A woman has sparked widespread outrage after defending Luigi Mangione and claiming she would kill her own mother if she became a healthcare executive like slain UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. The controversial remarks were made by 32-year-old Lena Weissbrot on Instagram following reports that identified her mother, Reina Natero, as an executive at CVS Health who oversees prescription drug insurance coverage rules.
Weissbrot initially attempted to downplay her mother's position after the information became public. In a text message screenshot later shared on her Instagram story, she wrote, "She's a worker," according to the New York Post. However, she then escalated the controversy with shocking comments.
"If my mom was a health insurance executive I would have shot her myself," Weissbrot wrote. She continued by imagining a hypothetical scenario in which she inherited money from her mother after such an act. "If she were a health insurance executive like Brain Thompson, and I were the same person I am now and if I knew what I do now (unlikely because coming from an ultra wealthy family would make me a fundamentally different person), and I were still in the will and thought I could get away with it, I'd inherit the money and redistribute to all the families she destroyed with her murderous company," she wrote. "But that's so far from my reality it's just a fantasy. A fantasy that makes me… wet," she added.
In another Instagram story post, Weissbrot wrote: "Debating: would I actually redact my mom if she was a health insurance CEO." She added: "When it comes to debating me about hypothetical situations that don't exist: don't."
Weissbrot has become known online as one of several self-described "Mangionistas," a group of supporters and independent bloggers who have attended Luigi Mangione's court hearings using New York City-issued press credentials. Mangione is accused in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, whose death triggered debate online around the American healthcare system. Some justify his death, while others say Mangione is just another cold-blooded killer.
Outside a recent court hearing, Weissbrot caused further backlash after saying Thompson's children "are better off without him." "They need to learn to not be like their dad — and enjoy the blood money," she added.
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