At just 22, Lewinsky arrived at the White House as a young intern. Clinton was 49 and wielded immense power as the president of the United States. Reflecting on the relationship, she described a complex mix of emotions. “I think there was some limerence there and all sorts of other things, but that’s how I saw it then,” she said. “It was a 22-to-24-year-old young woman’s love. I think it was also an abuse of power.” The affair led to Clinton’s impeachment, nonstop media frenzy, and relentless public humiliation. Yet, despite the scandal’s magnitude, Lewinsky bore the brunt of the blame, often portrayed unfairly and harshly by the public and press.

Lewinsky recalled how the Clinton administration deliberately crafted a damaging public image of her. “They branded me a ‘bimbo,’” she stated. “I wasn’t a dumb bimbo. I was portrayed to be—and that was a big struggle.” What made it worse, she explained, was that many women adopted this harmful stereotype, perpetuating a narrative that was originally manufactured by the White House to deflect blame. “That mantle was picked up by a lot of women,” Lewinsky noted, pointing out the troubling dynamic of victim-blaming and societal judgment.

Although Clinton denied the affair for months, he finally admitted to it on August 17, 1998, accepting full responsibility. However, by then, the damage to Lewinsky’s personal life, reputation, and future had already been done. The fallout was brutal. Lewinsky described the period following the scandal as a “media circus” where she was relentlessly mocked, stalked, and emotionally devastated. “I love and appreciate who I am now,” she said, “but I would’ve liked a more normal life. A more normal trajectory.”

On the Call Her Daddy podcast with Alex Cooper, Lewinsky shared further insight into the public’s swift and harsh judgment. Cooper reminded her, “You were 22 years old, he was 49, you were an intern. He was the President of the United States.” Lewinsky’s response was blunt and powerful: “I was very quickly painted as a stalker, mentally unstable, not attractive enough.” The rapid vilification ignored the massive power imbalance and focused instead on tearing down her character.

Looking back, Lewinsky highlighted a truth that still resonates today: her experience caused widespread collateral damage, especially for women of her generation. “There was so much collateral damage for women of my generation,” she said. “To watch a young woman be pilloried on the world stage—for her sexuality, her mistakes, her everything.” The scandal stripped her not just of privacy but also of the future she might have had. “Because of the power dynamics and the power differential,” Lewinsky reflected, “I never should’ve been in that f***ing position.”

Today, Lewinsky is not asking for pity or sympathy. Instead, she seeks understanding and respect as a human being beyond the headlines. Her raw honesty forces society to confront uncomfortable questions: Have we really learned anything from this? Are we genuinely kinder to women now, or have we just invented new ways to shame and silence them through hashtags and social media trends?

Three decades after the scandal that shook the nation, Monica Lewinsky remains a powerful voice, challenging us to reconsider how we treat women caught in the difficult intersection of power, politics, and public opinion. Her story is not only about reclaiming her dignity but also about pushing for a more compassionate and just culture—one that recognizes the complexity of human experience beyond scandal and stereotype. Through her courage and candidness, Lewinsky invites us to rethink how we judge and support women in the spotlight, reminding us that empathy and understanding can and should prevail.