Halle Berry and Monica Lewinsky have both been featured in numerous rap songs over the years, but the two women have very different reactions to being referenced.
Over the weekend, a fan tweeted about Halle Berry, saying, “Halle Berry may be the most rapped-about woman in history. Imagine being that fine.” In response, Halle retweeted the message, writing, “and I appreciate every rap song reference. What are you guys’ favorite?”
While Halle is often mentioned for her beauty, Monica Lewinsky’s name is typically brought up in relation to the 1990s scandal involving her affair with then-President Bill Clinton. Given the nature of her mentions, Monica’s response was more playful but less enthusiastic. She replied to Halle’s tweet with, “wanna trade?!?” and added a wink emoji.
In 2022, Monica faced backlash from Beyoncé’s fans, known as the BeyHive, after she suggested that Beyoncé should remove a lyric from the singer’s 2013 hit “Partition.” The lyric in question references Lewinsky’s affair with Clinton. Monica’s suggestion came after Beyoncé announced she would remove the word “spaz” from her song “Heated” following criticism that it was ableist. Monica shared a Variety article about the decision and commented, “Uhmm, while we’re at it…#Partition.”
The controversial line in “Partition” reads: “We ain’t even gonna make it to this club / Now my mascara running, red lipstick smudged / Oh he so horny, yeah he want to f*** / He bucked all my buttons, he ripped my blouse / He Monica Lewinski’d all on my gown.” The reference is to the affair Lewinsky had with Clinton between 1995 and 1997. Lewinsky later revealed that she had nine sexual encounters with Clinton, including one involving a stained dress. Clinton famously denied the affair, saying, “I did not have sexual relations with that woman.”
In 2014, Lewinsky wrote an essay for Vanity Fair where she pointed out that the lyric should have referred to Bill Clinton instead of her. “He Bill Clinton’d all on my gown,” she suggested, noting that it would be more accurate.
Despite these references, Monica isn’t always bothered by them. In fact, she once thanked several rappers for mentioning her in their songs during a speech at the Forbes “Under 30 Summit.” “Some of you might be asking, ‘Who the hell is she, this Monica, and what is she doing here?’ Or maybe even, ‘What is she doing in all of those rap lyrics?’” she joked. “Thank you, Beyoncé and Eminem. And Nicki Minaj. And Kid Cudi. Lil B and Lil Wayne… and of course G-Eazy, but let’s not forget Jeezy and all the rest.”
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