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The Manti Te’o Story Has Taken Some Odd Twists: Here’s What You Need to Know

Jan. 18, 2013 11:19am Madeleine Morgenstern

The Latest You Need to Know on the Manti Teo Dead Girlfriend Hoax Mystery

The Manti Te’o mystery isn’t getting much clearer.

After the Notre Dame linebacker’s tragic, heartwarming story about playing through the death of his girlfriend was revealed to be an elaborate hoax, Te’o — and the university — insisted he had been the victim of a cruel prank.

Te’o and Notre Dame said the star player learned on Dec. 6 that “Lennay Kekua” was not real — but that’s odd, because Te’o talked about publicly at least twice after the fact.

“I don’t like cancer at all. I lost both my grandparents and my girlfriend to cancer,” Te’o told reporters before the Heisman Trophy ceremony in New York City on Dec. 8.

Then in an interview with the Los Angeles Times on Dec. 9, Te’o said of the decision to play a game days after Lennay Kekua supposedly died: “She made me promise, when it happened, that I would stay and play.”

Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick cast Te’o as having been tricked into an online romance with a woman using a fake name, and then being fooled into believing she had died of leukemia the same day his grandmother — really — died in September. Te’o became a campus hero for leading Notre Dame to its best season in decades after battling back from the devastating dual losses, even coming in second for the Heisman.

Yahoo! Sports reported Thursday that some Notre Dame administrators actually pushed for a public disclosure last week, but were pressed by Te’o's agent to hold off until Monday so the linebacker could “release his version of events.” That didn’t happen, and the story broke on Deadspin.com Wednesday.

Deadspin.com also cast serious doubt on the idea of Te’o as a victim, speaking with sources who attested to Te’o's closeness with Ronaiah Tuiasosopo, the man believed to have posed online as Lennay Kekua. A woman who was Facebook friends with Tuiasosopo told Deadspin, “Manti and Ronaiah are family, or at least family friends,” while another friend of Tuiasosopo’s said he was “80 percent sure” Te’o was “in on it” and said the two had schemed to create Kekua’s death for publicity.

Also strange is how Te’o's father, Brian Te’o, apparently told a newspaper Lennay Kekua used to visit his son at home in Hawaii.

In another tidbit, Tuiasosopo once auditioned for NBC’s “The Voice” and told a “sob story” about getting into a “massive” car accident — much like Kekua supposedly did before dying of leukemia.

“He had this insane sob story before [he sang],” a source told Us Weekly. “It would make for great TV.”

Meanwhile, the real woman whose photo was used as the face of Lennay Kekua was identified as 23-year-old Diane O’Meara, a marketing professional from Los Angeles, and a former classmate of a friend of Te’o's, according to UPI. She declined to comment to “Inside Edition” cameras on Thursday.

Te’o issued a statement Wednesday night saying he had been the victim of the hoax, but has otherwise remained silent and mostly out of sight. Notre Dame student body president Brett Rocheleau told the AP on Thursday the majority of students are standing by him, but want to hear what he has to say.

“Whenever Manti decides to speak I’ll bet the entire campus will stop what they’re doing and watch what he has to say,” Rocheleau said “I think the majority of students believe in Manti. They just want to hear him answer these final few questions and hear the story from his point of view.”

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Comments (68)

usafpatriot
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 1:08pm
Who Care’s! We’re $16.5T in debt, we have a wannabe dictator in office and our country is concerned with this story and the Lance Armstrong doping story. If you ask me our country is getting to be a bunch low IQ, low esteem, concerned only with pop culture idiots. If we don’t wake up we will deserve what the furture holds for us…

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hempstead1944
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 1:01pm
What a totally worthless news story……..I cannot think of anything I am interested in less than this !

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- TheEDGE
  Posted on January 18, 2013 at 1:40pm
  The MSM wants you to be outraged about this non-story and the fact that some bicyclist lied while totally ignoring Bengazi and fast and furious. Our god given rights wither on the vine as we continue to waste precious time on these self absorbed goons who lie and cheat. When are men going to turn the game off and really get involved in saving the future for our children?
  
  Report this comment
Exidor
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 12:44pm
I say he was trying to “brand” himself and the inspirational story of the dying girlfriend helped.

Kim Kardashian has made an art (and career) out of doing the same thing.

Celebrity and Athlete mentality.

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jrcess
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 12:44pm
IQ must be a struggle for him to hit 60, what a dumbass.

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- scuba13
  Posted on January 18, 2013 at 12:53pm
  Why didn’t he attend her funeral?
  
  Report this comment
JWBooth
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 12:28pm
Quick Poll Blazers: Who gives a flying sh-t? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller? Anyone?

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- sillyfreshness
  Posted on January 18, 2013 at 12:38pm
  Either this Manti knew all along or he is the biggest chump of all time. I don’t see how someone famous like him could be played like that and for him to call her his “girlfriend”. It would be like you calling a movie star your girlfriend even though you’ve never met her. You can’t call someone you’ve never met your girlfriend. So if Manti met some cute girl at Norte Dame that wanted to date him he’d say “oh no, I have a girlfriend…..that I’ve never met. I can’t date anyone.” I highly doubt it.
  
  Report this comment
- loriann12
  Posted on January 18, 2013 at 1:00pm
  Product of the education system of Hawaii….military dependents leave 2 grades behind other states.
  
  Report this comment
rivertree
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 12:17pm
Boy oh boy…to see what our society has become, and it is snowballing so quickly.

This sure does share the same behavior pattern indicators as Obama’s cover up behavior on Benghazi. Same behavior just another level of life. And guess what, its an embarrassing & shameful day when a ‘poser’ gets deposed & exposed. Exactly what is happening here.

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Ghandi was a Republican
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 12:13pm
The guy is an idiot. How do you have a ‘girlfriend’ you have never met, let alone mourn her without ever having met anyone else who actually knows her? The whole thing was a lie and the guy should be shamed for it. Fantasy role playing right out in the open with a fantasy girlfriend is kinda sick. Killing her off in a public display is even more twisted.

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lmr4524
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 12:12pm
Last night on Gretta VS’s show, she mentioned that the ‘girlfriend’s’ online account was created by some guy who created this persona (eww!), and has pulled this not only on T’eo, but other athletes. Why isn’t the media looking more into THAT? I think this creep is extorting this poor kid (for money or sick kicks); if T’eo has been part of it since realizing it’s fake, but only because he’s being forced. I wonder if the family has also been forced perpetuate the story. I think other players who are supporting this have either been manipulated in some way or T’eo confided the situation to them and asked them to help. If he’s being extorted or manipulated in some way, it all makes sense. Why else would these people behave like this? T’eo has nothing to gain so much by this, but the threat of an NFL career or reputation to lose. I think that he was targeted because he’s an decent and talented kid with a rising star, and some jerk wants to ruin it for him.

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- Deadbang
  Posted on January 18, 2013 at 12:26pm
  Because he was in on it the whole time that’s why. Don’t be so naive.
  
  Report this comment
DadRocked
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 12:11pm
Hey JustAngy – what happened to our posts about this not mattering about the Blaze’s headline: Here’s What You Need to Know

WHY was it purged?

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- woodyee
  Posted on January 18, 2013 at 12:30pm
  They’ve been doing a LOT of purging lately. Perhaps it’s time to start noting dates and times again, and then emailing the editors with a little something to go on. Seemingly harmless posts are disappearing left and right for no apparent reason. It COULD be the recent adjustments made to the website, but, there’s nothing much to go on yet.
  
  Report this comment
- DadRocked
  Posted on January 18, 2013 at 2:07pm
  Thanks… I have their posts and my responses copied/pasted when my 1st reply didn’t go.
  Then my 2nd didn’t either… Nothing in the slightest as being crude…
  I’ll do what you recommended…
  
  Thanks again…
  
  Report this comment
Wolf73b
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 12:08pm
How long will it be until we find out he’s gay?

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Pat Alexander
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 12:04pm
Imaginary Beard?

Or just a sob story for the Heisman?

One or the other. No adult male is this dumb…

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- Wolf73b
  Posted on January 18, 2013 at 12:09pm
  Te’o excels at EVERYTHING!
  
  Report this comment
Via Dolorosa
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 11:48am
Whether the Blaze, or its writers realize it or not, they are being used – by satan – for the purpose of sitrring up strife for another person or persons. “We” don’t “need” to know a single thing about a football player who has become involved in a so called “scandal”. “We” don’t “need” to know a single thing about a bicyclist who has become involved in a so called “scandal”.

Remember – the Bible tells us how wicked the “scribes” are.

Scribes = reporters, writers media

How many of us (all if we are truthful) have lied.
How many of us (all if we are truthful) have gotten ourselves caught up in a deceitful situation or with a deceitful person.

You guys need to really, truly re-examine yourselves on who you are serving on this planet. Because you can’t serve both man (the world) and God at the same time. And we all need to start a clean up of our own life and self – before we laugh, ridicule and try to humiliate others for the exact same thing we are doing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30vSr2qXzis

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- Rowgue
  Posted on January 18, 2013 at 11:56am
  You need to seriously examine your medication labels.
  
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- scuba13
  Posted on January 18, 2013 at 12:58pm
  Hey Via. I tried to re-examine myself last night but I’m older now and I can’t bend over that far anymore. Have a nice day.
  
  Report this comment
- wojo14
  Posted on January 18, 2013 at 5:31pm
  Media = Scribes = Evil? What in the world are you doing on the Blaze’s website in the first place?
  
  Report this comment
freedom4mykids
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 11:47am
He is a liar and a loser and yet he will be rewarded with a first round draft pick to an NFL team and will be making millions by this time next year. I guess it would be unrealistic to believe that the powers that be in the NFL might set an example that they look for contect of character in their players instead of someone who is a fraud.

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rosegrower
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 11:47am
What does this say about the MSM? They have obviously carried the girlfriend story as though it were truth – only to be skunked by Deadspin.com. This story really isn’t about one football player and his elaborate but flawed attempt to engineer himself into a Heisman – it’s about the media that feeds those low information voters who are still waiting for the Obama administration to lower their health care bills and make their mortgage payments go away.

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- saranda
  Posted on January 18, 2013 at 1:16pm
  Says nothing about MSM and everything about sports reporting. Watching sports reporters try to cover anything that isn’t related to the game on the field/court/ice is a joke. Watch these ex jocks or wannabes talk about contracts or lockouts and you can almost see the bewilderment in their eyes.
  
  Report this comment
- crueltiming
  Posted on January 18, 2013 at 9:07pm
  another case of the MSM not looking into the background of some guy from hawaii.Sound familiar?
  
  Report this comment
Gimme Shelter
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 11:45am
He’s staying out of sight even longer since the Tide single handedly cost him money/draft status in the NFL draft!!
ROLL TIDE!!!

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- rolltidegurl
  Posted on January 18, 2013 at 9:21pm
  Roll Tide Roll!
  
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lvjohn
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 11:36am
Just a lying Hawaiian

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- DadRocked
  Posted on January 18, 2013 at 12:08pm
  May be in some of the Maui Wowee bong water being drank.
  A caller on the radio yesterday had said that because Nobama had his made up girlfriend too in his book…
  I chuckled…
  
  Report this comment
- oldguy49
  Posted on January 18, 2013 at 12:12pm
  that makes 2 that i know of……………….
  
  Report this comment
- booger71
  Posted on January 18, 2013 at 12:18pm
  We have another of those in the White House
  
  Report this comment
BATluvs3
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 11:30am
What a liar.

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KevINtampa
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 11:30am
Well, it’s a sick society if people actually think they are in a relationship with someonethey’ve only ever met in “cyber space”.

I mean, you don’t even know what they smell like. That’s just weird.

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- RobbieTLHughie
  Posted on January 18, 2013 at 12:46pm
  Oh yeah, man! Totally sick when people can do this. Did you know you can even “DATE” and meet people online? Supposedly, I’ven ever seen it myself… How crazy is that! Totally insane, truly The Biblical Tower of Babel.
  
  I’ve also heard that you can make phone calls without wires, this is also ludicrous.
  
  And there is this place you can go on your computing-machine that allows you to access areas of this so called “internet” with words that you can read on a screen. Madness!
  
  When are you people going to come to the year 2013 with the rest of us? If you think online dating is weird, wait till you hear about all the other madness that goes on in the Internet.
  
  Report this comment
dsd13130
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 11:30am
I’d agree with that. His life doesn’t affect my life at all.

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Detroit paperboy
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 11:29am
Weirdo………..

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jteagle
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 11:28am
This is one of the funniest stories I’ve seen in a long time.

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Cavallo
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 11:28am
Ditto.

“Here’s what you may want to know if you are into tabloid gossip insignificant BS.” would be a more apt title.

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Gonzo
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 11:23am
I went to her funeral. The imaginary flowers were so beautiful!

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- IMCHRISTIAN
  Posted on January 18, 2013 at 12:46pm
  I suppose she (he) is on the way to an imaginary heaven. Well, if the truth the whole truth doesn’t come out soon they may not believe it but they will eventually meet the Real Judge (God). Tell truth not lies then you don’t have to remember what you said the time before.
  
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- Gonzo
  Posted on January 18, 2013 at 1:38pm
  Say an imaginary prayer for her soul that never existed. Sniff
  
  Report this comment
gyro
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 11:23am
Well crap muslems in england are using very young children as sex slaves including branding them
and americans worry about a foot ball stars stupidity
continue on with the news nothing to read here
:(

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- jteagle
  Posted on January 18, 2013 at 11:29am
  What’s a muslem?
  
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- gyro
  Posted on January 18, 2013 at 11:58am
  thanks jteagle got the o and u mixed up
  
  A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the Qur’an —which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God
  
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- jteagle
  Posted on January 18, 2013 at 12:07pm
  Oh so it’s just as ridiculous as being a Christian?
  
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- gyro
  Posted on January 18, 2013 at 12:18pm
  jteagle = there are nuts in every religion and you can only blame the religion when it is writen so strangely that any nut can exploit it
  It may be fair to say some early cristian religions (1000-1400 I think covers this ) were just as nuts as theses guys in england
  but some kind of evolution is required in any religion not a backward slide
  evit hides in churches mosks and temples all over the world
  
  Report this comment
Winedude
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 11:22am
The guy is a fraud…no more, no less!

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