Hannah Anderson, California kidnapping victim, spoke to the TODAY show about her abduction and how she is coping with the loss of her mother and brother on Thursday.
The interview was Hannah's only acknowledgement to the media since she was rescued Aug 10. from a rural area in Idaho. Her abductor, James Lee DiMaggio, allegedly murdered Hannah's mother Christina Anderson and 8-year-old brother Ethan Anderson.
DiMaggio was killed during a shootout with FBI officials during Hannah's rescue.
Hannah tackled a lot of topics during her interview, from her interactions with DiMaggio to her posts on social media. She revealed that she exchanged text messages, not phone calls with DiMaggio on Aug. 5, the day of the alleged crimes.
DiMaggio was supposed to pick her up from cheer camp, Hannah told the TODAY show.
"And he didn't know the address or what - like, where I was. So I had to tell him the address and tell him that I was gonna be in the gym and not in front of the school," Hannah said. "Just so he knew where to come get me."
Social media users have speculated about Hannah's behavior, believing posting on Facebook or Instagram was "fishy" because of her experiences.
"I didn't know people could be so cruel," Hannah told TODAY, adding social media is a way for her to talk to friends. "I connect to them through Facebook, and Instagram is - it just helps me grieve, like, post pictures and to show how I'm feeling. And I'm a teenager. I'm gonna go on it."
Hannah is trying to move on with her life, and preparing for her mother and brother's funeral on Saturday. However, DiMaggio's family has requested DNA samples be taken from Ethan and Hannah under the suspicion that they were actually his children.
Brett Anderson, Hannah's father, denied the accusations, NBC San Diego reports.
"Brett and Tina Anderson did not meet Mr. DiMaggio until the sixth month of Tina's pregnancy with Hannah. Brett Anderson's DNA was used to identify the body of his dead son Ethan Anderson," a spokesperson for the Anderson said in a statement.
However, a spokesperson for the DiMaggio family questions Hannah and Ethan's true paternity.
"What's going on with that family that the father can't keep control of his own daughter," Spanswick told NBC San Diego. "How does that point to the fact that Jim had to step in and act as the father figure all this time."
