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Orange Is the New Black Stars (Kinda) Apologize to Monica Lewinsky for "Vulgar" Joke

Former White House intern said she had to stop watching the Netflix show

By Marc Malkin Aug 06, 2014 2:00 AMTags
Watch: Taylor Schilling Responds to Monica Lewinsky Snub

Orange Is the New Black has one less viewer these days.

Monica Lewinsky says she was a big fan of the Netflix series until she watched episode 11 in season one. Lewinsky took offense to a "vulgar" joke cracked by Natasha Lyonne's character that included her last name and a reference to that infamous blue Gap dress and some presidential DNA.

"I did what I usually do in these situations where the culture throws me a shard of my former self," Lewinsky wrote on Thursday in a blog post for VanityFair.com. "After the cringing embarrassment, the whiff of shame, and the sense that I am no longer an agent running my own life, I shuddered, I got up off the sofa, and I turned it off."

Steve Granitz/WireImageSteve Granitz/WireImage

We caught up with the stars of the show last night at the DGA in West Hollywood and asked what they thought of the Lewinsky snub.

At first, Taylor Schilling tried to smooth things over by reasoning that Lewinsky should be flattered, but then on second thought, she said, "I apologize, Monica Lewinsky, for the show—honestly. If you were offended, nobody wants to offend anyone."

In her best New York City accent, Natasha Lyonne squeaked, "Hey, Lewinsky, we love you. Take it easy."

Show creator Jenji Kohan thinks Lewinsky should "have a sense of humor about it."

And then she said she's actually a fan of Monica. Kohan smiled, "I liked her handbags."

CNN screen grab

Kate Mulgrew expressed some sympathy for the former White House intern. "I think if you've been subject to everything that she's been subjected to, you'd be sensitive about that, too," she said.

Lea DeLaria and Jason Biggs also weighed in on the Lewinsky controversy. Find out what they said in the video below.

Watch: "OITNB" Stars Sound Off on Monica Lewinsky Controversy