Monica Lewinsky breaks silence on Clinton affair, says she was first Internet scapegoat

Former President Bill Clinton, left, is seen on March 9, 2004 in New York. Monica Lewinsky, is shown in an undated promotional photo provided by Fox. Sen. Rand Paul said Sunday, Jan. 26, 2014 on NBC's 'Meet the Press.' (Mary Altaffer / FOX, S.Jones)

Monica Lewinsky has broken her silence on the affair she had with former U.S. president Bill Clinton, saying that she "deeply" regrets what happened.

Writing for Vanity Fair, Lewinsky opens up about the relations she had with Clinton in the mid-90s. At the time, she was working at the White House.

In excerpts from the article, Lewinsky, 40, says that she regrets what transpired between her and the former president.

"It's time to burn the beret and bury the blue dress," she says, referring to items she had worn during an alleged sexual encounter with Clinton. "I, myself, deeply regret what happened between me and President Clinton."

She says that the humiliation she endured in the wake of the scandal has changed her life, and that she is still recognized on a daily basis.

However, Lewinsky maintains that the relationship with Clinton was consensual.

“Sure, my boss took advantage of me, but I will always remain firm on this point: it was a consensual relationship. Any ‘abuse’ came in the aftermath, when I was made a scapegoat in order to protect his powerful position. . . . The Clinton administration, the special prosecutor’s minions, the political operatives on both sides of the aisle, and the media were able to brand me. And that brand stuck, in part because it was imbued with power," she writes.

Lewinsky said that she was inspired to finally open up about the affair after the death of Rutgers University student Tyler Clementi. Clementi committed suicide in 2010 after he was secretly viewed kissing another man by other students who streamed the event on the Internet.

"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?" Lewinsky says.

The article will be published in Vanity Fair's digital edition on Thursday, and will hit newsstands next week.