History of Monica Lewinsky in Timeline
Monica Lewinsky is an American activist known for her involvement in the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal during the late 1990s. While working as a White House intern from 1995 to 1997, she had an affair with then-President Bill Clinton. The exposure of the affair led to widespread media coverage, a political scandal, and impeachment proceedings against Clinton. In later years, Lewinsky has become an anti-bullying activist and public speaker, addressing the challenges of online shaming and reclaiming her narrative.
July 23, 1973: Monica Lewinsky Born
On July 23, 1973, Monica Samille Lewinsky was born. She is an American activist who became known in the late 1990s due to her affair with President Bill Clinton.
1988: Parents Divorced
In 1988, Monica Lewinsky's parents divorced and each remarried.
1991: Graduation from Bel Air Prep
In 1991, Monica Lewinsky graduated from Bel Air Prep, which was later known as Pacific Hills School.
1992: Affair with High School Instructor
In 1992, Monica Lewinsky began a five-year affair with Andy Bleiler, her married former high school drama instructor.
1993: Enrolled at Lewis & Clark College
In 1993, Monica Lewinsky enrolled at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon.
July 1995: Started White House Internship
In July 1995, Monica Lewinsky secured an unpaid summer White House internship in the office of White House Chief of Staff Leon Panetta and moved to Washington, D.C.
November 1995: First Sexual Encounter with President Clinton
In November 1995, Monica Lewinsky stated that she had the first of nine sexual encounters with President Bill Clinton in the Oval Office.
December 1995: Moved to Paid Posting
In December 1995, Monica Lewinsky moved to a paid posting in the White House Office of Legislative Affairs.
1995: Graduated with a Bachelor's Degree
In 1995, Monica Lewinsky graduated from Lewis & Clark College with a bachelor's degree in psychology.
April 1996: Transferred to the Pentagon
In April 1996, Monica Lewinsky's superiors transferred her from the White House to the Pentagon because they felt that she was spending too much time with President Clinton. At the Pentagon, she worked as an assistant to chief Pentagon spokesman Kenneth Bacon.
1996: Mother Wrote a Gossip Biography
In 1996, Monica Lewinsky's mother, Marcia Lewis, wrote "The Private Lives of the Three Tenors", a "gossip biography".
March 1997: Last Sexual Encounter with President Clinton
In March 1997, Monica Lewinsky stated that she had the last of nine sexual encounters with President Bill Clinton in the Oval Office.
September 1997: Linda Tripp Secretly Recorded Conversations
In September 1997, after Monica Lewinsky told co-worker Linda Tripp about her relationship with President Clinton, Tripp began to secretly record their telephone conversations.
December 1997: Left Pentagon Position
In December 1997, Monica Lewinsky left her position at the Pentagon.
January 1998: Submitted Affidavit
In January 1998, Monica Lewinsky submitted an affidavit in the Paula Jones case denying any physical relationship with President Clinton.
January 1998: News of the Clinton-Lewinsky Relationship Broke
In January 1998, news of the Clinton-Lewinsky relationship broke, causing Monica Lewinsky to hide from public attention. News of Lewinsky's affair with Andy Bleiler also came to light.
January 26, 1998: Clinton Denied Sexual Relations
On January 26, 1998, President Clinton stated, "I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky" in a nationally televised White House news conference.
August 17, 1998: Clinton Defended His Previous Statements
On August 17, 1998, President Clinton defended his previous statements by saying, "it depends on what the meaning of the word 'is' is".
1998: Truth and Context Lost
In 1998, Monica Lewinsky reflected that during the initial unfolding of the scandal, the truth and context were disregarded. She noted that the women involved were reduced to serve political and financial purposes, lacking nuance in their portrayals.
March 3, 1999: Interview on ABC's 20/20
On March 3, 1999, Barbara Walters interviewed Monica Lewinsky on ABC's 20/20. The program was watched by 70 million Americans.
March 1999: Monica's Story Published
In March 1999, Andrew Morton's "Monica's Story", Monica Lewinsky's biography, which included her side of the Clinton affair was published. It was also excerpted as a cover story in Time magazine.
May 8, 1999: Appearance on Saturday Night Live
On May 8, 1999, Monica Lewinsky made a cameo appearance as herself in two sketches during the episode of NBC's Saturday Night Live.
June 1999: Ms. magazine Published Articles on Lewinsky
In June 1999, Ms. magazine published a series of articles arguing from three generations of women whether Lewinsky's behavior had any meaning for feminism.
September 1999: Launched Handbag Line
In September 1999, Monica Lewinsky began to sell a line of handbags bearing her name, under the company name The Real Monica, Inc. They were sold online as well as at Henri Bendel in New York, Fred Segal in California, and The Cross in London.
February 2000: Jenny Craig Ads Stopped Running
In February 2000, Jenny Craig stopped running the Monica Lewinsky ads.
February 2000: Appeared on MTV's The Tom Green Show
In February 2000, Monica Lewinsky appeared on MTV's The Tom Green Show.
April 2000: Jenny Craig Campaign Concluded
In April 2000, Jenny Craig concluded Monica Lewinsky's advertising campaign entirely and paid her only $300,000 of the $1 million contracted for her involvement.
2000: Revealed Affair with Married Man
In 2000, Monica Lewinsky revealed on Larry King Live that she had started an affair with a 40-year-old married man in Los Angeles when she was 18 years old, and that the affair continued while she was attending Lewis & Clark College in the early 1990s.
March 2002: Appeared in HBO Special
In March 2002, Monica Lewinsky, no longer bound by the terms of her immunity agreement, appeared in the HBO special, "Monica in Black and White", part of the America Undercover series.
2003: Hosted Mr. Personality
In 2003, Monica Lewinsky hosted a reality television dating program, Mr. Personality, on Fox Television Network.
2004: Clinton's autobiography Published
In 2004, after President Clinton's autobiography, "My Life" was published, Monica Lewinsky gave an interview to the British tabloid Daily Mail.
2005: Moved to London
By 2005, Monica Lewinsky found that she could not escape the spotlight in the U.S., and she moved to London to study social psychology at the London School of Economics.
December 2006: Graduated with a Master of Science Degree
In December 2006, Monica Lewinsky graduated from the London School of Economics with a Master of Science degree.
2006: Earned Master's Degree
In 2006, Monica Lewinsky obtained a master's degree in psychology from the London School of Economics.
2009: Corresponded with Ken Gormley
In 2009, Monica Lewinsky corresponded with scholar Ken Gormley, who was writing an in-depth study of the Clinton scandals. Lewinsky stated that Clinton had lied under oath when asked detailed and specific questions about his relationship with her.
2013: Lewinsky Items up for Auction
In 2013, the items associated with Monica Lewinsky that Bleiler had turned over to Starr were put up for auction by Bleiler's ex-wife.
May 2014: Essay in Vanity Fair: "Shame and Survival"
In May 2014, Monica Lewinsky published an essay titled "Shame and Survival" in Vanity Fair, reflecting on her life and the Clinton scandal. She asserted the relationship was consensual, though she regretted it, and aimed to reclaim her narrative. Vanity Fair then announced her as a contributor.
July 2014: Interview on The 90s: The Last Great Decade
In July 2014, Monica Lewinsky was interviewed for The 90s: The Last Great Decade, a three-part television special on the National Geographic Channel. The series examined key events of the 1990s, including the scandal involving Lewinsky. This marked her first interview in over a decade.
October 2014: Public Stand Against Cyberbullying
In October 2014, Monica Lewinsky publicly addressed cyberbullying, identifying herself as "patient zero" of online harassment. Speaking at a Forbes magazine summit, she expressed her desire to support other victims and mentioned being influenced by the suicide of Tyler Clementi. She also joined Twitter to further her efforts.
2014: Became an Activist
In 2014, Monica Lewinsky began speaking out as an activist against cyberbullying.
March 2015: TED Talk on Cyberbullying
In March 2015, Monica Lewinsky continued her anti-cyberbullying advocacy by delivering a TED Talk, advocating for a more compassionate Internet.
June 2015: Anti-Bullying Ambassador and Speech at Cannes Lions
In June 2015, Monica Lewinsky became an ambassador for Bystander Revolution and gave an anti-cyberbullying speech at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.
September 2015: Interview on Good Morning America
In September 2015, Monica Lewinsky was interviewed by Amy Robach on Good Morning America, discussing Bystander Revolution's Month of Action campaign for National Bullying Prevention Month.
October 2017: Tweets #MeToo
In October 2017, Monica Lewinsky used the #MeToo hashtag on Twitter, indicating she was a victim of sexual harassment or assault, without giving specific details.
October 2017: Foreword to Shame Nation Book
In October 2017, Monica Lewinsky wrote the foreword to Shame Nation: The Global Epidemic of Online Hate by Sue Scheff and Melissa Schorr.
March 2018: Vanity Fair Essay on #MeToo and Bill Clinton
In March 2018, Monica Lewinsky wrote an essay for Vanity Fair, reflecting on her use of the #MeToo hashtag in October. While acknowledging her relationship with Bill Clinton was consensual, she considered it an "abuse of power" due to the age and power dynamic. She also revealed she was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
May 2018: Disinvitation from Town & Country Event
In May 2018, Monica Lewinsky was disinvited from an event hosted by Town & Country after Bill Clinton accepted an invitation to the same event.
September 2018: Speech in Jerusalem and Walk-Off
In September 2018, Monica Lewinsky spoke at a conference in Jerusalem. During the Q&A, she walked off stage after being asked by journalist Yonit Levi whether Clinton owes her a private apology, a question she had previously said was off-limits.
August 6, 2019: American Crime Story: Impeachment Announced
On August 6, 2019, it was announced that the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal would be the focus of the third season of American Crime Story, titled Impeachment.
2019: Interview on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
In 2019, Monica Lewinsky was interviewed by John Oliver on HBO's Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. They discussed public shaming and how social media's presence during the 1990s scandal could have altered her experience.
October 2020: Production Begins for American Crime Story: Impeachment
In October 2020, production began for the third season of American Crime Story: Impeachment, with Monica Lewinsky as a co-producer.
June 2021: Alt Ending Productions and Deal with 20th Television
In June 2021, Monica Lewinsky started her own production company, Alt Ending Productions, and signed a first-look deal with 20th Television.
September 7, 2021: Premiere of American Crime Story: Impeachment
On September 7, 2021, American Crime Story: Impeachment premiered, portraying the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal based on Jeffrey Toobin's book A Vast Conspiracy: The Real Story of the Sex Scandal That Nearly Brought Down a President. Actress Beanie Feldstein played Monica Lewinsky.
October 2021: Executive Production of 15 Minutes of Shame
In October 2021, Monica Lewinsky executive produced the HBO documentary 15 Minutes of Shame, directed by Max Joseph. The documentary explores public shaming, online shaming, and ostracism.
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