Monica Lewinsky is one of the most infamous women in America, so it comes as no surprise that she now finds herself at the center of the new show Impeachment: American Crime Story, which is centered on her affair with then-president Bill Clinton. Lewinsky is a producer on the popular FX series which has previously covered the OJ Simpson case and the assassination of Gianni Versace. She recently participated in a Q&A session where she was asked about her biggest regret, and unsurprisingly, it centered around the affair that started when she was only 21-years-old.
Monica Lewinsky’s Got A Fascinating Answer About Her Biggest Regret
Though she’s made a point to live privately in the years after her affair with Former President Bill Clinton became public knowledge, Monica Lewinsky was refreshingly frank during a Q&A session with Vanity Fair. Lewinsky took part in the session to promote Impeachment: American Crime Stories, which follows her affair as well as the ensuing impeachment trial and acquittal of Clinton.
The questions started off tough, but Lewinsky answered each with honesty and a hint of humor. When asked what her greatest fear was, Lewinsky said, “It’s a toss-up between a tarantula crawling on me and dying alone.” She also cheekily answered “myself?” when asked about which historical figure she most identified with.
On a more serious note, when questioned about what her biggest regret was, she frankly answered, “That some of my choices have caused others suffering,” which could be taken as a direct reference to her affair with Clinton, and his wife Hilary Clinton. That wasn’t the only reference Lewinsky made to the infamous affair.
Lewinsky’s Lesson About Friendship And Trust
She was asked what she values most in a friendship, and responded, “Compassion. Wisdom. Wit. The delicate balance of knowing when I need tough love and when I need support. Plus, call me crazy, but I’m also partial to friends who don’t surreptitiously record our calls.” This was obviously in reference to Linda Tripp, a former employee for both the White House and the Pentagon who covertly recorded conversations with Lewinsky about her affair with Clinton.
Lewinsky has learned a hard lesson about being too trusting in the years since her friend betrayed her and revealed highly personal secrets to the world. She’d also said that “duplicity” was the trait that she deplored the most in others. Lewinsky mentioned that she suffered from PTSD, which likely stems from her experience being betrayed by someone she trusted as well as the extreme vitriol she faced after being cast as the bad guy in the affair. The fact that very personal information was released about just what she and the former president got up to behind closed doors was also likely a major blow.
These days, Lewinsky says her mental health has been her greatest treasure and said that “survival —and that my humor and ability to open my heart are still intact,” has been her greatest achievement. Impeachment: American Crime Story will debut on September 7, and we can’t wait to tune in.