What has become of the world’s most famous intern Monica Lewinsky?
Monica Lewinsky, it seems, is making a return to public life. The world’s most famous intern was spotted at the birthday party of Heather Kerzner at the Downton Mayfair restaurant last Tuesday night. In the company of amongst others the Duchess of York, Princess Eugenie and her former Admiral Codrington barman boyfriend Jack Brooksbank, Donna Air and the Duchess of Cambridge’s brother, James Middleton, the Daily Mail described her as wearing “dark layers with gem-laden accessories”.
Lewinsky, the paper also reported, was introduced to Ms Kerzner, the former wife of hotel magnate Sol Kerzner, by socialite and actress Amanda Eliasch in August 2012. Amongst others at a party held at the Chateau Marmont were Lisa Zane, Yassi Mazandi, Edward Bennett-Coles and Ronnie Sassoon.
Aside from having plainly found a niche on the social circuits of London and Manhattan, Miss Lewinsky, who has openly admitted that she’s “kind of known for something that’s not so great to be known for”, appeared in a $1 million endorsement campaign for Jenny Craig starting in January 2000. The deal was a disaster and by February of that year, the firm dropped Lewinsky and paid just for $300,000 for her involvement.
On the memoir and interview appearance fee front, Lewinsky has been far more successfully. Andrew Morton’s Monica’s Story is said to have netted her around $500,000 and circa $1 million from the international rights to her 20/20 interview with Barbara Walters on ABC.
In due course, supposedly seeking a more private life, Ms Lewinsky moved to London in 2005 to study social psychology at the London School of Economics. She produced a thesis titled “In Search of the Impartial Juror: An Exploration of the Third-person effect and Pre-Trial Publicity” and during this time I recall sitting at an adjoining table as she dined by herself at the Kings Road branch of Pizza Express, The Pheasantry. She cut quite a lonely figure and not much more has been heard of her since.
Forbes magazine, in September 2012, though, revealed that Miss Lewinsky was about to sign a $12 million memoir “detailing her relationship with the first seducer, discussing everything from his sexual peccadilloes to his complaints about wife Hillary”.
Around the same time, a “friend” told the New York Post: “No one will hire her and she can’t get a job because of Clinton”. In another feature in the National Enquirer, another “friend” added: “She’s facing 40 without a man in her life” as an excuse for why Miss Lewinsky is again peddling her story.
The latest? It’s now being suggested that Clinton’s former lover will appear on a FOX show named The Swan along with Happy Days actress Erin Moran. The programme, last broadcast in 2004, sees participants receive “physical and mental makeovers” including plastic surgery as they prepare to “reinvent themselves”.
Whether the memoirs and reality show go ahead or not, it looks like Miss Lewinsky will be back in London soon. In conclusion, Heather Kerzner told Charlotte Griffiths of the Mail on Sunday’s diary:
“It was great to have Monica along – we’re old friends. I’m now organising the Masterpiece Midsummer Gala in aid of charity on July 2. Hopefully Monica will be able to attend”.