More than 30 years ago, 22-year-old White House intern Monica Lewinsky became the face of a national scandal. Her name dominated headlines, fueling jokes and judgment, while she was left with little control over her story. Now 51, Lewinsky speaks on her own terms—no longer a symbol, but a survivor reclaiming her voice.

In 1998, when her relationship with President Bill Clinton came to light, the media response was brutal. Lewinsky’s age and inexperience were overshadowed by attacks on her looks, motives, and character. “I saw it then as a young woman’s romance,” she recently told the How To Fail podcast. “Today I understand it was an abuse of power.”

Back then, few acknowledged the power imbalance. Instead, she was labeled a “bimbo” and home-wrecker, while Clinton remained politically intact. Lewinsky recalled how the smear campaign left her jobless and isolated. “I never imagined that ten years later I still couldn’t get hired.”

She calls herself “patient zero” of online shaming. On Call Her Daddy, she described being labeled a stalker and “not even attractive enough,” all while silently battling depression.

But Lewinsky didn’t vanish. She became an advocate against cyberbullying, delivering TED Talks and writing essays about shame and resilience. “I’ve come to love who I am—scars included,” she says.

Lewinsky isn’t looking for pity—just understanding. Her story offers a powerful reminder: behind every scandal is a human being. Her journey asks whether we’ve truly evolved—or simply shifted our cruelty to digital platforms.