Monica Lewinsky, the former White House intern, recently spoke about her past relationship with former US President Bill Clinton. During an interview on the Call Her Daddy podcast with Alex Cooper, she addressed the power imbalance in their 1990s affair. As a result, her remarks reignited debates online. Many now believe the public treated her unfairly when she was just 22.
Lewinsky Acknowledges Power Imbalance
To emphasize the issue, Cooper shared a clip from the interview on Instagram. “This is a power imbalance at the highest level,” she wrote. In the video, she explains, “You were 22 years old. He was 49. You were an intern. He was president of the United States. There is a clear power imbalance that they never focused on in the media when all this was coming out.” She then asks Lewinsky if she realized this imbalance at the time.
In response, Lewinsky admits they never discussed it back then. “I don’t think that was something we talked about. You know, very much back then, in the same way that we didn’t have words like slut shaming and fat shaming,” she says.
Furthermore, she notes that society only began addressing power imbalances after the #MeToo movement. “That wasn’t something that we talked about a lot. And I think that it was really in the wake of Me Too 2.0 that we really started to look at power imbalances under the umbrella of abuse of power,” she explains.
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Lewinsky Revisits Her Views on Consent
As the conversation continues, Cooper brings up Lewinsky’s shifting stance on consent. “In 2014, you said the relationship was consensual. In 2018, you said you were reevaluating how power dynamics impact consent. Now today, where do you stand?”
Lewinsky clarifies her perspective. She asserts that while it was not sexual assault, there was only “a level of consensuality.” However, she believes the power difference made the situation inappropriate. “It is the responsibility of the person with more power, be it because of their age, position, or financial situation,” she states.
Social Media Reactions
Following the interview, social media users reacted strongly. Many expressed support for Lewinsky. For instance, one person wrote, “She was 22?!?!!!!! We should have been much gentler to her.” Another added, “We owe her a huge apology.” Similarly, a third user stated, “On behalf of all Boomers, we are so sorry. Love, Millennials.” Others reflected on how their perspectives have changed. “Now that I’m a 40-year-old woman, thinking about how she went through all that at 22 is just mind-boggling,” one user shared.
On the other hand, some people had a different opinion. One user pointed out, “Her prior affair was with a married man who she also worked for… as a babysitter. Kate Nason wrote a book about it (she was the wife). It went on for years. Once is an accident. Twice is a preference.” Meanwhile, another criticized the ongoing discussion. “Omg, stop giving this woman a platform. We’re all over it. She’s got to be in her early 50s at this point….let it go,” they wrote.
A Scandal That Shook the White House
At 21, Monica Lewinsky began working as an intern under Bill Clinton’s Chief of Staff, Leon Panetta. Soon after, her relationship with Clinton turned into one of the biggest political scandals in U.S. history. Even though the affair became public over 20 years ago, it continues to influence conversations about power and consent today.
