Monica Lewinsky Tells Philadelphia Millenials About Her Ordeal in the Spotlight
By Ian Bush
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- More than a thousand twenty-somethings were taking over the Pennsylvania Convention Center early this week for the Forbes Under 30 Summit, a gathering of young entrepreneurs and those whom the magazine calls "game-changers."
But the show-stopper so far was a woman who made her name as an intern.
"I fell in love with my boss — in a 22-year-old sort of way," Monica Lewinsky told the crowd. "It happens."
But because Lewinsky's boss was President Bill Clinton, and their White House affair happened to coincide with the rise of the web, she says, "I was patient zero" -- the first victim of cyber-bullying.
"We are all vulnerable to humiliation — private and public figures alike," Lewinsky said. "I'm sure Jennifer Lawrence [who had private nude photos of her leaked] would agree with that."
So affected by the suicide of gay Rutgers University student Tyler Clementi, Lewinsky says she's compelled to make a public return in the fight.
"Quite sadly, the trend of being humiliated to death has only continued. Having survived myself, what I want to do now is to help other victims of the shame game survive, too."
Lewinsky says she wants to spark a "cultural revolution" in a connected world that is currently in need of more compassion and empathy.
And to those who hoped not to hear from her after more than a decade out of the spotlight, she says,
"Bystander apathy is half the problem. I'd much rather be part of the solution."
