \u201cI wasn\u2019t a dumb bimbo\u2014I was portrayed to be,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Lewinsky also opened up on the Call Her Daddy<\/em> podcast, saying she lost not just her anonymity but her future. \u201cI never should\u2019ve been in that f***ing position,\u201d she said, highlighting the power imbalance.<\/p>\n The scandal\u2019s impact, she notes, went beyond her: \u201cThere was so much collateral damage for women of my generation, watching me be torn apart for my sexuality and mistakes.\u201d<\/p>\n Despite everything, Lewinsky says she now appreciates who she\u2019s become\u2014but wishes she\u2019d had a more normal life.<\/p>\n