Manti Te'o catfish: How did former NFL star become victim of elaborate hoax?

Manti Te'o was involved in one of the most intricate hoaxes in recent memory while playing linebacker for Notre Dame. The story of it all will be a part of the season two of the Netflix documentary series Untold.

The documentary will shed some light on the former Notre Dame linebacker and how he was deceived into thinking that he was in a genuine online relationship with a woman named Lennay Kekua.

The documentary will also highlight Ronaiah 'Naya' Tuiasosopo, the individual who orchestrated the hoax of the linebacker's fake girlfriend.

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How the hoax began

Manti Te'o at the 2012 Heisman Trophy Presentation

In 2009, the former linebacker met a Stanford student named Kekua outside Palo Alto, California, after Notre Dame's victory over Stanford. The two supposedly started out as friends before forming a romantic relationship, and talked extensively via the phone and online.

Then, things took a dramatic turn. Te'o's grandmother died on September 11, 2012, but he found out the following day. Kekua called the linebacker, saying that she will be there for him. Two hours later, he says he got a call from Kekua's "brother," who frantically told him: "She's gone."

The following week, Te'o, on the same day as Kekua's alleged funeral, helped the Fighting Irish win over Michigan 13-6. He had eight tackles and two interceptions in the matchup.

After the game, he said Kekua told him she didn't want him to leave Notre Dame, should anything happen to her, requesting only white roses at her funeral.

"All she wanted was some white roses. So, I sent her roses and sent her two picks along with that."

Less than a week after Notre Dame lost to Alabama in the national championship game, on January 3, 2013, Deadspin reported that Te'o's relationship with Kekua was a lie. It revealed that the two had never truly met and that former player Ronaiah Tuiasosopo was behind Kekua's identity.

Deadspin also spoke to sources who suggested that he should have known he was being catfished. Others claimed that he was in on the hoax in order to get national media attention.

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Manti Te'o releases statement on hoax

Manti Te'o in action

Manti Te'o released a statement after the news broke, saying that he felt the relationship he was in with Kekua was real:

“This is incredibly embarrassing to talk about, but over an extended period of time, I developed an emotional relationship with a woman I met online. We maintained what I thought to be an authentic relationship by communicating frequently online and on the phone, and I grew to care deeply about her.

“To realize that I was the victim of what was apparently someone's sick joke and constant lies was, and is, painful and humiliating.”

Te'o went on to say:

“In retrospect, I obviously should have been much more cautious. If anything good comes of this, I hope it is that others will be far more guarded when they engage with people online than I was.

“Fortunately, I have many wonderful things in my life, and I'm looking forward to putting this painful experience behind me as I focus on preparing for the NFL Draft.”

In subsequent interviews, he admitted that he lied to friends and family about meeting Kekua in person.

Te'o was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft, playing four seasons with the team. The linebacker played with the New Orleans Saints for the next three seasons before joining the Chicago Bears for a season in 2020. He married Jovi Nicole Engbino in 2020 and has a daughter.

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