The Sad Truth Behind Lisa Ling's Apology To Monica Lewinsky

Monica Lewinsky once again became the focus of a discussion on "The View" following the release of "American Crime Story: Impeachment" and the documentary "15 Minutes of Shame," which examined the fallout after her tryst with Bill Clinton in the '90s, per The Wrap. The hosts of the popular daytime talk show discussed whether Lewinsky was a victim of cancel culture, and if the former White House intern had been treated unfairly, per Fox News.

Back when the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal was front page news, Joy Behar used to routinely take comical jabs at Lewinsky and even ran a recurring bit called "Monica's Diary." The hosts of "The View" asked Behar on September 22 if in hindsight she regretted taking those shots. "I don't regret any joke I ever did," Behar replied on the show, per The Wrap. "Because in the moment, it was funny and it was relevant. My intention is never to hurt anybody's feelings, so I'm coming from a pure place with it," she added. 

The long-time host did however admit that those jokes would likely not fly in today's political climate. "But now, with the lens of feminism, and with the lens of cancel culture ... maybe it looks a little bit different," Behar said. Co-host Sonny Hostin pointed out Lewinsky's financial windfalls since the scandal, and used that as evidence that the former intern was not "unhirable and a pariah," per The Wrap. Unlike Behar, former "The View" host Lisa Ling felt remorseful for one specific Lewinsky joke she made. Keep reading to find out what she said. 

While appearing on the daytime show's supplemental podcast, "The View: Behind the Table," former host Lisa Ling spoke about an unsavory joke she made at Monica Lewinsky's expense that took place during her first stint with the show in December 2001, per ABC News. Earlier that month, Ling had run into Lewinsky, who was in the middle of a college tour. When Ling asked how the tour was going, Lewinsky revealed she had hoped for "more intellectual" questions during her Q&As with student bodies. Ling was later asked about the interaction by fellow hosts on "The View," and she used Lewinsky's comments as joke fodder. "I don't know what's intellectual about being on your knees," she recalled saying. According to Ling, "the audience went nuts" after she delivered the off-color joke, per the "Behind the Table" podcast.

Ling was instantly remorseful about roasting Lewinsky. "My heart sunk," she admitted to Sara Haines on the podcast. "It was so not me to say something like that about someone who had kind of confided in me ... It was a horrible, horrible moment where I sacrificed my own character right for that laugh," the former "The View" host said.

Shortly after making the joke, Ling reached out to Lewinsky and "profusely apologized," per ABC News. To her credit, Lewinsky was "gracious and forgiving," but made it clear to Ling how much the joke hurt her feelings at the time.