People know Hillary Clinton for her unapologetic personality. She never holds back, whether in politics or in her personal life. Before she became a political powerhouse in her own right, Hillary endured one of the most humiliating moments of her life — her husband, former President Bill Clinton’s affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky.
It was the summer of 1998, and President Bill Clinton was cornered. The media frenzy, even in a pre-social media era, was relentless, as prosecutors pressed allegations that he had lied under oath and tried to cover up his relationship with Lewinsky. On August 17, Bill finally decided to put up his side and testified before the prosecutors in the White House, and then even prepared himself to speak directly to the people of America.
Surrounded by his closest advisers and with his daughter Chelsea present, Bill struggled to find the right words, while Hillary, by contrast, wanted no part of it. She also revealed in her 2003 memoir Living History, “I didn’t much want to help Bill compose his public statement on a matter that violated my sense of decency and privacy.”
However, she still went upstairs to eventually find her husband struggling with his words and despite being angry about whatever he had done, her empathetic nature urged her to give him one of the most brutally honest pep talks in White House history. “Well, Bill, this is your speech. You’re the one who got yourself into this mess, and only you can decide what to say about it,” she told him, words that clearly hit home.
That evening, the world watched as President Bill Clinton admitted his affair on live television, saying, “I had a relationship with Ms. Lewinsky that was not appropriate,” before adding, “I misled people, including even my wife. I deeply regret that.” Despite the fact that Clinton survived the scandal, the effect of this whole scene still seems to exist.
Hillary later opened up again about that painful chapter in the 2020 Hulu documentary Hillary, revealing she was still torn about her decision to stand by him. “I defended and stood by him because I thought the impeachment process was wrong, but that wasn’t the necessary answer to what I would do with my marriage,” she explained, sounding as conflicted as ever.
While the scandal could have defined Monica Lewinsky’s life, she chose instead to reclaim it. The former intern reinvented herself as an activist and podcast host, using her platform to discuss redemption and resilience. Her show, Reclaiming with Monica Lewinsky, dives into what it means to take back what’s been lost.
In a 2018 essay for Vanity Fair, Lewinsky even expressed lingering remorse. “If I were to see Hillary Clinton in person today, I know that I would summon up whatever force I needed to again acknowledge to her — sincerely — how very sorry I am.” More than two decades later, the scandal still lingers in America’s collective memory, not just as a story of betrayal and power, but of resilience, forgiveness, and the price of living life under a global microscope.
I give Hillary a ton of credit for standing by her man although I don’t agree with his behavior. And I’m sure he is still getting reminders of his actions. I have viewed some of Hillary’s younger pictures and I think she should reconsider wearing her hair longer in Luz bouncy curls.