Who Is Monica Lewinsky? Did Monica Lewinsky Say Bill Clinton Should Have Resigned?

It’s been over two decades since one of the biggest political scandals in U.S. history, but Monica Lewinsky is still speaking her truth. In a candid interview on Call Her Daddy, Lewinsky revealed that she believes former U.S. President Bill Clinton should have resigned when Congress impeached him for lying about their affair.

But would that have been the right move? Would honesty have changed the course of history? Let’s take a deep dive into Lewinsky’s perspective, her life today, and the lingering impact of the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal.

Who is Monica Lewinsky?

Monica Lewinsky was born on July 23, 1973, in San Francisco, California. Now 51 years old, she has transformed her public image from a former White House intern caught in a political firestorm to a respected writer, speaker, and activist.

Raised in Beverly Hills, Lewinsky came from a well-off family. Her father, Bernard Lewinsky, was a renowned oncologist, and her mother, Marcia Lewis, was an author. She attended Lewis & Clark College in Oregon before beginning an internship at the White House in 1995. That internship would forever change the course of her life.

The Affair That Rocked the White House

Lewinsky’s time at the White House led to a relationship with President Bill Clinton, which, when exposed, caused an enormous scandal. In 1996, she was transferred to the Pentagon, where she befriended Linda Tripp. Unbeknownst to Lewinsky, Tripp began recording their private conversations about the affair. These tapes would later become key evidence in Clinton’s impeachment trial.

In January 1998, independent counsel Kenneth Starr received these recordings, shifting the focus of his investigation from the Clintons’ business dealings in Arkansas (known as Whitewater) to Clinton’s personal conduct. Starr’s report, which was presented to the House Judiciary Committee, confirmed that Clinton had indeed had an affair with Lewinsky and had lied under oath about it.

The Legal Fallout: Impeachment and the Aftermath

At the time, Clinton denied the affair, famously stating, “I did not have sexual relations with that woman.” However, Lewinsky had initially signed an affidavit denying the affair but later testified before a grand jury in exchange for immunity in July 1998.

This scandal wasn’t just about an extramarital affair—it became a case of perjury and obstruction of justice. Clinton was impeached in December 1998 by the House of Representatives but was acquitted by the Senate in February 1999, allowing him to complete his second term.

Clinton later admitted his wrongdoing but stated that he never considered resigning.

Should Clinton Have Resigned?

During her Call Her Daddy interview, Lewinsky suggested that if Clinton had chosen honesty from the beginning, his presidency could have taken a different trajectory.

“He could have told the truth and stepped down. That would have been the right thing to do,” she said.

At the time, public opinion was divided. Many believed that Clinton’s actions—while unethical—did not warrant removal from office. Others felt that lying under oath and abusing his position justified resignation or removal.

Lewinsky’s perspective is one of someone who endured relentless public shaming. For years, she was the subject of crude jokes, media scrutiny, and cyberbullying before the term even existed. Clinton, on the other hand, remained in power and went on to have a successful post-presidency career.

Monica Lewinsky’s Age, Net Worth, and Advocacy

In 2025, Monica Lewinsky is 51 years old and has reshaped her identity beyond the scandal. She has built a career as an anti-bullying activist, writer, and public speaker. She has been vocal about the power of online harassment and has worked with organizations dedicated to tackling cyberbullying.

Her TED Talk, The Price of Shame, became one of the most-watched talks on the platform, where she bravely shared her experience of public shaming and the impact it had on her mental health.

Today, Lewinsky’s net worth is estimated at around $2 million. Though she never sought financial gain from her past, she has worked on projects including producing Impeachment: American Crime Story, which dramatized the scandal that defined her early years.

She has also used her platform to discuss consent, power dynamics, and how young women can protect themselves in the digital age. Despite the challenges, she has emerged as a strong, independent voice.

A New Perspective on the Clinton-Lewinsky Scandal

The world has changed since the late ‘90s. The #MeToo movement has reshaped how society views power imbalances in relationships, particularly in the workplace. Looking back, many now acknowledge that Lewinsky was a young intern involved in a relationship with one of the most powerful men in the world—a dynamic that raises serious ethical concerns.

Lewinsky has often spoken about how difficult it was to process the scandal in real-time. She has admitted that while she made mistakes, the backlash she faced was far more severe than that of Clinton, who continued to thrive professionally.

Would things be different if the scandal happened today? Likely, yes. The power imbalance would be examined more closely, and Clinton’s actions would be scrutinized under a different lens.