Monica Lewinsky has admitted that she no longer watches "Orange is the New Black" after a vulgar joke was made about the former White House intern.
During episode 11 in season one of the Netflix's original series, one of the characters referenced Lewinsky's affair with former U.S. President Bill Clinton. In a new column for Vanity Fair magazine, Lewinsky, who is a big fan of the show, revealed that the comment upset her.
"I did what I usually do in these situations where the culture throws me a shard of my former self," Lewinsky wrote in a blog post for VanityFair.com. "After the cringing embarrassment, the whiff of shame, and the sense that I am no longer an agent running my own life, I shuddered, I got up off the sofa, and I turned it off."
She added: "But more and more, I am finding that those who have lost command of their public narratives, do the opposite. They shake off the assault or the slight, take control of their rightful place in their community, or the larger culture, and use social media to return the salvo. They refuse to have their identities swindled or misshapen. Instead, they take charge."
E! News reported that several of the cast members apologized to Lewinsky and encouraged her to resume watching the hit series, which recently premiered its third season.
Taylor Schilling, who plays main character Piper Chapman, tried to make light of the situation, before offering up an apology, saying, "Isn't that like the greatest form of flattery when you become...no, you don't buy that! I apologize to Monica Lewinsky, for the show -- honestly. If you were offended. Nobody wants to offend anyone."
Kate Mulgrew, who plays Big Red, said "I think if you've been subject to everything that she's been subjected to, you'd be sensitive about that, too."
However, actress Natasha Lyonne showed little sympathy for Lewinsky, telling her to "take it easy."
