Most people wish they could become household names overnight, but they don’t realize what a dangerous wish that really is. For example, Monica Lewinsky was once a humble White House intern whose affair with President Bill Clinton caused a major scandal. Sure, she was famous, but for all the wrong reasons, and the scandal continues to haunt her life to this day.
Of course, that scandal was decades ago, so we couldn’t help but ask ourselves the big questions about this famous face. Just what happened to Lewinsky after the initial scandal? Why didn’t we hear from her for a while, and what is she up to today?
If you’re also curious, we’ve got you covered. Keep reading to discover everything you need to know about Monica Lewinsky, including what she’s up to now!
The original scandal of Monica Lewinsky and Bill Clinton
Because the original scandal was decades ago, you might need a refresher into the unfortunate incident that made Monica Lewinsky famous (or infamous) in the first place. In short, she became an unpaid White House intern in the summer of 1995, meeting President Bill Clinton when she was only 21 years old. She worked hard enough to land a paid job working for the White House Office of Legislative Affairs, and it was during this time that her affair with Clinton began.
After their affair ended, Lewinsky talked about it to her so-called friend, Linda Tripp. Sadly, Tripp began secretly recording those phone conversations, eventually sharing what she had gathered with investigator Kenneth Starr. Clinton famously denied the affair (“I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Ms. Lewinsky”), but that didn’t stop the truth from spreading. And poor Lewinsky was caught in the middle, becoming something of a cultural punchline before being largely forgotten.
What did Lewinsky do after the scandal?
In the immediate aftermath of the scandal with Bill Clinton going public, Monica Lewinsky tried to do what many in her position would do…namely, make a profit from her sudden fame. She gave an interview with Barbara Walters that was watched by 70 million people and had her biographer help write up her side of things in the book titled Monica’s Story.
She had other ventures back then, including a line of handbags named The Real Monica Inc. Lewinsky also ended up hosting a show called Mr. Personality and appearing on Saturday Night Live. At one point, she was even a Jenny Craig spokesperson, and while some accused her of cashing in on her fame, Lewinsky maintained that her main goal was paying off her prodigious legal bills.
Leaving the spotlight and trying something new
If you remember the time period when Monica Lewinsky became a public figure, you likely remember her abruptly dropping out of the spotlight. This was all by her choice as she decided to go back to school and focus on learning new skills. In 2005, she traveled overseas and began taking classes at the London School of Economics. There, she enjoyed the relative anonymity that came from being outside of America and mostly keeping her head down while studying.
In 2006, she graduated in social psychology with a desire to help the world, one person at a time. Unfortunately, when she tried applying to higher-profile jobs in fields like communication or branding, hiring managers worried that her past with Clinton would taint their image. Therefore, she was left largely fending for herself, but she initially avoided returning to the spotlight out of fear of disrupting things like Hillary Clinton’s failed 2008 presidential campaign.
Becoming a public figure once more
After laying low for about eight years, Monica Lewinsky decided to return to public life again in 2014. She had now rebranded herself as someone trying to help those who are victims of bullying. For example, she wanted to help more people like Tyler Clementi, a college freshman who committed suicide after he was live-streamed kissing another man.
This made sense, of course, because Lewinsky is one of the most famous victims of bullying. Publicly speaking, she basically took the fall for an affair with a much older man and had to be sacrificed in the media for Bill Clinton to save face. All of this prompted her to decide to help other victims of bullying.
What is Monica Lewinsky doing now?
Now you know about the goal Monica Lewinsky embraced back in 2014, but what is she doing now, over a decade later? For one thing, she has continued to speak out against bullying in various articles and appearances. She also became a strategy advisor for the anti-bullying organization Bystander Revolution.
More interestingly, Lewinsky has become a major figure in entertainment media. She helped produce Ryan Murphy’s Impeachment: American Crime Story, a series focusing on the affair with Clinton. She created her own production company (Alt Ending Productions) in 2021. Lewinsky also executive produced the Max documentary 15 Minutes of Shame and recently announced an upcoming podcast, Reclaiming, which will help her tell her story.
Honestly, we’re particularly excited about the podcast. After decades of hearing from everyone else, isn’t it about time we heard Lewinsky’s story in her own words?