Monica Lewinsky is breaking her long-held silence about her infamous affair with President Bill Clinton, writing in Vanity Fair that she was "possibly the first person whose global humiliation was driven by the Internet."
Lewinsky, 40, expressed regret and detailed the personal struggles she faced in the years following an international media frenzy, according to a preview of the article ahead of its May 8 release.
"It’s time to burn the beret and bury the blue dress," she wrote. "I, myself, deeply regret what happened between me and President Clinton. Let me say it again: I. Myself. Deeply. Regret. What. Happened."
Former President Bill Clinton, left, is seen on March 9, 2004 in New York. Monica Lewinsky, is shown in an undated promotional photo provided by Fox. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer/FOX, S.Jones, File)
Lewinsky denied claims that she was paid off by the Clintons in exchange for her silence. She said that rather than continue to hide out, she's determined to "have a different ending" to her story by taking back her "narrative."
She said she takes full responsibility for her actions.
"Sure, my boss took advantage of me, but I will always remain firm on this point: it was a consensual relationship. Any ‘abuse’ came in the aftermath, when I was made a scapegoat in order to protect his powerful position," Lewinsky wrote.
This combination of Associated Press File photos, show from left, Sanford I. Weill, of Travelers, and John S. Reed of Citicorp shaking hands in New York, Monday, April 6, 1998, and right, former White House intern Monica Lewinsky in Philadelphia, also on Monday, April 6, 1998. (AP)
She continued: "The Clinton administration, the special prosecutor’s minions, the political operatives on both sides of the aisle, and the media were able to brand me. And that brand stuck, in part because it was imbued with power."
Lewinsky revealed that she experienced suicidal thoughts in the wake of the media frenzy surrounding the affair, word of which was first made public on the Drudge Report in 1998.
"Thanks to the Drudge Report, I was also possibly the first person whose global humiliation was driven by the Internet," she said.
Read the entire preview here.
(H/T: Vanity Fair)
