The online name “Sydney Leathers” was used by the 22-year-old woman who allegedly engaged in sexual chats with New York City Mayoral hopeful Anthony Weiner, according to a report.
BuzzFeed on Tuesday evening identified the woman, whose real name was not given, who was linked to the former New York congressman.
The website said she is from Indiana, in her early 20s, and was described as a “progressive activist.”
She reportedly used the service Formspring. However, a link to her account shows it was “suspended.”
BuzzFeed did not disclose where or how it obtained the images.
In a press conference on Tuesday in Manhattan, Weiner said that he is not dropping out of the New York mayoral race.
“I want to bring my vision to the people of the city of New York,” Weiner said. “I hope they are willing to still continue to give me a second chance.”
The new scandal was first reported on gossip site The Dirty, which said Weiner used the name “Carlos Danger” to chat with the woman. “I said that other texts and photos were likely to come out and today they have,” he added in the conference. “It’s in our rear-view mirror, but it’s not far.”
“I love him, I have forgiven him, I believe in him, and as we have said from the beginning, we are moving forward,” said his wife Huma Abedin, who is a longtime adviser to former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.
The woman told The Dirty she was 22 when she began talking to Weiner on Formspring. She said their online relationship started July 2012 and lasted for around six months. The woman added she knew she was talking to Weiner, reported The Associated Press.
“This was a bad situation for me because I really admired him. Even post scandal, I thought he was misunderstood. Until I got to know him. I thought I loved him. Pretty pathetic,” she told The Dirty.
