Who is Ronaiah “Naya” Tuiasosopo? Recalling the controversy around the catfisher who derailed Manti Te'o's career

Manti Te'o's infamous catfishing scandal was one of the leading stories of the NFL when the news broke. According to The Cinemaholic, the story began with Ronaiah "Naya" Tuiasosopo, who was confused about her sexual orientation. To explore her preferences, she created an online alias called Lennay Kekua.

Naya Tuiasosopo - Courtesy of Naya Tuiasosopo on Twitter

Pictures for the online alias came from a classmate from her high school days. Manti Te'o wasn't the first person she dated online. Before Te'o, she "dated" multiple boys online but would break it off when they asked to meet in person. Eventually, she started dating the football player and the two developed an online relationship over years.

Despite talking online for years, the two never met in real life. At one point, Tuiasosopo thought it was time to end it as it had gone on too long. Instead of breaking up with the football player conventionally, she faked "Lennay's" death. A battle with leukemia and a fatal car crash were the methods she used to fake the alias' death.

The catfisher originally grew up with a family of football players. She played the game herself for a time but ultimately gave it up in favor of music. At one point, she had a YouTube channel and would post covers and songs online. The channel has since been deleted.

It was around this time she thought about becoming a transgender woman, leading to the idea for the online alias. She currently lives in Carson, California and works as an assistant store manager of operations at Lowe's Home Improvement.

Who is Manti Te'o?

Chicago Bears v San Diego Chargers

The inside linebacker's career in the NFL began in 2013 when he was selected by the San Diego Chargers in the second round with the 38th overall pick of the NFL Draft. According to Pro Football Reference, the linebacker spent his first four years in the league with the Chargers.

While he never truly made an impact in most statistical categories, he racked up a large number of tackles. While with the Chargers, he earned 221 total tackles.

In 2017, Te'o went to the New Orleans Saints, where he shifted to middle linebacker. Initially, the move was a decent success, as he racked up 62 total tackles that season.

However, it was the last truly productive season for the defensive player. In 2018, Te'o earned just 18 total tackles. In 2019, he earned six. In 2020, his final year in the league, he played for the Chicago Bears but never saw the field. In total, he earned 1.5 sacks in his entire NFL career.