Most people probably know Monica Lewinsky from the affair she had with President Bill Clinton between 1995 and 1997, while he was in office. The affair led to Clinton’s impeachment, which accused him of lying under oath and obstructing justice.
Clinton was acquitted of the charges, but Lewinsky gained enormous public recognition during the trial. She spent years enduring jokes from professional comedians, talk show hosts, and the general public.
Lewinsky was a young woman who had just graduated from college when her affair became major news. Some might assume it has defined her adult life. While it has certainly shaped areas of her life, she has gone on to accomplish a great deal since then.
Monica Lewinsky is much more than a woman in a blue dress, although that image has followed her for decades. Let’s learn more about her career and personal life.
Monica Lewinsky’s Early Years
Lewinsky was born in San Francisco during the summer of 1973, but her family soon relocated to Southern Indiana, where they lived in affluent neighborhoods like Beverly Hills and Westside Brentwood.
Her father, Bernard Lewinsky, is a famed oncologist who has also had an impressive photography career. Her mother, Marcia Kay Vilensky, is an author who uses the pen name “Marcia Lewis.”
Monica attended Beverly Hills High School for three years and graduated from Bel Air Prep. She attended Santa Monica College and later earned a degree in psychology from Portland, Oregon’s Lewis & Clark College.
Lewinksy moved to Washington, D.C. in 1995 to accept an unpaid summer internship with the White House Chief of Staff. Later that year, she secured a paid position within the Office of Legislative Affairs.
Monica Lewinsky’s Post-White House Years
Perhaps not having many other options, Lewinsky largely embraced her unwanted fame after leaving the White House.
She contributed to several books and articles about the scandal. She worked with author Andrew Morton to publish her side of the story. She later agreed to an interview with Barbara Walters. In 1999, she played herself on an episode of Saturday Night Live.
She earned about $500,000 from the Morton book, Monica’s Story. She received $1 million for the Walters interview.
Her other endeavors around this time included finding a company called The Real Monica, which sold handbags she knitted while trying to avoid media attention.
She also entered an agreement with weight loss company Jenny Craig. According to the contract, Lewinsky would receive a $1 million endorsement deal as long as lost at least 40 pounds within half a year. The company ended up only paying her $300,000 of the promised $1 million.
Lewinsky has said that she wanted to avoid all publicity in the years following the scandal. Unfortunately, she needed money to pay hefty legal bills related to the scandal.
In 2005, Lewinsky had experienced more than enough hounding from the media. She left the United States and moved to London, England. There, she enrolled in the London School of Economics, where she earned a Master of Science in social psychology.
What Does Monica Lewinsky Do For Work?
Monica Lewinsky has done several types of work. In the early 2000s, she appeared on several media projects. She made an appearance on The Tom Green Show, worked as a correspondent for Channel 5 in London, and hosted a series called Monica’s Postcards.
In 2002, she appeared on the HBO series America Undercover. The season focused on the Clinton-Lewinsky trial. In one episode, she answers questions from members of an audience.
The next year, she hosted the Fox reality TV show Mr. Personality. Fox only made five episodes. Some advertisers complained that Lewinsky was using her notoriety to make money. Perhaps that’s partially accurate, but she did have years of media experience by 2003.
By 2005, Lewinsky decided to flee public scrutiny by moving to England, where she was still recognized as a public figure. She says that the next decade was challenging for her. She wanted to get away from public attention as much as possible. She applied for media jobs in New York, London, and Portland, Oregon, but her reputation made it nearly impossible for her to hold a job that didn’t require talking about her affair with Bill Clinton.
She came out of a self-imposed “exile” in 2014 by publishing an essay in Vanity Fair. Around the same time, she in a documentary series about the 1990s for National Geographic. She agreed to an interview that would appear in the series.
In more recent years, Lewinsky has focused on bring attention to bullying and harassment. She believes that the vast amount of bullying she has received makes her an expert on the topic. (Of course, she also has a degree in psychology.) She has given speeches at many high-profile events. She has also been interviewed on Last Week Tonight With John Oliver.
She has also made deals with several media companies, including book publishers and television producers.
Is Monica Lewinsky Rich?
One might think that Monica Lewinsky’s fame and media deals made her a wealthy woman.
While she probably has over $1 million, most of the money she made immediately after defending herself in court went to paying legal fees.
The average person might consider her “well off,” but she certainly isn’t wealthy by the standards of business moguls and hedge fund titans.
How Did Monica Lewinsky Make Her Money?
Monica Lewinsky has made much of her money in TV and publishing. She has worked as a news reporter, host, and writer. She has also made lucrative deals with entertainment companies that want to tell her story.
Currently, Lewinsky spends much of her time working on anti-bullying campaigns, but it’s unclear whether she volunteers her time or gets paid for her appearances.
As a private citizen without any connections to the government, she’s free to withhold all information from the public.
Monica Lewinsky’s Net Worth
Most estimates of Monica Lewinsky’s net worth are speculative. People can look at public information about the media deals she’s made to determine approximately how much she earns, but they don’t know her actual income or what assets she owns.
Still, curious people interested in Lewinsky’s life typically say that she has a net worth close to $1.5 million.
This amount would likely include income from high-profile interviews, articles written for major publications, and TV series like American Crime Story: Impeachment. She has also spent time as a popular speaker, often focusing on issues like harassment and bullying.
Is Monica Lewinsky Married Today?
Monica Lewinsky prefers keeping her romantic life as private as possible. However, she did tell People magazine in 2022 that she isn’t married. She says that she dates but has not found someone to settle down with.
She also called her romantic relationships “very precious,” hinting that she wants to protect them from media inquiries so she can maintain some privacy in her life.
Does Monica Lewinsky Have Children?
Monica Lewinsky doesn’t have any children, although she has expressed interest in becoming a mother.
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