Monica Lewinsky’s Reaction To The Death Of Ken Starr Was Inspiringly Graceful

When news broke on Tuesday, September 13 that Kenneth Starr had passed away at the age of 76 from complications due to surgery, the bulk of the headlines failed to mention his role as former U.S. solicitor general under George H. W. Bush and instead focused on his investigation into Bill Clinton’s Whitewater real estate investments, which eventually led to the then-president’s impeachment.

Of course, it was also Starr’s investigation that led to the very public discovery of Clinton’s affair with Monica Lewinsky, a former White House intern who was 24 years old when her relationship with the president was splashed all over the media. Lewinsky, like so many victims before her, was demonized at the time. But instead of being happy to quietly fade from the spotlight, she has used her name to become a powerful social activist who regularly speaks out against bullying with honesty, grace, and humor. She also served as a consultant on Impeachment: American Crime Story, the 2021 installment of Ryan Murphy’s anthology series, which recounted the story of the aftermath of Lewinsky’s relationship with Clinton.

So it was only natural that people would be curious about what Lewinsky had to say about the death of Starr — the man who turned her twenty-something life into a tabloid spectacle. And her response was a lesson in maturity and grace:

When questioned about what the first draft of that statement looked like, Lewinsky was honest that it was pretty much the same: