Orange is the New Black star Taryn Manning has admitted to having an affair with a married man, after claiming his wife had threatened her with a restraining order.
The actor, who is best known for playing prisoner Tiffany Doggett, also known as Pensatucky, in the Netflix prison drama, initially acknowledged the affair in a video shared on her Instagram that sparked concern among her fans.
In the original clip, Manning, 44, sits in her car after pulling it over, explaining that she’s been “messing” with a “married man”, going into graphic detail about the nature of their relationship.
The actor then addresses his wife, telling her: “Don’t you ever threaten me.”
The video was later deleted, and on Monday (14 August), Manning – who has struggled with alcohol abuse over the years – shared a picture statement to her Instagram.
“Over the past few days, I’ve had some time to reflect on the situation I’ve been dealing with,” she wrote. “I was deeply hurt and handled things on a public platform when I should’ve just dealt with them quietly with the support of my close friends and family.
“I felt a lot of guilt after exposing everything and thought maybe the best resolution to the situation would be to say I lied about it all, but that is not the truth.”
Manning’s statement— (Taryn Manning/Instagram)
Manning, a former member of the dance-pop duo Boomkat, explained that she had had “a relationship with somebody who was married and told me he would leave his wife”, but that “in the end, I found out that wasn’t possible”.
“I pride myself on being an ethical and kind person. I know what I did was wrong, but the heart makes you do crazy things sometimes,” she wrote. “I am sorry for exposing my situation; I am not sorry for how I love.”
The actor then described the experience as “a huge learning lesson”, adding that she hoped to find a person who cherishes me the way I adore them” in a “healthy” way.
The Independent has contacted Manning for further comment.
Manning, pictured in 2022— (Getty Images)
In the original video, which has since been deleted but was obtained by Page Six, Manning graphically detailed sexual acts she and the man had allegedly done together.
Manning claimed she was “so in love” with the man, before saying that she felt “bad” he was married but “couldn’t stand” his wife, who reportedly threatened Manning with an “RO” (restraining order).
“He came to me,” she said. “You don’t accuse me of being a lunatic… Don’t you ever threaten me.”
Manning, who also appeared in Eminem’s 2002 film 8 Mile, asked for privacy in her statement “so I can heal and mend my heart”, before signing off.
If you or someone you know is suffering from alcohol addiction, you can confidentially call the national alcohol helpline Drinkline on 0300 123 1110 or visit the NHS website here for information about the programmes available to you.
