Bill Clinton was impeached 20 years ago for his illicit affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. Now, a new docuseries will shine a light on Lewinsky's side of the story in her own words. Not only will Lewinsky speak in the docuseries but never-before-seen footage of Lewinsky and Clinton is expected to air, The Hollywood Reporter announced Wednesday.
The series is said to be "a real-life political thriller and the most in-depth and intimate account of how one of the biggest scandals in our nation's history unfolded, forever changing the landscape of American politics," according to Elaine Frontain Bryant, A&E executive vice president and head of programming.
The series, with the working title The Impeachment of Bill Clinton, is directed by Blair Foster of Rolling Stone: Stories From The Edge. The six-hour series is expected to premiere on November 18. Clinton and wife Hillary will not be interviewed for the series, though Foster explained she would welcome their commentary.
"We would have loved to interview them," Foster said. "They're certainly aware of the project."
Foster conducted over 60 interviews for the project, which is taking on a new life in the #MeToo era. "My goal for this series was to do a deep dive into the facts and speak to as many people as possible who were involved," said Foster. "The deeper I got the clearer it became that this series is as much about the present day as it is about the 1990s."
Lewinsky penned an op-ed on her scandal and the #MeToo movement for Vanity Fair in March. The essay explained her unplanned meeting with Ken Starr, a lawyer who harshly investigated her during the scandal, and her diagnosis of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder from the public upheaval that surrounded her name. It also compares her experience with Clinton to the shift of atmosphere in the political climate today, one that seems to embrace speaking against abusers.
Lewinsky noted President Donald Trump and accused assaulter Harvey Weinstein as ammunition in the new conversation. She noted she expects her own scandal may be dissectable on a larger scale with these new advancements.
"Until recently (thank you, Harvey Weinstein), historians hadn't really had the perspective to fully process and acknowledge that year of shame and spectacle," she wrote. "And as a culture, we still haven't properly examined it. Re-framed it. Integrated it. And transformed it. My hope, given the two decades that have passed, is that we are now at a stage where we can untangle the complexities and context (maybe even with a little compassion), which might help lead to an eventual healing—and a systemic transformation."
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Kelly started a career in journalism after completing her education at The New School in New York City. She currently ... Read more
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