In 1998, Monica Lewinsky gained notoriety for her affair with President Bill Clinton.

She was a recent college graduate when she met Clinton in 1995 during his first presidential term. Over the next two years, the pair had an intimate relationship. They exchanged gifts, made late-night phone calls, and engaged in a sexual relationship.

In 1998, Lewinsky and Clinton’s affair became public following a series of legal investigations, several recorded conversations, and one conservative news report. 

During the subsequent legal proceedings, Lewinsky was hounded by the public and the paparazzi. In July 1998, she agreed to testify before a grand jury. She handed over a dark blue dress that she said she had worn while intimate with Clinton. In exchange, she was granted immunity. Then, she attempted to assimilate back into her daily life. Initially, she tried to embrace life as a public figure. However, Lewinsky ultimately stepped out of the public eye and remained silent for almost a decade.

She hopes to help others who have been shamed and cyberbullied. Lewinsky has become a writer and activist in recent years, speaking out against online harassment. She started her own production company in 2021, aiming to give a platform to others who have been silenced.

Her past with Clinton involved a meeting at a White House function.

1995 Monica Lewinsky started an unpaid summer internship at the White House. She was 21 years old and met President Clinton, 27 years her senior and serving his first term. 

By November of that year, Lewinsky had taken a paid job in the White House Office of Legislative Affairs. Around the same time, she began a sexual relationship with Clinton. 

In April 1996, Lewinsky was moved from her position in the White House to a public affairs role at the Pentagon. This was due to concerns from some of her superiors that she was spending too much time with Clinton. Despite the transfer, Clinton and Lewinsky continued to have sexual encounters until May 1997, when Clinton ended the affair. They remained in contact after the affair ended.

After Lewinsky and Clinton’s affair ended, Lewinsky confided in her Pentagon co-worker Linda Tripp. During their conversations, Lewinsky described the affair she had with President Clinton. However, Tripp secretly recorded their private conversations in late 1997 without Lewinsky’s knowledge. Later, Tripp shared these recordings with a literary agent and a reporter from Newsweek. However, the outlet did not publish the story at that time.

Shortly after, Tripp brought her recordings to Starr. Starr had been investigating Clinton’s involvement in an allegedly fraudulent real estate deal.

One day later, on Jan. 17, 1998, Clinton denied the affair during a sworn deposition as part of the Jones lawsuit. This denial would later play a role in his impeachment trial. 

The media was dominated by news of Lewinsky and Clinton’s romantic relationship. Lewinsky spent weeks hiding from paparazzi and the public at her mother’s apartment. Her lawyer only allowed her to leave for doctor’s appointments and the occasional supervised outing.

Lewinsky currently advocates against online bullying and dedicates

much of her time supporting others and creating a safer social media environment.   She also served as a strategic advisor for the anti-bullying organization Bystander Revolution, founded by MacKenzie Bezos.

In February 2024, Lewinsky became the face of Reformation’s ‘You’ve Got the Power’ campaign at 50. The aim was to build voter registration awareness. Lewinsky posed for photos in the brand’s new workwear collection, which will launch online with a new voting hub.