Monica Lewinsky, now 53, has expressed a desire for critics to stop recycling old jokes about her involvement in the White House controversy nearly three decades ago. Speaking on the "All the Cool Girls" podcast with co-hosts Laura Brown and Kristina O'Neill, Lewinsky credited time and patience for helping her overcome past challenges.

"I think that coming into my 50s was amazing and just the shedding of worries," Lewinsky said. She added, "I mean that whole … joke about 'I don't give anymore f---s,' and it's like you really start to give fewer and fewer f---s, and you settle into acceptance in a way that has been really reassuring for me."

Addressing those who still hold onto outdated views, she remarked, "In terms of the people who still have old, old beliefs, I wish they would get some new jokes because, I mean, 30 years of the same jokes, Jesus."

The controversy began after Lewinsky confided in Pentagon co-worker Linda Tripp, who secretly recorded their conversations. These recordings were later used in Paula Jones' sexual harassment lawsuit against then-President Bill Clinton. During a January 1998 White House news conference, Clinton famously denied the affair, stating, "I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky," after which Lewinsky went into hiding due to public humiliation.

Lewinsky has since reclaimed her narrative and continues to reflect on her experiences with gratitude and acceptance.

Sources