Bill Clinton says he's grateful Hillary didn't leave him over Monica Lewinsky: 'God knows the burden she's paid'
Former President Bill Clinton, in a new documentary, revealed he was grateful that his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, did not leave him after his affair scandal with Monica Lewinsky. The former president, however, conceded that Hillary has "paid" for the decision to continue to stay with him.
"I was so grateful that she thought we still had enough to stick it out. God knows the burden she's paid for that," Bill, while holding back tears in the four-part documentary, said. The former president was impeached for lying under oath on December 19, 1998 after he did not come clean about his affair with a former White House intern.
Hillary, meanwhile, acknowledged that the public revelation of her husband's affair was very "painful" and that they both "loved each other."
"Look, I'm not going to sugarcoat it. It's painful, but it's also revelatory because we've always loved each other and had each other's backs," the former first lady said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
"First, I'm grateful that he understood that this was a really terrible time," she said of Bill. "But I also think in every marriage there's not just one side. So, I could say the same for him, that I'm not always the easiest person to live with. I'm glad he stuck it out, too."
Hillary, the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee, had previously described how staying in her marriage with Bill was the "gutsiest decision" she made. The former Secretary of State, in a new Hulu documentary titled 'Hillary', has elaborated on her decision to stay.
"Once I decided that the film would be about more than a behind-the-scenes look at the campaign, I had to accept the fact it was going to be about my life. That was a major part of my life, which obviously played out in public," she told the outlet. "Have we had ups and downs like every married couple I know? Absolutely. And maybe this film helps people think about that, that love and relationships and marriage are often colored in grays and beiges. We all suffer ups and downs in our lives."
When asked about her marriage with Bill being viewed as "an arrangement" by many, Hillary said, "I hope it does [show that it is a love story] because it's real and it's been around for a long time now — nearly 50 years, for heaven's sake. I would love for that to be conveyed because I'd love to have the reality of my life story better aligned with the press and the public understanding of it. That would be a big step forward."
The Hulu documentary 'Hillary' is set to premiere in the Sundance festival, which begins on January 23, 2020.