Monica Lewinsky Responds to That Caitlyn Jenner Comment

After a decade and a half of laying low, Monica Lewinsky has spent the last year vocally fighting cyberbullying. It's earned her a lot of surprising admirers—including Caitlyn Jenner.

"It was absolutely an evolution," Lewinsky said on Tuesday at the second annual Forbes Under 30 Summit, where she made her first-ever public speech last year. This time, she was introduced to the stage as a social activist, instead of as the first victim of bullying in the digital age. "I was patient zero, the first person to have their reputation completely destroyed by the internet," she said at the time, describing the trauma she felt when the Drudge Report revealed her two-year affair with then-U.S. President Bill Clinton.

Lewinsky, now 42, cut a stark contrast to the woman last year who tentatively took the podium in a somber black dress and paused during her speech to wipe away tears. This time around, she appeared happy, relaxed and chatty, even laughing off a mention of less-than-flattering rap lyrics referencing her name. She reflected on last year's speech, which jumpstarted her career in activism. "Ten days later I got a call from TED, and it went from there," Lewinsky said. "It was very much an out-of-body experience."