Keith McNally Will Not Have You Shaming Monica Lewinsky In His Restaurants

by Stephanie Maida · June 16, 2021

You never know quite what to expect when it comes to Keith McNally's decidedly unfiltered (and often novel-length) Instagram posts. Usually dripping with sarcasm, occasionally problematic, and sometimes straight-up targeted, it's no wonder they've landed the famous restaurateur a few stints in headlines and hot water.

As his post about Ghislaine Maxwell clearly demonstrates, McNally isn't afraid of a little controversy when it comes to speaking his mind on social media.

But while sharing his thoughts on that particular person may have earned him some backlash, he's lately come to the defense of another notorious name - and this time, we're totally behind him.

On Tuesday, McNally posted a photo of Monica Lewinsky and former President Bill Clinton. We braced ourselves for a doozy in the caption but, to our pleasant surprise, it was absolutely applaud-worthy.

McNally recalled an incident that apparently occurred a few years ago.

"Monica Lewinsky had dinner at Balthazar tonight. Her presence created some unpleasant snickering from the customers. Lots of innuendos about a blue dress. According to the staff, many of those making 'innocent' fun of Lewinsky were women," he began.

"Last week I read an article Lewinsky had written for Vanity Fair a few years back, SHAME & SURVIVAL. She came across as smart, sensible and terrifically brave. She writes brilliantly. Until now, I hadn't realised just how badly Lewinsky was smeared and abandoned by so many people. Shamefully, by some very Prominent Feminists also."

McNally pretty much made it clear that he won't stand for any Lewinsky shaming in his establishments and then wrapped things up with one of his signature kickers: "According to the waitress who served her last night, Lewinsky was not only lovely to wait, but left a huge fucking tip."

So, the next time you run into Monica Lewinsky at Balthazar, your two choices are minding your damn business or buying her drink. We'd personally go with the latter - god knows she deserves it.