Anthony Weiner Press Conference: Admits Sexting After Resignation, Refuses To Drop Out (VIDEO)

WATCH: Weiner Admits To Sexting After 2011 Resignation
|

Anthony Weiner held a press conference Tuesday afternoon to acknowledge new sexting reports and continue his candidacy for mayor of New York City.

"These things that I did were wrong and hurtful to my wife and caused us to go through many challenges in our marriage," Weiner said. "With 49 days left until primary day, I'm surprised that more things didn't come out sooner."

The announcement follows claims made on the nightlife website "The Dirty" allegedly showing sex chats Weiner engaged in with an anonymous 22-year-old woman.

During the conference, Weiner admitted some of the conversations went on both before and after his resignation from congress in 2011.

His wife, Huma Abedin, was also present at Tuesday's announcement and spoke for the first time publicly about Weiner's sexting scandal and urged the public to move forward.

"It took a lot of work and a whole lot of therapy to get to a place where I could forgive Anthony," Abedin said.

Prior to the 5 p.m. news conference, Weiner released a statement regarding the report:

I’ve been in contact with a young female girl who wishes to remain Anonymous. She was lured by Anthony Weiner post scandal via Facebook. They had a relationship for 6 months and she believed they were in love. Anthony Weiner like a true sex predator promised Anonymous many things like a job at Politico and a condo in Chicago (a place they could meet up and have sex). The relationship consisted of Anthony Weiner and Anonymous sending sexually explicit pictures of each other and having sexual conversations via phone.

Fellow Democratic candidate Bill de Blasio called upon Weiner to resign:

Enough is enough. I’m calling on Anthony to withdraw from this race — for the good of the city that I know he loves as much as all of us.

— Bill de Blasio (@deBlasioNYC) July 23, 2013

Our 2024 Coverage Needs You

As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.

Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.

to keep our news free for all.

Support HuffPost

Before You Go

2013 NYC Mayoral Candidates
Bill de Blasio (01 of12)
Open Image Modal
Currently the city's Public Advocate, Bill de Blasio announced his bid for mayor in January 2013.He has supported the paid sick leave bill, banning horse-drawn carriages, and has been fiercely critical of Mayor Michael Bloomberg's homeless policies. (credit:Getty Images)
Anthony Weiner(02 of12)
Open Image Modal
Former Democratic congressman Anthony Weiner finally announced his bid for mayor in May after months of intense speculation by the media and politicians alike. In 2011, an embarrassing sexting scandal forced Weiner to resign from Congress. The lewd photos, along with his denial and subsequent admission, kept him out of the political spotlight until this spring. (credit:AP)
John Liu(03 of12)
Open Image Modal
As the city's current comptroller, John Liu oversees New York City's finances. Despite a federal investigation accusing two former aides to Liu of breaking campaign finance laws, Liu announced his candidacy for mayor in March.In a recent interview, Liu said, "We are all liberal Democrats" and suggested Democratic mayoral hopefuls were all the same, differing on only a few issues such as stop and frisk. If elected, Liu would become the city's first Asian-American mayor. (credit:Getty Images)
Christine Quinn(04 of12)
Open Image Modal
Christine Quinn is the current City Council Speaker of New York City. She is said to be Mayor Michael Bloomberg's favorite candidate. (credit:Getty Images)
Bill Thompson(05 of12)
Open Image Modal
From 2002-2009, Bill Thompson served as New York City's Comptroller. Thompson, a Democrat, ran for mayor in 2009 against Bloomberg. He was outspent 14 to 1 by Bloomberg, and still only lost by a few percentage points. (credit:Getty Images)
Adolfo Carrion Jr. (06 of12)
Open Image Modal
Adolfo Carrion, Jr. was the Bronx Borough President from 2002 to 2009 and was appointed by the Obama administration as the Regional Director for HUD's New York office. He is running for mayor as an independent. (credit:Getty Images)
Erick Salgado(07 of12)
Open Image Modal
Staten Island's Rev. Erick Salgado announced his Democratic candidacy for mayor, despite a socially conservative agenda which includes anti-gay marriage, pro-life policies. (credit:Facebook)
Sal Albanese(08 of12)
Open Image Modal
Sal Albanese is a former city council member also hoping to win the Democratic primary. He also worked as a New York City public school teacher. This will be his third bid for mayor of New York City. (credit:Facebook/© Callie Lipkin)
Joseph Lhota(09 of12)
Open Image Modal
Before launching his GOP candidacy for mayor, Joseph Lhota served as MTA chairman and served as the City’s Budget Director in Mayor Giuliani’s first term, and Deputy Mayor for Operations during the second.In 1999, he fought a public battle against the Brooklyn Museum to remove a portrait of the Virgin Mary containing elephant dung. He lost. (credit:Getty Images)
John Catsimatidis (10 of12)
Open Image Modal
John Catsimatidis . a Republican candidate for mayor, is a billionaire supermarket mogul. He is known for his pro-NYPD policies and supports the continuation of the department's controversial stop-and-frisk program. (credit:Getty Images)
George McDonald(11 of12)
Open Image Modal
George McDonald is the founder and president of The Doe Fund, a non-profit that seeks to help homeless and formerly incarcerated individuals find work. He has never held public office.He initially identified himself as a Democrat but has since switched to the Republican party. McDonald has received criticism for trying to challenge campaign contribution limits. (credit:Facebook)
Anthony Weiner(12 of12)
Open Image Modal
Former Democratic congressman Anthony Weiner finally announced his bid for mayor in May after months of intense speculation by the media and politicians alike. In 2011, an embarrassing sexting scandal forced Weiner to resign from Congress. The lewd photos, along with his denial and subsequent admission, have since dogged his political career, but a recent poll revealed many New Yorkers were willing to forgive and forget, with voters putting him at second only behind frontrunner Christine Quinn. (credit:AP)