Hillary Clinton recalls 'dark periods' in marriage to Bill Clinton while celebrating 5 decades together
WASHINGTON, DC: Hillary Clinton recently opened up about the challenges and triumphs of her nearly 50-year marriage to former president Bill Clinton.
Reflecting on their relationship in an interview with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, the former Secretary of State acknowledged that their union had endured significant "dark periods," yet ultimately emerged stronger.
The Clintons, who were married on October 11, 1975, and will mark their 50th wedding anniversary in 2025, have weathered many challenges over the years, none perhaps more widely publicized than the notorious sex scandal that rocked Bill's presidency in 1998. That year, the 42nd president admitted to an affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky, leading to his impeachment on charges of lying under oath and obstructing justice.
"I've said this for many years, nobody really knows what happens in a marriage except the two people in it," Hillary remarked on Sunday, September 22. "And every marriage I'm aware of has ups and downs – not public, hopefully for everyone else – and you have to make the decisions that are right for you."
"And I would never tell anybody else, 'stay in a marriage, leave a marriage', whatever the easy answer is. And you know, for me and for us, I think it's fair to say we are so grateful that at this stage of our life, we have our grandchildren. We have our time together," added Hillary.
Hillary Clinton reflects on marriage struggles in new memoir
In her new memoir, 'Something Lost, Something Gained', Hillary Clinton reflects on how both their marriage and Bill Clinton’s presidency teetered on the brink during that turbulent period in the late 1990s. She avoids mentioning Monica Lewinsky by name, instead referencing "dark periods" that threatened their relationship and calling the affair "a very unfortunate" incident.
Despite these painful experiences, Hillary expressed gratitude for the life they share today. "I write about how we start the morning playing spelling bee in bed," she revealed. "And, you know, Bill is like such a great player. He gets to Queen Bee almost immediately it feels like. We just have a good time. We have a good time sharing this life that we've lived together for now nearly 50 years of marriage. That's what is right for us, and that's really my, my message."
Reflecting on the impeachment scandal, Hillary shared her inner conflict during that time, acknowledging how deeply it affected her emotionally while also recognizing its political dimensions. "I had to almost have a binary view of the world that I was living in my reality," she explained. "On the one hand, I was deeply hurt, deeply confused, really upset, angry. And on the other hand, I knew that this was a political ploy to try to drive, you know, Bill out of office."
Hillary also expressed her frustration with the political figures behind her husband’s impeachment, stating, "I thought he'd been a really good president, and I resented that as an American citizen, that these hypocrites, who, you know, had all kinds of their own stories about, you know, marriage and everything else, were going after him because of a very unfortunate, you know, incident in his life."
The Clintons' journey through scandal and commitment
In 1998, Bill Clinton admitted to having a sexual relationship with Gennifer Flowers during a testimony linked to other accusations. He also had an affair with Monica Lewinsky, which was revealed through taped conversations with Linda Tripp.
Despite the challenges, both Clintons have expressed their commitment to their marriage. During the 2016 Democratic National Convention, Bill reflected on their journey together, stating they had "built up a lifetime of memories."
