Monica Lewinsky Kept A Therapist Handy On Zoom While Working On ‘Impeachment: American Crime Story’

As Impeachment: American Crime Story prepares for its debut this fall, executive producer Ryan Murphy has been adamant about making sure Monica Lewinsky has been deeply involved in the show’s development, even going so far to make sure that she’s consulted on every script. However, that process has understandably been an emotional minefield for Lewinsky who is essentially reliving what one of the traumatic and defining moments of her life.

In a new profile on Impeachment for The Hollywood Reporter, Lewinsky revealed that she hired a therapist to be there with over Zoom while she worked on notes for each script. “Because it’s hard,” she said. “It’s really hard, especially with the dramatic license that needs to be taken.” Told through her perspective, Impeachment will tackle Lewinsky’s infamous affair with Bill Clinton, which has hung over her head for the past two decades even after the headlines ended:

“You go to bed one night a private person, and the next day you’re a public human being and the whole world hates you. And you might go to jail. And you’re going to bankrupt your family. And, and, and …” she recalls over Zoom in late July. “And just because I wasn’t on the news every night for 20 years in the same way that I was in 1998 doesn’t mean that this story ended. Ten years on, I still could not get a job. I couldn’t support myself.”

Playing Lewinsky in the series is Beanie Feldstein, who unlike other biopics, became close with Lewinsky who had seen her work in Booksmart and thought, “God, she reminds me of me at that age.”

As for why Lewinsky agreed to work with Murphy and offer her blessing to the series, she’s extremely straight-forward. “Of course I have a number of selfish reasons for wanting to participate,” Lewinsky said, “but a big goal for me is that this never happens to another young person again.”

Impeachment: American Crime Story premieres November 10 on FX.