Monica Lewinsky Interview [Part 1 of 6]

from ABC you around the world and into your home the stories that touch your life this is 20/20 with Barbara Walters Diane Sawyer Sam Donaldson Connie Chung Charles Gibson and Hugh Downs tonight you have been described as a bimbo a stalker a seductress Barbara Walters with Monica Lewinsky a woman guaranteed a place in history finally free to tell her own story of the affair that nearly toppled the president sometimes I have warm feelings sometimes I'm proud of him still and sometimes I hate his guts you'll hear how it all began and where it led I did have a relationship with Miss Lewinsky that was not appropriate I felt like a piece of trash I felt um I felt dirty about the moments she cherished still he was very tender with me was very affectionate Trent the time she'd rather forget he would scream at him in person you would you would threaten him up the President of the United States then her feelings about Betty curry Vernon Jordan Kenneth Starr and Linda Tripp Linda Tripp says she would like to give you a hug what would you like to give Linda Tripp why did Monica confined and Linda Tripp and later try to protect the president I had had a relationship with a married man before and I knew the rules you'll understand the president as you may never have before and the woman desperate to love him where was your self-respect where was your self-esteem plus the secret she has never revealed and questions that have not been answered until now did you feel that you're in competition with Hillary Clinton tonight the private affair the national scandal the public Paula Monica Lewinsky describes it all in her own words this two-hour presentation March 3rd 1999 and now Barbara Walters good evening for the past year Monica Lewinsky has been forced to reveal aspects of her relationship with the President of the United States tonight for the first time she has chosen to tell her story from the private flirtation with President Clinton to the public nightmare of the aftermath miss Lewinsky who had just turned 22 when she first met Bill Clinton is now 25 she has done this interview with no payment of any kind and we could ask her whatever we wanted there are however some restrictions still imposed on her by the office of the Independent Counsel headed by Kenneth Starr only one of them affected this interview miss Lewinsky is unable to comment on the conduct of the prosecutors or their investigation including the traumatic day that she herself was first interrogated but I am free to report on the events of that day so here now we bring you Monica in her own words Monica you have been described as a a bimbo a stalker a seductress describe yourself I think I'm I'm very loving I'm very loyal I think I'm intelligent I think I certainly feel that I have been miss portrayed in the past year and unfairly so this is the first time that you have really been able to speak out and say pretty much anything you wanted to say is there something that you particularly do want to say at this point yes I waited a long time to be able to express to the country how very sorry I am for my part in this past year's ordeal and of course I've apologized in private to my family and to my friends but I would like to publicly acknowledge that I I recognized the pain and the suffering that they've gone through because of this I I wouldn't dream of asking Chelsea and mrs. Clinton to forgive me but I would ask them to know that I am very sorry for what happened and for what they've been through do you take responsibility for what happened not complete responsibility it took me a while actually to come to a place where I could see what was my fault what did I need to take responsibility for and what were other people's faults and responsibilities the woman in the nation spotlight is a product of Beverly Hills affluence and divorce Monica's parents separated when she was 14 years old she had a difficult relationship with her father a doctor who treats cancer patients but was very close to her mother now woman will kiss on the very same day she found an outlet for her energies and school plays and loved to perform time I can see my hair all of her life she has struggled with her weight in her teens the weight problem made her feel isolated and unpopular by the time she was 18 she found the attention she craved in the wrong place she got involved with a married man while you were in high school and then in college you had an affair with a man who worked at your high school named Andy Bleiler it was on again off again I mean you really cared about him and eventually when the story broke he turned against you and that was probably very painful but can you describe what Andy Bleiler meant in your life hmm yes Andy came into my life at in a very during a very difficult period for me I was have always had issues with my weight that is not a secret to anybody now and growing up in Beverly Hills having a weight problem was just not acceptable and Andy brought to my life a feeling of beauty and sensuality and being wanted and being comfortable with myself he brought me something I think which is a big part of who I am today which is for me and I know it's funny but is being comfortable with my sensuality so one juror at the grand jury asked you why you kept having affairs with married men why did you why do you I have to say that was the most difficult question to answer in my entire experience with a grand jury it was the most pointed question first I hope I never will have I know I never will have an affair with a married man again I have to pray about that but clearly to me what I've come to see is that that happened because I didn't have enough feelings of self-worth so that I didn't feel that I was worthy of being number one to a man and um she had to take whatever you could get you came to Washington as an intern were you interested in politics no I wasn't I was looking to get away from Andy in Portland and it it was a good opportunity I thought it would be intriguing you testified that shortly after your internship began that you and the president began what you described as intense flirting when did you see him what was this intense flirting like the the first time I saw him was at an arrival ceremony and I was I mean my breath was taken away I mean he sort of stepped out onto the the platform and it was this man who was full of energy and sensuality and attractiveness and from that moment on the few occasions when I saw him at departure ceremonies or whatnot there was there was intense eye contact this photograph was taken before you actually began your relationship with the president yes yeah what does this bring to you what thoughts intensity um he recognizes you here he's looking at this was um this was his birthday party in August of 95 when I found out we were going to be able to go to this birthday party I'd gone home and put my lucky green suit back on which I'd had the day before and I thought maybe he'll recognize me again and it was there was an excitement about it it was um it was fun okay you've had this flirtation with the president that mostly public affairs or places where birthday parties other things November 15 1995 the government has shut down the interns take on greater responsibility at the White House and on that day you found yourself along with Bill Clinton in the chief of staff's office and you lifted the back of your jacket and you showed the President of the United States your thong underwear where did you get the nerve doesn't it I'm sure as you know and everybody who has ever been in any situation where there's flirtation it's it's a dance and it's sort of one person does something and then do you meet that person and raise the stakes and that was how our flirtation relationship was progressing it was a very I know that it sort of has been been highlighted in everything in this past year and I'm not going to demonstrate for you but I will if you take my word for it it was a small subtle flirtatious gesture and that's me was it saying I'm available well I think it was saying I'm interested too I'll play that evening the president invited you to see him privately what did you say well when I first found myself alone with him I was I was very nervous and we're having small talk and I remember thinking to myself okay well this is it if this is going to happen I mean maybe you should let him know you're interested so I so I blurted out you know I have a crush on you and that was his cue I guess that that it was okay for him to proceed in what he wanted and what he was feeling and he kissed you yes what you think he's a good kisser how did it become so intimate so quickly this may be hard for people to hear or accept I said it before I thought he was my sexual soulmate and there was I think when you allow yourself to open up that way things happen you are a very sensual young woman passionate yes is Bill Clinton a sensuous passionate man gosh I'll probably get in trouble for saying this but um not in any more trouble than more than in my community idea for now um I think he is a I think he's a very sensual man who has a lot of sensual feelings and I think he also has a very strong religious upbringing and I think that he struggles to I think he struggles with his sensuality because I don't think he thinks it's okay and then I think he tries to hold himself back and then can't anymore that first encounter the president took a phone call from a congressman one you were very closely together how did you feel about that and it was certainly a very it's an intimate topic um there was a level of excitement about that excitement and maybe a little bit of danger that was involved in this relationship and to pretend that there wasn't wouldn't be truthful didn't macgrady she no up didn't it did not not at that point no now the second time that you were the president you took his shirt off I think he unbuttoned his shirt and it was it was one of the more endearing moments that I that I had with him I mean I sort of the president sort of sucked in his stomach as a lot of men or women would denied it as you did he was just all of a sudden became very real and very human you've always been very self-conscious about your weight yes I did Bill Clinton make you feel good about that did he talk to you about that yes he was he was very very understanding and very sweet about it and I think cuz he knew I was so conscious of it he would make an effort to say to me oh you look like you've lost waiter you look skinny today or something like that it was it was sweet they've not been true but sweet two months after your first meeting it was then your fifth sexual encounter and you said to Bill Clinton is this only

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Keywords: Monica, Lewinsky, scandal, Bill, Clinton, impeachment

Id: fpCv-UT2yCU

Length: 14min 48sec (888 seconds)

Published: Sun Oct 02 2011