Today, Monica Lewinsky has decided to reframe the narrative around her life story by launching a new podcast called “Reclaiming.” Lewinsky released the first episode on February 18, 2024, and it’s over an hour long. In it, she spills the tea on her journey from a White House intern facing judgment to a Hollywood producer and a staunch anti-bullying advocate.
In the podcast, she spoke about the traumatizing experience in 1998, saying, “I lost my anonymity, I lost my future, I lost my sense of self, I think I lost trusting myself in many ways. I fell in love with D.C. and the White House and the job and the environment and then, very unfortunately, I fell in love with my boss who was married and also the most powerful man in the world,” she said. “What followed was an inappropriate relationship that lasted for two years.”
As Lewinsky gets older, she continues to see her younger years in a different context, especially after the #MeToo era, which sheds light on power imbalances in the workplace.
Now, we’ll do a deeper dive into Monica’s personal life, career, financial journey, and how the past has led her to where she is today.
What is Monica Lewinsky’s net worth?
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Monica Lewinsky’s net worth is approximately $1.5 million.
Is Monica Lewinsky married with kids?
Lewinsky is not married and has never been married. She also doesn’t have kids. When she spoke with PEOPLE in 2021, she commented, “I do date. I’m not married yet. I don’t know if that will happen or not, and I’m more OK with that than I used to be.” She did have another high-profile relationship before the Clinton scandal. She was 19 years old, and it was with a former drama teacher.
She had her share of financial struggles
Despite having a high net worth, Lewinsky struggled financially due to the huge legal bills she was forced to pay off, and she admitted this to Larry King in 2000, addressing claims that she was trying to capitalize on her fame.
In 2005, she attended the London School of Economics in the UK to escape attacks from the press in the US and graduated with a master’s in social psychology. When she moved back to the States, she learned that most traditional employers didn’t want to work with her, and she struggled to make an income, scraping by with her own projects or with loans from her loved ones.
What did she do for work after the scandal?
She shared her story for the book Monica’s Story and also appeared on TV for a 20/20 interview with Barbara Walters. She also started her own handbag line in 1999 called The Real Monica Inc. Her career took various twists and turns over the years, including being a spokesperson for Jenny Craig and appearing on reality shows and SNL.
She re-entered the spotlight in 2014 and went viral in a 2015 TED Talk
After being out of the spotlight for almost 20 years, Lewinsky came back to the public eye with an essay for Vanity Fair called Shame and Survival. She told Vanity Fair that it was catalyzed by the passing of Tyler Clementi, a college student who died by suicide after he was secretly recorded kissing a man.
In her 2015 TED Talk, she talked about the scandal she was involved in and her present work to stop online bullying and public shaming.
She dedicated most of her time to anti-bullying advocacy work
As the target of bullying, Monica Lewinsky spent much of her revamped career speaking publicly on the importance of advocating for others and regulating social media to make it a safer space. She worked as a strategic adviser for Bystander Revolution, an anti-bullying organization founded by MacKenzie Bezos. In February 2024, she worked on a campaign to build voter awareness as the face of Reformation’s You’ve Got the Power campaign.
She worked on American Crime Story with Ryan Murphy
Today, Monica Lewinsky can add the title of ‘producer’ to her resume. Despite turning down many opportunities to have her story told, she agreed to work with Ryan Murphy on Impeachment: American Crime Story, getting involved with behind-the-scenes production work, ensuring her story was retold on her own terms.
Michelle Obama inspired the podcast
Michelle Obama has inspired countless people, and her book specifically caught the eye of Monica Lewinsky. The 51-year-old also revealed that Michelle Obama inspired her new podcast—in a Rolling Stone interview, Lewinsky confirmed that the former First Lady’s book Becoming inspired Reclaiming.
Is Reclaiming a calculated strategy to rebrand Lewinsky’s image?
What does the Reclaiming podcast mean for Monica Lewinsky? Per the title, this podcast is all about Monica reclaiming her public image while encouraging conversations about shame, resilience, and the stories we tell ourselves about who we are. While the podcast is an effort to reshape her public identity, she has made many other decisions that do that as well.
This includes a social experiment revolving around the effects of cyberbullying titled In Real Life, which earned an Emmy nomination. She also launched a PSA in 2019 titled #ClickWithCompassion.
She’s using the past to move forward
Rather than trying to ignore her past, she’s using it as an opportunity for growth and a way to “write a different story,” according to her podcast. With her continued advocacy, her honesty, and her vulnerability, Lewinsky isn’t afraid to challenge what society thinks of her.
