Monica Lewinsky’s anti-cyberbullying campaign now has some support from Hollywood.
Lewinsky, strategic advisor and ambassador for Bystander Revolution, has teamed up with celebrities Olivia Wilde, Salma Hayak, Kevin Spacey, Michael J. Fox, and Jamie Lee Fox, among others, to put an end to cyber bullying once and for all, reports People.”Bystander Revolution’s focus is on the right now,” said Lewinsky. “Simple, practical actions that each of us can do right away to relieve suffering and shift the culture.”
The first campaign initiative is the #MonthOfAction in October, when the group will pose daily anti-bullying challenges on social media.
“I am thrilled to be a part of launching Month of Action,” Lewinsky continued. “Engaging in the daily challenges will help transform our online world into a safer and more compassionate space for everyone. Even just one action is a step in the right direction towards ending bullying and can save a life.”
Lewinsky, whose affair with President Bill Clinton made international headlines in 1998, now calls herself “patient zero,” saying she was one of the first victims of cyberbullying.
“I was branded as a tart, slut, whore, bimbo, floozy and of course ‘that woman,’ I was seen by many but truly known by few … It was hard to remember ‘that woman’ had a soul and was once unbroken,” she said in June. “In 1998 I lost my reputation and my dignity, I lost almost everything, and I almost lost my life.”
Lewinsky said last year the turning point for her to speak out against online bullying is the story of 18-year-old Tyler Clementi, who committed suicide in 2010 after he was bullied for being gay.
“My own suffering took on a different meaning,” Lewinsky told Vanity Fair. “Perhaps by sharing my story, I reasoned, I might be able to help others in their darkest moments of humiliation. The question became: How do I find and give a purpose to my past?”