Monica Lewinsky gives speech, joins Twitter
October 21, 2014 01:19
Monica Lewinsky, the former White House intern whose affair with Bill Clinton led to his impeachment, returned to public life today, giving her first speech in 13 years and joining Twitter.
In an emotional address at Forbes' inaugural Under 30 summit in Philadelphia that recalled the 1998 sex scandal with Clinton, the 41-year-old brunette announced a campaign to end online bullying.
Lewinsky told a packed auditorium that she became one of the earliest victims of cyber-bullying after she "fell in love" with Clinton.
"I was Patient Zero," she said. "The first person to have their reputation completely destroyed worldwide via the Internet."
"There was no Facebook, Twitter or Instagram back then," she said.
"But there were gossip, news and entertainment websites replete with comment sections and emails which could be forwarded. Of course, it was all done on the excruciatingly slow dial up. Yet around the world this story went. A viral phenomenon that, you could argue, was the first moment of truly 'social media'."
She spoke of her shame, depression and of haboring suicidal thoughts after news of the 1998 sex scandal broke.
"Staring at the computer screen, I spent the day shouting: 'oh my god!' and 'I can't believe they put that in' or 'That's so out of context,'" she said. "And those were the only thoughts that interrupted a relentless mantra in my head: 'I want to die.'"
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