Monica Lewinsky Was Scared About Sarah Paulson's Portrayal of Linda Tripp
Monica Lewinsky I Was Concerned About Linda Tripp Becoming A Fan Favorite!
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Monica Lewinsky's developed thick skin over the years ... but the prospect of Sarah Paulson playing Linda Tripp in "Impeachment: American Crime Story" apparently shook her up.
Lewinsky spoke with Paulson on Thursday's episode of her "Reclaiming with Monica Lewinsky" podcast, and she admitted there were a few moments she "panicked" while the show, which aired in 2021, was in development.
In 1997, Tripp secretly recorded hours of conversations with Lewinsky. Tripp worked at the Pentagon, and Lewinsky had been a White House intern ... the two were 24 years apart in age.
Tripp gave the recordings to investigators during a legal probe of President Bill Clinton. Tripp and Lewinsky had discussed among other things the infamous blue dress that had presidential DNA on it from a sexual encounter with the intern.
Clinton's scandalous affair in the White House with the young Lewinsky -- she was 22 at the time they had relations in the Oval Office, he was 49, and married -- got him impeached by Congress, though he was never convicted. Lewinsky was plagued by reputational damage and late-night TV jokes for the next decade.
Lewinsky, who was one of the "Impeachment" executive producers, told Paulson she had an "irrational" fear the actress would turn Tripp into a fan-favorite character.
Paulson said she was aware of how much sensitivity she had to bring to the role. She described Lewinsky's balancing act of her feelings toward Tripp, who died in 2020, and her responsibilities as a producer as a "very difficult thing."
