Monica Lewinsky Talks Being ‘Patient Zero’ for Cancel Culture in ’15 Minutes of Shame’ Trailer

Monica Lewinsky helps guide an investigation into the nuances of cancel culture in the new trailer for the upcoming documentary, 15 Minutes of Shame, premiering October 7th on HBO Max.

Lewinsky executive-produced the doc alongside Max Joseph, who also directed, and in the trailer’s opening moments, Lewinsky explains her involvement and understandable fascination with the subject: “Imagine waking up with the whole world talking about you because your mistake, your secret has now been made public. Trust me, I know a little something about this. I was Patient Zero of having your reputation destroyed because of the internet — and I would not be the last.” 

Along with Lewinsky, 15 Minutes of Shame will feature the stories of other people who have been “canceled,” publicly shamed or cyber-harassed. The trailer also teases the way the doc will explore the historical precedents and psychology behind such online mobs, and the way the tech conglomerates, whose platforms facilitate this kind of behavior, skirt liability while raking in billions off of it.