Chelsea Manning, the transgender soldier and activist who gained attention after being convicted of leaking classified government and military documents to the website WikiLeaks, tweeted that she is “safe” after tweeting a photo that sparked suicide concerns.
The photo was posted on Manning’s account Sunday night, showing a person’s feet standing on what appears to be a ledge of a building with a street shown below. The photo was accompanied by the words “I’m sorry.” It’s unclear if it was Manning in the photo.
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** chelsea is safe. she is on the phone with friends, thanks everyone for your concern and please give her some space
— Chelsea E. Manning (@xychelsea) May 28, 2018
The photo was deleted later Sunday evening. A tweet was sent from Manning’s account that read, “Chelsea is safe. She is on the phone with friends, thanks everyone for your concern and please give her some space.”
Manning shared another tweet that has since been deleted.
“I’m sorry – I tried – I’m sorry I let you all down,” she wrote, as per The Daily News. “I’m not really cut out for this world – I tried adapting to this world out here but I failed you – I couldn’t do this anymore – I can take people I don’t know hating me but not my own friends. I tried and I’m sorry about my failure.”
Many on social media quickly jumped on her frightening tweets, asking friends to contact Manning or authorities to ensure her safety.
The tweets came after a social media debate with Dawn Ennis, a former ABC News assignment editor who criticized Manning’s remark that “voting won’t change anything.”
Ennis, who came out as transgender in 2013, posted on Twitter: “I am looking forward to an update on Chelsea’s well being in the morning. I truly wish her well. And I expect a new wave of online anger and hate to greet me, too. Be kind to all those who struggle. I myself will work harder to bear that in mind.”
Good night, Twitter. I am looking forward to an update on Chelsea’s well being in the morning. I truly wish her well. And I expect a new wave of online anger and hate to greet me, too. Be kind to all those who struggle. I myself will work harder to bear that in mind. pic.twitter.com/ucWCsqbdso
— Dawn Ennis (@lifeafterdawn) May 28, 2018
Manning, whose name was Bradley at the time of her arrest in 2010, worked as an intelligence analyst in Iraq. She was convicted in 2013 in military court of six violations of the Espionage Act and 14 other offenses or providing to WikiLeaks more than 700,000 secret military and State Department documents, as well as battlefield videos.
Manning was released from a military prison last year after serving seven years of a 35-year sentence when President Obama granted her clemency. She has since turned to politics, filing paperwork for a Democratic primary bid in Maryland. She’s seeking to unseat Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin, who is seeking his third term in the Senate.
