Bill Clinton now - truth about Hillary marriage and brutal Monica Lewinsky admission

Bill Clinton and Prince Harry have joined forces for a panel talk on global issues today.

The former US president has kept a relatively low profile in recent years, but returned to the spotlight for an appearance alongside the Duke of Sussex.

But what has Clinton's life been like since he left office? From his much talked about marriage to Hillary Clinton to his thoughts on the Monika Lewinsky scandal, The Mirror takes a look at the politician's life away from the White House...

Marriage

Bill and Hillary have been together for over half a century and are the first married pair to each be nominated for US president. They first met at Yale Law School in 1971, tying the knot four years later in the living room of their Arkansas home.

They went on to have a daughter Chelsea Clinton, and three grandchildren, and remain in a happy relationship despite two affairs that Bill has admitted to. The former First Lady has said she had "no regrets" about choosing to stay with Bill despite his indiscretions.

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On her podcast, You and Me Both, she gave further insight into her decision. "I'm not giving relationship advice. Everybody has to find their own way," she said. "But I think our ability to keep talking is one of the reasons why we're still sitting here together." To which Bill agreed: "Yeah, I do, too."

"Part of, I think, the real core of our relationship, our marriage, has been we started a conversation and we never stopped," added Hillary. "Through good times and hard times, through happy times and sad times - it doesn't mean we don't get frustrated and upset with the other because that's human nature. But we always kept talking."

Rumours about Hillary's sexuality swirled for decades with claims the former US President had relationships with women. Gennifer Flowers, whom Bill admitted to having sexual encounters with, told Mail Online that Bill "was well aware Hillary was bisexual, and didn't mind". While Sally Miller, who claims to have had an affair with Bill, told the publication that "Hillary is a lesbian".

But Hillary finally dispelled the myth in a radio interview with Howard Stern in 2019. "Contrary to what you may hear, I actually like men," she told the host, while calling her ex-boyfriend before Bill "really handsome". "He looked like a Greek god. He was very attractive," she added.

The Monica affair

Psychology graduate Monica Lewinsky, 22, was an unpaid intern when she embarked on an illicit affair with Clinton. He initially testified under oath that he had not had a relationship with Monica during an investigation into his improper behaviour - but later admitted live on television that he had lied.

Monica had told her co-worker, Linda Tripp, about their relationship, and Tripp began secretly recording their telephone conversations. Other members of staff had already raised concerns about her 'special treatment'. But the smoking gun was a blue Gap dress that Monica told Linda about, admitting it bore an unsavoury stain which later proved she and Clinton were intimate.

On the night in question, Bill headed into a room with Monica and his secretary, Betty Currie, who then departed - having helped achieve the illusion that the couple were not alone together. "We moved to the bathroom and were more intimate," explained Monica. "There was some attention paid on me and then I was reciprocating, where up until that point he had always stopped before completion on his part. I sort of stood up and said I wanted to move past that stage and so he finally said okay."

Monica didn't notice her dress had been soiled and hugged the President goodbye before heading off. She later told how she had attended a Thanksgiving dinner wearing the (unwashed) dress, and no one seemed to notice the stain. "I went to dinner that night. None of these people said to me, 'Hey, you've go to go to the bathroom, you've got stuff all over your dress,'" she said.

The garment was eventually examined as part of the FBI investigation of Bill's professional conduct, and indeed proved he had lied when he denied "sexual relations" with his intern, perjuring himself. The affair led to him becoming only the second president to ever be impeached. He was charged with perjury to a grand jury and obstruction of justice after he denied having sex with Lewinsky.

Following a five-week trial, he was acquitted on both counts in February 1999, and went on to finish off his second term as president before embarking on an incredibly lucrative career giving speeches.

Monica went on to become a TV personality, designing a handbag line and promoting a diet plan, before dropping out of the spotlight to pursue a Master's degree in psychology in London. She has since become a social activist who speaks out against cyberbullying after spending years being hassled about the affair, which she now realises was a "gross abuse of power".

Lewinsky revealed in an article for Vanity Fair that she was diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder after the ordeal, having been "publicly outed and ostracised". She maintains the relationship was consensual, but said she had "limited understanding of the consequences" at the time. "The dictionary definition of 'consent'? To give permission for something to happen," she wrote.

"And yet what did the 'something' mean in this instance, given the power dynamics, his position, and my age? He was my boss. He was the most powerful man on the planet. He was 27 years my senior, with enough life experience to know better."

She had also previously written in 2014 that had been "made a scapegoat in order to protect [Clinton's] powerful position".

A new generation agrees, with millions watching her 2015 TED Talk called The Price of Shame. The former White House intern has also gone viral on TikTok, where many have branded her a "personal hero".

So its no surprise that earlier this year Monica, 50, modelled for major US fashion label Reformation, with the brand's chief creative officer saying her powerful speech made her think: "This woman is incredibly funny and smart and also a Ref babe".

Bill's blunt admission

Clinton would later claim the his affair was his way to "manage his anxieties" during a stressful time as president. "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 will take your mind off it for a while, that's what happens," he said on the Hulu documentary 'Hillary'.

"We all bring baggage to life, and sometimes we do things we shouldn’t do and it was awful what I did. Everybody's life has pressures and disappointments, terrors, fears of whatever. Things I did to manage my anxieties for years. I'm a different, totally different person than I was, a lot of that stuff 20 years ago."

Discussing Bill's former mistress, Hillary admitted: "I feel terrible about the fact that Monica Lewinsky's life was defined by it, unfairly I think. Over the years, I've watched her trying to get a normal life back again, but you've got to decide how to define normal."

Recalling the moment he confessed to his wife, Bill said: "I went and sat on the bed and talked to her. I told her exactly what happened, when it happened. I said I feel terrible about it. She said you have to tell your daughter. She said that's worse than me. So I did that, which was awful." Hillary added: "I was just devastated. I could not believe it. I was so personally just hurt, and I can't believe this, I can't believe you lied... We saw a counsellor... painful, painful discussions."