'OITNB' Star Taryn Manning Speaks Out: Victim of Cyber Terrorism, Not Suicidal
Taryn Manning sent "Orange is the New Black" fans into a panic when she posted a troubling message but she wants it known that she is not going to harm herself.
She also wanted to speak out in her own words regarding the situation, and hopefully inform others who may be dealing with cyber attacks.
The Blast had a phone conversation with Manning shortly after she posted a message on Instagram informing everyone that she would not be attending the premiere red carpet event for the final season of "OITNB" because of "uncontrollable circumstances" caused by cyber criminals.
Manning tells us, "I'm not suicidal," adding that, "I would never hurt myself."
She also addressed the fact that her father killed himself when she was a teenager and is adamant she would never do the same.
The star, who plays Tiffany “Pennsatucky” Doggett on the Netflix show, says she put up the emotional post because she is "crushed" about not being able to attend the premiere with her co-stars, but claims she has been compromised and it has ruined her life and left her "isolated" from the world. Manning tell us she's reached out to her managers and lawyers for help, but her team has abandoned her amid the terrorizing situation.
The actress says the final season of "OITNB" is "huge" for her character, and the show is fantastic this season but believes if she goes out in public, she will incite those who are on a mission to ruin her life.
To be specific, Manning says "cyber criminals are after me," adding that, "I don't exactly know how it is happening but is."
The people/person behind her digital assets being compromised has caused issues with her finances and credit cards, emails, socials, and computers.
Some of the specifics include erasing data on her Macbook Pros, including music and pictures. It seems the attack maybe coming from the iCloud or comprised devices.
She says money is also being taken from her accounts. Because of the situation, she lost work as an actress and DJ, which has cost her "hundreds of thousands" of dollars in income. Part of the issue in this case is the attackers contact her family, friends, and even representatives of her acting career.
Manning has been dealing with these issues for years now and at this point it has left her "petrified." Unfortunately, the deliberate attacks on her have left her in a position where she is not comfortable traveling to NYC for the “OITNB” premiere or after-party.
It's not the first time Manning has dealt with situations of comprised personal safety, as she was a victim of Internet related crimes by a former acquaintance who served jail time for cyberstalking the star.
Manning says she has continually dealt with similar situations over the years.
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Manning is proud of her work on "OITNB," and tells us the final season is "incredible."She had also picked out a "beautiful" dress for the premiere but says with the circumstances the way they are, she won't be leaving her home.
At this point, she feels that her team has abandoned her in the wake of these major issues and even says her agent took off to the premiere without her and took her tickets.
We're told the agent was aware she was afraid of these cyber criminals but wouldn’t fly with her and help. Manning feels she should be with the rest of the cast having fun in NYC today but no one will help her with her situation so she now sits at home alone and isolated.
Just in the last few hours, Manning's publicist from Imprint PR has dropped her as a client, seemingly for not doing the publicity for the show tonight.
Again, she points out in such a terrible moment, her “team” could have circled the horses instead of turning their back.
