Entertainment

Impeachment: American Crime Story teases scandal that almost doomed a president

Its star-studded cast includes Beanie Feldstein, Sarah Paulson and Clive Owen.
Its star-studded cast includes Beanie Feldstein, Sarah Paulson and Clive Owen.

Beanie Feldstein’s Monica Lewinsky faces off against Sarah Paulson’s Linda Tripp in the trailer for Impeachment: American Crime Story.

The highly awaited next instalment in Ryan Murphy’s anthology series will explore the scandal that almost doomed a president – Bill Clinton’s affair with White House intern Lewinsky during the 1990s.

Clive Owen stars as Clinton while Sopranos actress Edie Falco will appear as his wife Hillary.

Billy Eichner, Judith Light and Cobie Smulders will also star.

The teaser shows Feldstein marching towards Paulson’s Tripp – the former White House employee who acted as the intern’s confidante only to secretly record their conversations about the affair.

“This person kissed me,” Feldstein’s Monica whispers.

“Tell me everything,” Paulson replies.

The infamous blue dress that proved a key piece of evidence in the scandal gets a mention and the trailer ends with Feldstein lamenting: “My life is over.”

Lewinsky was 22 when she and Clinton, then 49, embarked on an affair.

Bill Clinton
Former US President Bill Clinton was almost ousted from the White House after embarking on an affair with an intern (Brian Lawless/PA)

Clinton, now 74, initially denied the claims before accepting they had a sexual relationship.

He was impeached in the US House of Representatives but acquitted by the Senate and was able to serve his second term as president.

Lewinsky, now 48, was pilloried for her role in the affair and later wrote about her mental health struggles due to the scandal.

Tripp died in 2020 aged 70.

Previous American Crime Story series have focused on the criminal trial and acquittal of OJ Simpson over the death of his wife Nicole Brown and the assassination of fashion designer Gianni Versace.

Impeachment is based on Jeffrey Toobin’s book A Vast Conspiracy: The Real Story Of The Sex Scandal That Nearly Brought Down A President.

Impeachment: American Crime Story will premiere in the US on September 7 but a UK release date is yet to be announced.