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| Bill Clinton claims Monica Lewinsky affair was to 'help anxieties' | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Former President Bill Clinton says his affair with Monica Lewinsky was a way of managing his anxieties. | Former President Bill Clinton says his affair with Monica Lewinsky was a way of managing his anxieties. |
| He made the remarks as part of a documentary series titled "Hillary" which looks at the public life of 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. | He made the remarks as part of a documentary series titled "Hillary" which looks at the public life of 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. |
| Mr Clinton was impeached in 1998 for lying to investigators about his relationship with Ms Lewinsky. He was acquitted at his Senate trial. | Mr Clinton was impeached in 1998 for lying to investigators about his relationship with Ms Lewinsky. He was acquitted at his Senate trial. |
| Ms Lewinsky was a 22-year-old White House intern at the time of the affair. | Ms Lewinsky was a 22-year-old White House intern at the time of the affair. |
| Mr Clinton told documentary markers Hulu: "What I did was bad but it wasn't like I thought, let's think about the most stupid thing I could possibly do and do it." | |
| "You feel like you're staggering around - you've been in a 15-round prize-fight that was extended to 30 rounds, and here's something that'll take your mind off it for a while. Everybody has life's pressures and disappointments and terrors, fears or whatever, things I did to manage my anxieties for years." | "You feel like you're staggering around - you've been in a 15-round prize-fight that was extended to 30 rounds, and here's something that'll take your mind off it for a while. Everybody has life's pressures and disappointments and terrors, fears or whatever, things I did to manage my anxieties for years." |
| His relationship with Ms Lewinsky became a major news story in the late 1990s after the then-president first denied the affair before later admitting to "inappropriate intimate physical contact". | His relationship with Ms Lewinsky became a major news story in the late 1990s after the then-president first denied the affair before later admitting to "inappropriate intimate physical contact". |
| Mr Clinton's initial response to the media reports in 1998 - "I did not have sexual relations with that woman" - has gone down as one of US politics' most memorable quotes. | Mr Clinton's initial response to the media reports in 1998 - "I did not have sexual relations with that woman" - has gone down as one of US politics' most memorable quotes. |
| Ms Lewinsky has maintained that her relationship with the former president was consensual but she called it a "gross abuse of power". | Ms Lewinsky has maintained that her relationship with the former president was consensual but she called it a "gross abuse of power". |
| "Any 'abuse' came in the aftermath, when I was made a scapegoat in order to protect his powerful position..." she told Vanity Fair in 2014. | "Any 'abuse' came in the aftermath, when I was made a scapegoat in order to protect his powerful position..." she told Vanity Fair in 2014. |
| She said she had "limited understanding of the consequences" at the time and regrets the affair daily. | She said she had "limited understanding of the consequences" at the time and regrets the affair daily. |
| In the documentary Mr Clinton says he feels "terrible" that Ms Lewinsky's life was defined by their relationship. | In the documentary Mr Clinton says he feels "terrible" that Ms Lewinsky's life was defined by their relationship. |
| "Over the years I've tried to watch her get a normal life back again but you've got to decide how to define normal," he said. | "Over the years I've tried to watch her get a normal life back again but you've got to decide how to define normal," he said. |
| When asked about the incident, Mrs Clinton explained how devastated she was. | When asked about the incident, Mrs Clinton explained how devastated she was. |
| "I was so personally, just hurt and I can't believe this, I can't believe you lied. It was horrible and I said if this is going to be public, you have to go tell Chelsea." | "I was so personally, just hurt and I can't believe this, I can't believe you lied. It was horrible and I said if this is going to be public, you have to go tell Chelsea." |
| She explained how she "didn't want anything to do with him" after news of the affair broke. | She explained how she "didn't want anything to do with him" after news of the affair broke. |
| "I made a decision to stay with my husband. I think some people thought I made the right decision and some people thought I made the wrong decision. | "I made a decision to stay with my husband. I think some people thought I made the right decision and some people thought I made the wrong decision. |
| Mr Clinton told the documentary-makers that telling their daughter Chelsea about the affair was "awful". | Mr Clinton told the documentary-makers that telling their daughter Chelsea about the affair was "awful". |