BARBARA Walters has interviewed Monica Lewinsky – again.
The new interview, part of Walters’ “Ten Most Fascinating People of 1999” special, airs Nov. 30.
It is the first time she has given an interview since last spring’s two-hour appearance with Walters – though it does not appear the new sitdown can recreate the media frenzy that surrounded her last interview.
Walter’s first interview with Lewinsky scored Super Bowl-sized ratings but was criticized as an attempt to soften Lewinsky’s image.
It may have even backfired when Lewinsky appeared immature and unremorseful when discussing her feelings about her infamous Oval Office trysts with President Bill Clinton.
The first interview was a world-class scoop for Walters who managed to score the interview over the efforts of other journalists and TV personalities ranging from Dan Rather to Roseanne and Oprah Winfrey.
Since the ABC interview, Lewinsky has moved on, but she is still trying to cash in on her involvement in Sexgate.
Shortly after the Walters interview, Lewinsky was paid about $600,000 to be interviewed on British television by journalist Tony Snow and then embarked on a world-wide tour to sign copies of “Monica’s Story” the book she wrote with celebrity biographer Andrew Morton, which is a personal version of the events leading up to President Clinton’s impeachment.
Lewinsky was back in the news lately after it has been reported that she is getting paid big bucks to lose weight.
According to reports, Lewinsky has been getting $10,000 from the Jenny Craig diet conglomerate for every pound she sheds. The top-secret diet’s goal is to get Lewinsky to go from her all-time high of 223 pounds to a svelte 123. If she succeeds she’ll net $1 million.
Jenny Craig representatives have denied that they are paying Lewinsky the hefty reward, but so far she is reported to have lost more than 60 pounds.
Meanwhile, it appears that for the latest Walters/Lewinsky sitdown, ABC did not need to take any of the top-secret precautions it took before the last time.
Before that interview, the network kept the location – ABC News’ Upper West Side studios – a secret, and even taped it with special cameras that do not use video tape in an effort to thwart other reporters from finding out what Lewinsky said.
Despite ABC’s substantial precautions, an audio tape containing some parts of the interview was anonymously sent to a New York tabloid which published some excerpts the day before the interview aired.
The interview was heavily scrutinized in press reports the next day.
Lewinsky’s verbal responses, body language and even what she ate for lunch was written about or discussed on talk shows.