Monica Lewinsky Says Ken Starr's Death Brings Up 'Complicated Feelings'

Monica Lewinsky and Ken Starr
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Starr was the lawyer who headed the investigation into President Clinton's affair with Lewinsky.

Monica Lewinsky is processing the "complicated feelings" she said arose after learning about Ken Starr's death. Starr, who died Tuesday, served as the independent counsel whose investigation uncovered President Bill Clinton's affair with Lewinsky, and ultimately led to Clinton's impeachment for lying under oath and obstructing justice. He was 76.

Lewinsky took to Twitter Tuesday to share her reaction to the news, writing, "As i’m sure many can understand, my thoughts about ken starr bring up complicated feelings…but of more importance, is that i imagine it’s a painful loss for those who love him."

Per The New York Times, his wife, Alice Starr, said he had spent the last 17 weeks at Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center in Houston, Texas, fighting an undisclosed illness and died from complications of the surgery, but gave no further details.

While Starr led many other investigations and even represented President Trump in 2020 during his first Senate trial, it was his probe into Clinton that gained him the most notoriety, bringing issues of sex, morality, accountability and ideology to the forefront of American life and politics.

Lewinsky looked back on her complicated side of the story while serving as a consultant on Ryan Murphy's Impeachment: American Crime Story, last year. Beanie Feldstein took on the role of the intern, while Dan Bakkedahl of Veep stepped in as Starr.

In a 2019 email to Vanity FairLewinsky explained her reasons for signing on to produce the show.

"I was hesitant, and truthfully more than a little scared to sign on. But after a lengthy dinner meeting with Ryan, I came to understand even more clearly how dedicated he is to giving a voice to the marginalized in all of his brilliant work," Lewinsky wrote. "I’m privileged to work with him and the other talented people on the team, and I’m privileged to have this opportunity."

She continued, "People have been co-opting and telling my part in this story for decades. In fact, it wasn't until the past few years that I've been able to fully reclaim my narrative; almost 20 years later." The opportunity to produce the series, she explained, "allows people like me who have been historically silenced to finally reintroduce my voice to the conversation."

Before the limited series, Lewinsky had only participated in the 2018 docuseries, The Clinton Affair, talking very little about the scandal in public.

That same year, Starr expressed regret for pursuing Clinton's affair with Lewinsky. He discussed the still-talked-about case in his memoir, Contempt, where he reflected on how he handled the investigation.