Weiner chat partner Sydney Leathers felt 'manipulated'
Updated at 5:32 p.m. ET on 7/25
(CNN) – The woman who exchanged the sexually explicit messages that have thrown Anthony Weiner's New York City mayoral campaign into damage control mode said Thursday the former congressman deceived her when he contacted her online.
"I felt manipulated," Sydney Leathers told the television program "Inside Edition." "Obviously I felt like he's saying one thing to me, another thing to his wife, saying another thing on the campaign trail. I don't know who the real Anthony Weiner is I guess."
Later, Leathers claimed Weiner became "controlling" toward the end of their online relationship.
"He would tell me that he would be jealous," Leathers said. "He would look at my Facebook frequently. He would tell me that he would get jealous if other men would compliment me. Just little stuff like that."
Weiner's campaign declined to comment on the interview with Leathers.
READ MORE: Weiner's poll numbers tumble
The messages between Weiner and Leathers – some of which included lewd photographs of Weiner - came to light Tuesday on the gossip website TheDirty. The site claimed Weiner vowed to purchase a condominium for Leathers in Chicago, as well as secure her a place on a panel for political bloggers.
A friend of Leathers told CNN on Wednesday the 23-year-old Indiana native was a strong supporter of the New York politician even after he resigned from Congress amid similar circumstances two years ago.
READ MORE: Pelosi blasts Weiner: Do your therapy in private
Leathers actively posts about politics and her Democratic views on Facebook, and had previously included Weiner in a list of political heroes.
She said in the "Inside Edition" interview she was blown away that the former congressman would revert to the behavior that led to his resignation from Congress in 2011.
"I was shocked because I didn't think he would be so foolish as to do the same thing all over again," she said. "He was making these campaign promises that he had totally changed, and he was a better man now, and he learned from his mistakes, and I have proof that that was not true."
Leathers "cared" about Weiner, she said, and knew that he wanted her to erase any evidence of their "very sexual" conversations.
But now, as their conversations have come to light, Leathers no longer sees Weiner in quite the same way.
Asked by "Inside Edition" correspondent Jim Moret whether Weiner was trying to "pull one over" on voters, Leathers replied, "Absolutely."
"Otherwise he wouldn't have went on the whole 'I'm a changed man, I've learned my lesson, I wouldn't have said those things' if he wasn't trying to be someone he wasn't," she said.
Her verdict of Weiner now? She recalled a description the politician used about himself in one of their conversations.
"The exact wording was that he was an argumentative, perpetually horny middle aged man," she said. "And at the time, I was like, 'Oh no, you're not.' But yes, he is."
Sources: Huma Abedin considered leaving Weiner last fall
Weiner resists calls to withdraw as woman who received messages is identified
From CNN Politics
- Kushner: I did not collude July 24, 2017 12:40 pm
- President Trump today
- Kushner's statement on Russia: What you need to know July 24, 2017 02:39 pm
- Trump doesn't want to fire Sessions. He wants Sessions to quit. July 24, 2017 03:50 pm
- Trump calls AG Sessions 'beleaguered' in tweet July 24, 2017 01:40 pm
- Trump calls House intel's top Democrat 'sleazy' July 24, 2017 03:37 pm
wow her mom must be so proud her!!
mr. weiner, get some help, you're a very sick man. mrs. weiner, why are you putting your dirty family stuff in the public light yet again. what are you thinking.
This girl is full of crap. There you got your 15 minutes of fame. Go back to you came from "I felt manipulated" yeah right. Hypocrite.
They're both pretty sick puppies in need of some professional help.
If this wasn't so sad and pathetic it would be laughable.
She knew he was MARRIED.
She knew he was married. Manipulated? She better hope that his wife isn't the vindictive type. The wife has powerful friends in high places. GROW UP and quit fooling around with married men.
This chick needs to stop. Women like her kill me! If you are a political blogger and you've been following his career, then you know about his marriage and what he has done in the past. Quit selling yourself so cheap! He played you for a fool by selling you dreams and you fell for it! A condo and a position with a political blogger position?! Baby girl, get your life together and quit getting played. After all of that, he is still married and you have yet to receive your condo. Let this be a lesson as you grow older, never let a fool make a fool out of you. Hopefully you will grow up and not remain a fool all of your life.
They are both idiots. Takes one to know one.
Since she thought Wiener was one of her "political heroes" and still supported him after the original scandal broke, That tells most of us what we need to know about her: " Hi! This is Sydney Leathers, the dullest knife in any drawer".
Please give me a break.
This woman is on Inside Edition, and has an agent, and she claims she was manipulated? She knowingly engaged in an affair with a married man, and was manipulated? I really hope people shun this woman, because her behavior is as bad as that of Mr. Weiner, who should withdraw from the race.
You don't deserve any sympathy, you knew he was married and still decided to engage in his little game. As far as I know, you are as guilty and without morals as him. You clearly deserve each other.
poor sorry little lamb! (dress and lipstick are atrocious together.) does she really believe that this will be the worst thing that will ever happen in her life? or is the just her grabbing her 15 minutes of fame now because she's such a loser?
She felt manipulated? What about second helpings.
People elect politicians who are dishonest. Happens all the time.
People elect politicians who have affairs. Happens all the time.
People elect politicians who are incompetent. Happens all the time.
But now were electing politicians who are downright full-on CREEPY? and who are PSYCHOS? (happened once before, Nancy Pelosi)
If they vote for him, they deserve him
shame on her – she is suddenly the innocent, naive, angelic victim
She is full of crap–if you don't trust him or like him don't vote for him.
It's comical how Leathers is trying to portray herself a some innocent little lamb who was
"manipulated" by big bad Anthony Weiner. She's a grown woman who knew exactly
what she was doing & who she was doing it with. To claim otherwise is grossly
disingenuous.
Hey, guys. If you decide to go on a chat room, this is the quality of a woman you are likely to find - someone who will lure you in and then reveal all your tawdry business in public. Forewarned is forearmed.
This woman is no better than Weiner, she was trying to manipulate him into the condo deal... Kiss and tell is the nastiest game in the business... I have the same respect for her as I do him, NONE ! Go away lady, you are nothing more than a troll !
She felt manipulated because he was saying different things to different people? Well, first, he was cheating emotionally on his wife. Second, he's a politician. She was old enough to know better. Oh, and nice lipstick.
A celebrity wanna be,she knew that Weiner was a dirt bag,so she basically used him to get herself some media exposure they both deserve one another.
This chump is out to manipulate strange women online, the media, NY voters, his wife,..... There's no end to this creep's trickery. Running for mayor of NY is just a smoke screen. If elected, he'll have constant access to lonely women.
who else is running for mayor.....for CNN to spend this much time on a democrat scandal someone must have paid off CNN