Former Clinton intern-turned activist Monica Lewinsky is set to team with Catfish producer Max Joseph to produce a documentary about public shaming entitled 15 Minutes of Shame for HBO.
The production will follow the experiences of people across the world who were confronted with instances of public criticism and humiliation, according to Variety.
There is no better host for the show than Lewinsky, whose tryst with married president Bill Clinton, helped launch an effort to impeach the president of the United States, but also led to decades of public shaming for Lewinsky. The then 21-year-old intern’s life was turned upside down, and the incident took decades for her to overcome.
According to Psychology Today, Lewinsky was left shattered immediately after her outing as Clinton’s sex partner and was so fragile that “her mother made her shower with the door open. She sat by her bed every night.”
Monica Lewinsky was “patient zero,” of public humiliation, the magazine reported.
In 2008, Lewinsky even admitted that she felt so much guilt that she contemplated suicide.
“Monica Lewinsky is an anti-bullying activist with unparalleled authority, making her the perfect partner for this project,” Sarah Aubrey, head of original content for HBO Max, said in a Monday press release. “And Max’s strong advocacy for social justice and distinctive storytelling make him particularly well-suited to explore this complex modern phenomenon.”
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston.