Monica Lewinsky Gives Tearful Speech About Falling 'In Love' With Bill Clinton And Being Shamed Online

Advertisement

Former White House intern Monica Lewinsky gave an emotional speech about her role in one of the world's most infamous sex scandals at the Forbes Under 30 Summit in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Monday. According to multiple tweets from audience members, Lewinsky began by saying she fell "in love" with President Bill Clinton and their affair was her "everything."

Advertisement

The main theme of Lewinsky's speech was public humiliation and privacy in the age of the internet. Multiple attendees say Lewinksy teared up as she discussed her "shame." She described herself as the first person to be the center of negative attention in the modern digital media cycle.

"Overnight I went from being a completely private figure, to a publicly humiliated one. I was patient zero," Lewinsky said.

She also reportedly discussed celebrity nude photo hacking and said the recent theft of private photos from several famous actresses shows, "anyone can be next."

Lewinsky spent years out of the spotlight following the scandal that erupted after her affair with Clinton. However, she has recently begun a return to public life. Prior to taking the stage at the Forbes Summit, Lewinsky launched her Twitter account. In July, she began contributing to Vanity Fair where she has also made online "shaming" a focus of her work. 

Advertisement

Forbes has posted a recap of the speech here. You can also read some quotes and reviews from Lewinsky's remarks below. 

 

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

This post was updated with additional links at 11:35 a.m.