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Monica Lewinsky opened up about the surprising fear she carried while working on Impeachment: American Crime Story, particularly regarding Sarah Paulson’s portrayal of whistleblower Linda Tripp. Speaking on the November 11 episode of Reclaiming with Sarah Lewinsky, she reflected on the emotional complexity of producing a series in which she was also the central subject.
Linda Tripp, a Pentagon employee during the Clinton administration, became a close confidante to Lewinsky when Lewinsky joined the White House as an intern in her early 20s.
Their friendship later became one of the most controversial elements of the Clinton–Lewinsky scandal after Tripp secretly recorded Lewinsky’s private conversations and turned the tapes over during the Clinton v. Jones sexual harassment lawsuit.
Lewinsky, who served as a producer on Impeachment, said she felt the pressure of reliving this chapter of her life from behind the scenes. She explained that the dual challenge of producing and being portrayed “tested” her in ways she hadn’t expected.
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“It was it was interesting for me I mean the ways that I think it tested me too was I was first time I was producing and being a subject and just examining and observing in myself the moments where I panicked about,” Monica Lewinsky said.
She went on to share her biggest fear: that Paulson might deliver such a compelling performance as Tripp that viewers would sympathize with the whistleblower in a way that felt personally threatening to her.
“I was so afraid that you would do such a good job that then people — it was this irrational like 5-year-old fear of, ‘Oh no, now everybody’s going to like [her]’ — and I remember you so generously said to me early on, you were so assuring of like, ‘We’re not giving her the Marcia Clark treatment,’” Lewinsky added.
Sarah Paulson, however, was not bothered by Lewinsky’s admission.
In fact, she responded with empathy and explained that any amount of humanity shown toward Linda Tripp would have understandably felt “uncomfortable” for Lewinsky. She also acknowledged how challenging it must have been for Monica Lewinsky to balance her producer responsibilities with her desire to ensure “certain truths were being told.”
“It would be a very natural fear, I would think, to me, to worry that somehow that some of the scripts were like, 'Is this a way of trying to exonerate this person emotionally? Am I sanctioning this? Am I not?' You know, it's hard,” Paulson told Lewinsky
Monica Lewinsky reflects on the complex portrayal of Linda Tripp in Impeachment: American Crime Story
During the aforementioned episode of the Reclaiming with Monica Lewinsky podcast, Monica Lewinsky opened up about her emotional experience watching Linda Tripp, an instrumental figure in her scandal-plagued past, being brought to life on screen.
In a candid conversation with Sarah Paulson, who portrayed Tripp in Impeachment: American Crime Story, Lewinsky shared the complex feelings stirred by the performance.
She began by expressing a mixture of admiration and discomfort upon learning Paulson would play the role of the woman who, in her words, had played a major part in her public humiliation.
“I mean, on the one hand, I was, you know, so excited that an actor like you was going to be in this production. And there was also this sense… (that) this incredible actor is playing this woman that’s responsible for the sort of undoing of so many things,” Lewinsky said.
She went on to explain why the portrayal of Linda Tripp “felt complicated” to her, noting that the show’s producers aimed to “showcase the humanity” of a character who had caused her immense pain.
Despite her complicated feelings, Lewinsky praised Paulson’s commitment to the role. She pointed out that many people didn’t even realize it was Paulson under the heavy transformation, calling it “an achievement to be proud of.”
“You’ve just done such an extraordinary job in everything that you step into, of fully embodying and embracing a character. But there were so many people that I knew who did not know it was you until the credits rolled,” she said.
Paulson responded humbly, acknowledging that portraying a figure as polarizing as Tripp was both “complicated” and an honor. She expressed gratitude for Monica Lewinsky’s understanding and recognition despite the role’s challenging nature.
Monica Lewinsky continues to shape public discourse as a media producer, public speaker, and author. Currently, she hosts the Reclaiming with Monica Lewinsky podcast, serves as a contributing editor for Vanity Fair, and remains a leading voice in anti-bullying advocacy.
