Celebrity
Monica Lewinsky Responded To Backlash After She Asked Beyoncé To Change A Song Lyric That References Her Affair
Lewinsky’s request came shortly after Beyoncé removed an ableist slur from a song on her new album, Renaissance.
Monica Lewinsky has responded to fans’ confusion over her decision to speak out against a 2013 Beyoncé lyric that references her affair with former president Bill Clinton.
But first, here’s the backstory to explain how we got here.
Last Friday, Beyoncé dropped her brand-new album, Renaissance. While the project was widely praised, many listeners took issue with the use of the word “spaz” in the 11th track, “Heated.”
After Beyoncé faced intense criticism for including the ableist slur, a representative for the singer announced on Monday that she would be removing the lyric, saying that it had not been used “intentionally in a harmful way.”
Prompted by these reports, Lewinsky spoke out to suggest that Beyoncé might also consider removing a reference to her in the 2013 song “Partition.”
“uhmm, while we’re at it… #Partition,” Lewinsky tweeted on Monday, linking to a Variety article about Beyoncé replacing the lyric on “Heated.”
uhmm, while we’re at it… #Partition
Beyoncé to Remove Renaissance Lyric After Outrage: Ableist, Offensive – Variety https://t.co/DzN80FdzPB
In case you aren’t familiar, “Partition” — which featured on Beyoncé’s self-titled album — alludes to a very ~specific~ aspect of Clinton’s affair with then-21-year-old Lewinsky in the late 1990s.
During the first verse, Beyoncé describes a sexual encounter where her partner “Monica Lewinsky-ed all on my gown.” This is presumably a reference to the fact that Clinton’s infidelity was publicly proven after semen stains on a blue dress belonging to Lewinsky were shown to be his.
Before we go on, it’s probably worth mentioning that the use of Lewinsky’s name within the context of sexual innuendoes has been common in rap music — and Beyoncé was certainly not the first to do it.
During her 2015 TED Talk, Lewinsky noted that she had been named in almost 40 rap songs, performed by the likes of Nicki Minaj, Eminem, and Lil Wayne.
Poking fun at this common occurrence, Lewinsky has “rap song muse” listed in her Twitter bio.
Bearing all this in mind — and the fact that “Partition” was released nearly nine years ago — several Twitter users were confused by Lewinsky’s decision to call out the lyric at this point in time.
@MonicaLewinsky Monica girl be realistic… You’re saying that Beyoncé should remove a line from her song that came out 9 years ago??? And why are you only talking about Beyoncé, there were plenty of other artists who were more disrespectful. Beyoncé’s line wasn’t even bad. So calm down
While responding to people, Lewinsky noted that this is not the first time she’s expressed displeasure at the lyric, turning their attention to a Vanity Fair essay she penned in 2014.
An excerpt from the essay shows that she thanked Beyoncé for the shoutout, but added, “If we’re verbing, I think you meant ‘Bill Clinton’d all on my gown,’ not ‘Monica Lewinsky’d.’”
@LaShea2019 this was from an essay i wrote in 2014. not just beyoncé. also, i have learned to find humor in painful/humiliating things. enjoy the view from your high horse.
Among those who tweeted their confusion, many were quick to mention the reference to being a muse in Lewinsky’s Twitter bio.
In reply, Lewinsky said that she has learned to find humor in things that are painful or humiliating, sharing that this was how she “survived” in the past.
@ZemiBoriken @evil_analog_val @0detteroulette @JaynayChanel because learning to laugh about things which hurt or humiliated me is how i survived.
Interestingly, when one fan asked if she had reached out to Beyoncé or her team prior to her tweet, Lewinsky confirmed that she hadn’t, before telling them they made an “interesting/fair point.”
@JaynayChanel no, i haven’t. i did mention it in the first vanity fair article i wrote in 2014… which was the first public thing i’d done in 10 years. but you make an interesting/fair point…
Beyoncé has yet to comment on the matter, and it remains to be seen whether she will rework the lyrics to “Partition” in light of Lewinsky’s thoughts.
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Andrea Caamano
The Strictly Come Dancing couple are spending Christmas apart, with Dianne Buswell in Australia and Joe Sugg in England
Joe Sugg and Dianne Buswell might be thousands of miles apart this Christmas, but they are still very much on each other’s minds.
Whilst the Strictly Come Dancing pro partner has been gushing about reuniting with her parents, her brothers and her nieces, and hitting the beach, Joe has returned to Somerset to spend time with friends and family.
The 31-year-old has been documenting his “wonderful trip to the shire” and couldn’t help but send girlfriend Dianne a hidden message.
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Whilst gushing about his stay “at the amazing Court Farm”, a lovingly restored 16th Century farmhouse in Somerset, Joe sent Dianne a décor hint, revealing: “I kinda want our house to look like this!“
Joe has travelled to Somerset to see family and friends
The gorgeous bedroom, as shown in a photo posted on his Instagram Stories, boasts a superking bed under a vintage chandelier, with an authentic barn door which opens onto a bathroom with both a huge walk-in shower and contemporary roll top bath.
Joe also praised the log burner, keeping him warm during his stay. “You cannot beat a good log burner this time of year,” he wrote.
The couple fell in love whilst taking part on Strictly Come Dancing
The theme would no doubt work well in Joe and Dianne’s country home in Sussex. The couple met on Strictly in 2018 and swapped their London flat for their first home together complete with a beautiful garden boasting uninterrupted country views.
Joe went on to reveal to his followers that he was visiting Lacock, a village in the county of Wiltshire.
“Forever grateful for this beautiful village where I grew up,” he said.
He then visited The Lacock Bakery and showed its gorgeous window display, which featured a copy of his book, Grow: How Nature Can Restore Balance in a Busy World.
“I used to go to this bakery as a toddler in my pushchair and now look! I left a special message in this book,” he remarked.
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Hannah Hargrave
World News Tonight anchor David Muir has fans wondering if he’s found love
ABC star David Muir has long kept fans guessing about his personal life, refusing to share details online or across social media sites like many of his colleagues. But fans do know that David is still on the market and he’s not married, although it remains unclear if he is even dating.
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In fact, as the video below explains, despite being connected to several other high profile TV personalities, there’s only one certain someone who does take up David’s time…
Despite numerous reports of romance for the World News Tonight anchor, David has always refused to publicly address his love life, but has been vocal about a number of leading ladies who he holds dear to his heart.
Kelly Ripa is one of those special people, so much so that the Live with Kelly and Ryan star paid a heartfelt tribute to David in her book, Live Wire.
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An extract from the book – which is released on 27 September – was posted on Kelly’s Instagram Stories over the weekend, and the message is included on a page of acknowledgements.
It read: “To David Muir, you are the backbone and moral compass I need sometimes.”
Kelly and David have been close friends for years
His fellow ABC star, Amy Robach, is also a firm favorite of David’s and they have been known to spend time together both on and off-screen.
His sister, Rebecca, is close with David and he calls his many nieces and nephews his “squad,” and says he’s incredibly proud of all of them.
At home, it’s his beloved gun dog, Axel, who has his heart, as he regularly shares adorable photos with the pup, who he is clearly besotted with.
That’s not to say he hasn’t had his fair share of marriage proposals though! Not a day goes by when he isn’t flooded with compliments from his adoring fans on social media.
But alas, the dedicated journalist is practically married to his job, leaving little time for love!
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Jenni McKnight
Today star Al Roker shared some sad news with fans on Thursday as he mourned the death of legendary producer Thom Bell
Al Roker shared some sad news with fans on Thursday as he paid an emotional tribute to an influential figure in his life.
The Today star – who made a shock departure announcement this week – took to Instagram to pay his respects to legendary Jamaican-born Philadelphian producer, arranger, and songwriter Thom Bell, who sadly died aged 79, although his cause of death has not been disclosed.
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Sharing a photo of Thom, Al wrote: “Legendary Philadelphia producer Thom Bell passing away at 79. His music was the soundtrack of my life.
“From The Spinners, The O’Jays, The Delfonics, The Stylistics to Elton John, he was part of that distinctive Sound Of Philadelphia. Thank you for your gift.”
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Many of Al’s followers were saddened by the news and left crying-face and praying hand emojis in the comments as well as paying their own emotional tributes to the late music star.
Al paid tribute to Thom Bell
“Such a tremendous loss of an amazing talent that was able to capture and create a sound like no other,” replied one. A second wrote: “Rest in Peace. Love the music you shared with us. Prayers for his family.”
A third shared their condolences while also wishing Al a speedy recovery, writing: “Sad news – wonderful legacy. I hope you are continuing to feel better and stronger. @todayshow is not the same without you.”
It’s been a particularly hard time for Al over the past few weeks, as not only has he been recovering after having blood clots on his lungs, but he also faced the devastating news that his sister Patricia had passed away shortly after he was discharged from hospital.
Al is recovering at home with his family
The TV star, who has been a part of Today for over 25 years, was admitted to the hospital shortly after Thanksgiving due to blood clots and remained hospitalized for over two weeks.
Al, who has taken an absence from the show ever since, gave an update to viewers from home last week. “It has been a tough slog. I’m not going to lie. It has been the hardest one yet and I’ve had my share of surgeries.
He continued: “I have a lot of things and people to be thankful for. It gives you a profound sense of gratitude for this outpouring of prayers and thanks.”
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