History of Monica Lewinsky in Timeline
Monica Lewinsky is an American activist who gained international notoriety in the late 1990s due to her affair with then-U.S. President Bill Clinton while she was a White House intern (1995-1997). The Clinton-Lewinsky scandal became a major political event, leading to Clinton's impeachment trial. Since then, Lewinsky has become an activist, speaking out against cyberbullying and advocating for a more compassionate online environment.
July 23, 1973: Monica Lewinsky's Birth
On July 23, 1973, Monica Samille Lewinsky was born. She would later become known as an American activist.
1988: Parents Divorce
In 1988, Monica Lewinsky’s parents divorced and each has remarried.
1991: Graduation from Bel Air Prep
In 1991, Monica Lewinsky graduated from Bel Air Prep (later known as Pacific Hills School).
1992: Affair with Andy Bleiler Alleged
In 1992, Andy Bleiler, Monica Lewinsky's former high school drama instructor, allegedly began a five-year affair with her.
1993: Enrollment at Lewis & Clark College
In 1993, Monica Lewinsky enrolled at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon.
July 1995: 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: Paid Posting in White House
In December 1995, Monica Lewinsky moved to a paid posting in the White House Office of Legislative Affairs.
1995: Affair with Bill Clinton Begins
In 1995, Monica Lewinsky began an affair with then U.S. President Bill Clinton while she was working as a White House intern.
1995: Graduation from Lewis & Clark College
In 1995, Monica Lewinsky graduated with a bachelor's degree in psychology from Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon.
April 1996: Transfer to the Pentagon
In April 1996, Monica Lewinsky was transferred from the White House to the Pentagon due to concerns about her interactions with President Clinton.
1996: Mother writes "gossip biography"
In 1996, Monica Lewinsky’s mother, Marcia Lewis, wrote a "gossip biography" titled The Private Lives of the Three Tenors.
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 Starts Recording 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: Lewinsky Leaves Pentagon
In December 1997, Monica Lewinsky left her position at the Pentagon.
1997: Affair with Bill Clinton Ends
In 1997, Monica Lewinsky's affair with then U.S. President Bill Clinton ended. The repercussions of the affair, including Clinton's impeachment, became known as the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal.
January 1998: Affidavit Denying Relationship with Clinton
In January 1998, Monica Lewinsky submitted an affidavit in the Paula Jones case denying any physical relationship with President Clinton.
January 1998: News of Clinton-Lewinsky Relationship Breaks
In January 1998, news of the Clinton–Lewinsky relationship became public. Monica Lewinsky spent the next weeks hiding from public attention in her mother's residence.
January 26, 1998: Clinton Denies Relationship with Lewinsky
On January 26, 1998, President Bill 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 Defends Previous Statements
On August 17, 1998, President Clinton defended his previous statements about his relationship with Monica Lewinsky as truthful, arguing about the meaning of the word 'is'.
1998: Truth and Context Lost
In 1998, Monica Lewinsky recalls that truth and context were lost amidst a political film. Women were reduced to serve purposes for political points or to make money.
March 3, 1999: Barbara Walters Interview on 20/20
On March 3, 1999, Barbara Walters interviewed Monica Lewinsky on ABC's 20/20, watched by 70 million Americans.
March 1999: Publication of Monica's Story
In March 1999, Andrew Morton's biography of Monica Lewinsky, Monica's Story, which included her side of the Clinton affair, was published and excerpted in Time magazine.
May 8, 1999: Saturday Night Live Cameo
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 Publishes Articles on Lewinsky
In June 1999, Ms. magazine published a series of articles by writer Susan Jane Gilman, sexologist Susie Bright, and author-host Abiola Abrams discussing Lewinsky's behavior and its implications for feminism.
September 1999: Launch of Handbag Line
In September 1999, Monica Lewinsky began selling a line of handbags bearing her name under the company name The Real Monica, Inc. in locations such as Henri Bendel in New York, Fred Segal in California, and The Cross in London.
February 2000: Appearance on The Tom Green Show
In February 2000, Monica Lewinsky appeared on MTV's The Tom Green Show, in an episode where the host took her to his parents' home in Ottawa to find fabric for her new handbag business.
February 2000: Jenny Craig Commercials
In February 2000, Monica Lewinsky began appearing in television commercials for the diet company Jenny Craig, Inc. as part of a $1 million endorsement deal.
April 2000: Jenny Craig Campaign Ends
In April 2000, Jenny Craig, Inc. concluded Monica Lewinsky's campaign entirely and paid her only $300,000 of the $1 million contracted for her involvement.
March 2002: Appearance 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, answering questions about her life and the Clinton affair.
2003: Host of Mr. Personality
In 2003, Monica Lewinsky hosted a reality television dating program, Mr. Personality, on Fox Television Network, where she advised young women contestants. She also appeared as a guest on V Graham Norton in the UK, High Chaparall in Sweden, and The View and Jimmy Kimmel Live! in the U.S. the same year.
2004: Response to Clinton's Autobiography
In 2004, after Bill Clinton's autobiography, My Life, appeared, Monica Lewinsky gave an interview with the British tabloid Daily Mail.
2005: Move 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: Graduation with Master of Science Degree
In December 2006, Monica Lewinsky graduated with a Master of Science degree from the London School of Economics. Her thesis was titled, "In Search of the Impartial Juror: An Exploration of the Third-Person Effect and Pre-Trial Publicity".
2006: Master's Degree from London School of Economics
In 2006, Monica Lewinsky obtained a master's degree in psychology from the London School of Economics.
2009: Correspondence with Ken Gormley
In 2009, Monica Lewinsky corresponded with scholar Ken Gormley, who was writing an in-depth study of the Clinton scandals, and admitted Clinton had lied under oath.
2013: Auction of Lewinsky Items
In 2013, the items associated with Monica Lewinsky that Andy Bleiler had turned over to Starr were put up for auction by Bleiler's ex-wife.
May 2014: Essay in Vanity Fair
In May 2014, Monica Lewinsky wrote an essay for Vanity Fair magazine titled "Shame and Survival", where she discussed her life and the scandal, maintaining that the relationship was mutual, though she regretted it. She became a Vanity Fair contributor.
July 2014: Interviewed in "The 90s: The Last Great Decade"
In July 2014, Monica Lewinsky was interviewed in a three-part television special for the National Geographic Channel, titled The 90s: The Last Great Decade. The series looked at various events of the 1990s, including the scandal that brought Lewinsky into the national spotlight. This was Lewinsky's first such interview in more than ten years.
October 2014: Public Stand Against Cyberbullying
In October 2014, Monica Lewinsky took a public stand against cyberbullying, calling herself "patient zero" of online harassment. She spoke at a Forbes magazine "30 Under 30" summit about her experiences and stated that she wanted to help other victims of the shame game survive. She was influenced by the suicide of Tyler Clementi and joined Twitter to further her efforts.
2014: Activism Against Cyberbullying
In 2014, Monica Lewinsky began speaking out as an activist against cyberbullying.
March 2015: TED Talk on Cyberbullying
In March 2015, Lewinsky continued to speak out publicly against cyberbullying, delivering a TED talk calling for a more compassionate Internet.
June 2015: Anti-Bullying Ambassador and Speech at Cannes Lions
In June 2015, Monica Lewinsky became an ambassador and strategic advisor for anti-bullying organization Bystander Revolution. The same month, she gave an anti-cyberbullying speech at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.
September 2015: Interview on Good Morning America
In September 2015, Lewinsky was interviewed by Amy Robach on Good Morning America, about Bystander Revolution's Month of Action campaign for National Bullying Prevention Month.
October 2017: Foreword to "Shame Nation"
In October 2017, Lewinsky wrote the foreword to Sue Scheff and Melissa Schorr's book, Shame Nation: The Global Epidemic of Online Hate.
October 2017: Tweets #MeToo
In October 2017, Monica Lewinsky tweeted the #MeToo hashtag to indicate that she was a victim of sexual harassment or sexual assault, but did not provide details.
March 2018: Essay in Vanity Fair
In March 2018, Monica Lewinsky wrote an essay in the March 2018 issue of Vanity Fair in which she addressed her use of the #MeToo hashtag and reflected on her relationship with Bill Clinton, considering it an "abuse of power". She also revealed her diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder due to the aftermath of the scandal.
May 2018: Disinvited 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: Walks off Stage at Jerusalem Conference
In September 2018, Monica Lewinsky spoke at a conference in Jerusalem. During the Q&A session, she walked off stage after being asked an off-limits question about whether Clinton owed her a private apology.
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 the television series American Crime Story with the title Impeachment.
2019: Interview on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
In 2019, Monica Lewinsky was interviewed by John Oliver on his HBO show Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, where they discussed the importance of solving the problem of public shaming and how her situation may have been different if social media had existed at the time of the scandal.
October 2020: Production Begins on American Crime Story: Impeachment
In October 2020, production began on the third season of American Crime Story: Impeachment, with Monica Lewinsky as a co-producer.
June 2021: First Look 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, the third season of American Crime Story: Impeachment, consisting of 10 episodes, premiered. The season portrays the Clinton–Lewinsky scandal and is based on the book A Vast Conspiracy: The Real Story of the Sex Scandal That Nearly Brought Down a President by Jeffrey Toobin.
October 2021: Executive Producer of "15 Minutes of Shame"
In October 2021, Monica Lewinsky was the executive producer of an HBO documentary 15 Minutes of Shame, directed by Max Joseph, which focused on public shaming, online shaming, and ostracism.
February 2025: Launch of "Reclaiming with Monica Lewinsky" Podcast
In February 2025, Monica Lewinsky launched her podcast, Reclaiming with Monica Lewinsky.
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