Monica Lewinsky to Produce Documentary ‘15 Minutes of Shame’ for HBO Max

By Cynthia Littleton

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Monica Lewinsky has teamed with “Catfish” co-host and producer Max Joseph to produce “15 Minutes of Shame,” a documentary for HBO Max about the culture of public shaming.

“15 Minutes of Shame” is described as a look at people from around the world who have been caught up in a situation that involved public criticism and humiliation. Lewinsky was in the eye of such a storm starting in 1998 when the bombshell story broke that the former White House intern had a sexual relationship with President Bill Clinton.

More recently, Lewinsky has emerged as an anti-bullying activist and media maven. She’s been recruited to help Ryan Murphy and his team produce the next season of FX’s “American Crime Story” franchise, which will revolve around the fin de siecle White House drama in which she had a starring role.

“Monica Lewinsky is an anti-bullying activist with unparalleled authority, making her the perfect partner for this project,” said Sarah Aubrey, head of original content for . “And Max’s strong advocacy for social justice and distinctive storytelling make him particularly well-suited to explore this complex modern phenomenon.”

Joseph was executive producer and co-host of MTV’s reality show “Catfish” for seven seasons. He also wrote and co-directed the Warner Bros. 2015 drama “We Are Your Friends.” Joseph will documentary with appearances by Lewinsky. “Shame” is exec produced by Joseph, Lewinsky, Steve Ascher and Kristy Sabat for Six West.