Chelsea Manning is no stranger to the spotlight. The former military member became the center of media attention after she was sentenced to prison for 35 years (she only served seven, thanks to President Obama) for leaking classified documents to WikiLeaks nearly a decade ago.
But now that Manning is back in society, she might be getting some much different coverage in the glossy pages of Vogue.
Though the magazine hasn’t confirmed that they’re looking to photograph Manning, WWD reports that “sources said editor-in-chief Anna Wintour is asking designers to submit looks for the fashion spread.”
Manning, who was released on Wednesday, May 17, celebrated her freedom by posting a photo of her first few steps as a free woman.
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“First steps of freedom!! #ChelseaIsFree,” she captioned her first-ever Instagram post.
Later, she snapped a pic of a delicious-looking slice of pizza, which already has more than 13k followers.
“So, I’m already enjoying my first hot, greasy pizza,” she wrote.
Get it, girl.
As of now, it’s unclear what Manning will do or how she will adjust in the coming weeks, but with the help of a GoFundMe page set up in her honor, she’ll have at least over $150,000 to help her out as she acclimates to civilian life back in Maryland and gets the help she may need.
“The majority of Chelsea’s adult life has been spent under the control of powerful institutions,” the GoFundMe description reads. “Upon her release she will need logistical, emotional, and financial support to safely transition into the free world. For the first time in her life, Chelsea will have the opportunity to live freely as her authentic self, to grow her hair, engage with her friends, and build her own networks of love and support. We want her to have the funds to do that and to overcome the years of abuse she has experience [sic] in custody.”
While it would be great to see Manning in haute couture and read about her experiences both in and out of prison, we hope that she can get the support she needs and is able to take some time for herself.
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