Lauren Sánchez is catching fresh heat from an unexpected place: a former friend who says the TV personality was so captivated by Bill Clinton years ago that people in her circle started calling her “Monica” — a reference to Monica Lewinsky.
The claim comes from yoga instructor and author Alanna Zabel, who has filed a lawsuit tied to a separate, much bigger allegation: that Sánchez’s 2024 children’s book, The Fly Who Flew to Space, copied key elements from Zabel’s own book, Dharma Kitty Goes to Mars, which was published earlier.
But it’s the personal details sprinkled into the complaint that are lighting up gossip headlines.
According to Zabel, Sánchez talked openly about having a romantic interest in Clinton after meeting him in 2009 — while Sánchez was still married to Hollywood agent Patrick Whitesell.
In the lawsuit, Zabel says she sometimes referred to Sánchez as “Monica” in messages, and claims Sánchez didn’t mind the nickname at all.
Zabel also repeated the story publicly, saying Sánchez described Clinton as “so sexy and mesmerizing,” and allegedly wanted to meet him and land an interview.
That interview did happen. Sánchez spoke with Clinton for Extra in 2010, and Zabel points to their on-camera chemistry as part of the overall narrative in her legal filings.
While the Clinton chatter is grabbing attention, the lawsuit’s central issue is copyright.
Zabel says she and Sánchez had discussed creating a children’s book concept years ago after Sánchez allegedly told her about a helicopter ride where a fly stayed stuck to the windshield through the entire flight. Zabel claims the conversation later turned into Sánchez releasing her own space-themed children’s story — and that it borrowed plot points, arcs, and other elements from Zabel’s work.
Zabel is seeking unspecified damages.
Sánchez’s legal team is pushing back hard. In court filings, her attorneys argue the case has no real merit and insist the books aren’t meaningfully similar beyond the broad idea of a kid-friendly story involving an unexpected trip to space. They also slam the lawsuit as loaded with personal attacks and irrelevant accusations.
Now, it’s not just a publishing dispute — it’s turning into a full-blown public mess, with old social drama, billionaire baggage, and a Bill Clinton “crush” claim all colliding in one headline-friendly legal war.
