American Crime Story Episode 9?
Caleb Butler
Published Aug 06, 2026
Later in the episode, FBI agents visit Arkansas nursing home operator Juanita Broaddrick and convince her to change her earlier testimony to the Paula Jones lawyers, when she denied that Bill Clinton had sexually assaulted her. Broaddrick's allegation, in which she's referred to as "Jane Doe Number Five," then becomes part of the evidence against Bill Clinton. Kenneth Starr only includes it as a footnote in his infamous report.
This is actually how Starr handled the allegation at the time — it was actually a footnote attached to a parenthetical in an appendix. However, "Impeachment" does omit large portions of Broaddrick's story, including how it became part of the investigation.
As reported by Slate's "Slow Burn" podcast about the Clinton impeachment scandal, Juanita Broaddrick claims the sexual assault happened in a Little Rock hotel room in 1978, an assertion Bill Clinton has consistently denied. Broaddrick initially told five people about the incident, but doesn't know how the story spread beyond that. In 1997, Paula Jones' lawyers hired private investigators to interview her about the accusation, and Broaddrick declined to be interviewed — which "Impeachment" did show. Weeks later, Jones' lawyers subpoenaed her, and in early 1998 Broaddrick signed a sworn statement denying it had happened, because she hadn't wanted it to become public in the first place.
Jones' lawyers submitted a legal filing in Arkansas anyway, stating that Clinton had "forcibly raped and sexually assaulted" her. Starr's team approached Broaddrick to ask for her cooperation. Since this was a federal criminal investigation and not a civil lawsuit, Broaddrick agreed.
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).