Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton have been married for 50 long years. Let us look at their love story amid their political careers and public scandal.
Former US President, Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are one of the most popular couples, who have been together for more than 50 years. Along with their political achievements at both the state and national levels, and through campaigns and rallies, they managed to build a beautiful family.
Hillary's high-profile marriage to the 42nd President of the United States, Bill, gave her a platform. She launched her own political career from there. However, the high-profile marriage also gave Hillary a series of scandals that had haunted her for years, which also included Bill’s affair with an intern. Let us read on to know every detail of their relationship.
Bill and Hillary studied at Yale University Law School. He first met her at Political and Civil Rights class. Though he was smitten by Hillary’s beauty, he was reluctant to approach her since he had just got out of a relationship. He kept on ogling her while gathering courage to speak. But it was Hillary who made the first move towards their relationship. She approached him at the Yale University Law School library and introduced herself. In her documentary, she recalled the same and revealed:
“I said, 'Look, if you're going to keep staring at me and I'm going to keep look back, we ought to know each other's names. I'm Hillary Rodham. Who are you?'"
Their early dating days were just magical as they found comfort in each other’s presence. She found him interesting and realised she would never have a dull moment with him. They began their political endeavour together when they travelled to Texas in 1972 to aid George McGovern's presidential campaign.
After they both graduated, Bill took Hillary on her first trip abroad and proposed to her. Bill knew he wanted to return to Arkansas and get involved with politics. However, he couldn’t stop himself from proposing to Hillary. She, on the other hand, rejected his proposal, saying she needed more time to think it over.
After returning from the trip, Hillary moved to Washington, D.C., whereas Bill returned to Arkansas. Bill was teaching at the University of Arkansas Law School. And Hillary moved to Arkansas to be with Bill. She also took up a job at the Arkansas Law School, and they started living together. Hillary once admired a house which was on sale and Bill purchased it for her. He proposed to her for the second time, stating, ‘You can't let me undertake this grown-up investment all by myself.’ This time, she accepted his proposal.
Bill wanted to have a lavish wedding ceremony, but Hillary wanted no fanfare. They went on to have a small, intimate wedding at their home in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The wedding took place in Bill and Hillary’s living room in front of 15 guests, followed by a lavish reception party in the backyard.
The night before the wedding, when Hillary’s mother asked her about her wedding dress, she revealed it was irrelevant. Hillary’s mother took her to a mall in Fayetteville and asked her buy a wedding gown. Hillary picked up the first dress she saw – a USD 53 Jessica McClintock Victorian lace gown. During the wedding ceremony, Hillary announced she would keep her maiden name.
Just like their unconventional wedding, Bill and Hillary’s honeymoon was equally unconventional. The couple took Hillary’s entire family with them on their Acapulco honeymoon trip and all of them stayed in the same hotel. The couple’s daughter, Chelsea Victoria Clinton, was born in 1980.
In 1976, Bill became Attorney General, and Hillary got a job at the Rose Law Firm. In 1978, Bill became the youngest governor of Arkansas and went on to serve five terms. In 1992, Bill defeated Republican incumbent George H.W. Bush. He was elected as the 42nd President of the United States, and Hillary became the First Lady. He was re-elected for a second term in 1996.
In 1998, news about Bill’s affair with then-22-year-old White House intern, Monica Lewinsky made headlines, which eventually led to his impeachment by the House. Several media outlets carried reports of their alleged sexual relationship, and Bill denied them, and Hillary too supported her husband and alleged that it was a “vast right-wing conspiracy’ against her husband.
Lewinsky, on the other hand, confirmed the relationship and testified twice in front of the grand jury. As physical evidence of her sexual relationship with Bill, Lewinsky handed over a dark blue dress to prosecutors.
The turning point in Bill and Hillary’s relationship came when he told her the truth. His confession of the Lewinsky affair to Hillary shattered her to the core. She was not only disappointed and felt cheated but was devastated by the news. Speaking about the same in her documentary, Hillary revealed:
“I was just devastated. I could not believe it. I was so personally hurt. It was horrible. You have to go tell your daughter. That's worse than me.'”
By August 1998, amidst his trial, Bill admitted to having an inappropriate relationship with Lewinsky on national TV. Bill Clinton was impeached in December 1998 by the House following the news of the Lewinsky scandal. Once Bill Clinton's second term as president ended in 2001, the couple moved to Chappaqua, New York. And now it was Hillary, who pursued her political goals. She served as a senator for New York from 2001 to 2009. She was appointed Secretary of State in 2009.
Although the Monica Lewinsky scandal affected both Bill and Hillary, they didn’t stop loving each other. In her 2003 memoir, Living History, Hillary spoke about the scandal and revealed:
“I didn't know whether our marriage could — or should — survive such a stinging betrayal, but I knew I had to work through my feelings carefully, on my own timetable. The decision to stay with Bill was one of the most difficult decisions I have made in my life."
Despite the heartbreaking scandal, Hillary Clinton remained with her husband, Bill Clinton. Yes, her trust was broken, but her love for him saved their marriage.
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