NEW YORK (AP) — Bradley Manning says he plans to live as a woman and begin hormone therapy, a day after the soldier was sentenced to 35 years in prison for sending classified information to WikiLeaks.

In a written statement provided to NBC's "Today" show on Thursday morning, Manning said he planned to live as a woman named Chelsea.

A military judge announced the sentence in Manning's court-martial on Wednesday. Manning's struggle with gender identity disorder — his sense that he was a man trapped in a woman's body — was a key part of his defense.

Attorneys had presented evidence of Manning's struggle with gender identity, including a photo of the soldier in a blond wig and lipstick that he sent to a therapist.