Activist and whistleblower Chelsea Manning attempted to kill herself Wednesday, her legal team said in a news release.

The statement came only a few days before Manning was scheduled to appear at a court hearing on whether sanctions imposed on her after she refused to comply with a grand jury investigation into WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange should continue. Manning came to national attention after she leaked classified documents to WikiLeaks and was court-martialed for violating the Espionage Act.


Manning has claimed the grand jury investigation was open to abuse, writing in 2019 that it was “an effort to frighten journalists and publishers, who serve a crucial public good.”