Manti Te'o's Girlfriend Never Existed

[dyyhard]

could have just responded with "define gay."

 

[jus3]

could have just responded with "define gay."

If he said "define gay",

 

[mronegative]

He sounded like Sandusky when Bob Costas asked him bout the kids.

It ain't illegal, son. Be you.

 

[elpablo21]

The girls in the crowd were cheesing like they want to confirm that quote

 

[certifiedsw]

If he said "define gay",

The second time he said far from it had me in tears LMAO

 

[pepperjackchees]

Dude strokin hisself to a blank screen with a male voice in his ear.

 

[retro23j]

This is just weird.

 

[RyGuy45]

Cousin of Te'o hoaxster revealed as the voice behind fake girlfriend, relatives confirm

By EMILY SMITH, M.L. NESTEL and JEANE MACINTOSH, New York Post

She’s the voice behind Manti Te’o’s tragic faux-mance.

Hoax mastermind Ronaiah Tuiasosopo’s pretty young cousin played the part of “Lennay Kekua,” the fake girlfriend he created, The Post has learned.

Tino Tuiasosopo convinced the Notre Dame grid star that she was the real deal, calling him at school, telling him she loved him and even sobbing hysterically when another girl answered his phone, several of the woman’s relatives said yesterday.

“Tino is the girl that Manti has been talking to all these months,” said a Tuiasosopo cousin.

The revelation shoots down claims by Ronaiah Tuiasosopo’s attorney, Milton Grimes, that Ronaiah altered his masculine voice to play the part of the chirpy, flirty Kekua.

Grimes did not respond to calls or e-mails for comment.

One of Ronaiah’s relatives believes Grimes put out the story because the admitted hoaxer “is determined to take the rap.”

In an interview yesterday with ABC’s Katie Couric, Te’o provided voicemail messages from Lennay and insisted that he’d been duped into believing he was in a legitimate relationship.

After hearing the voicemails, one of Tino’s cousins told The Post, “There is no doubt whatsoever that it’s Tino.”

Te’o told Couric he believes the voice he heard as “Lennay” was definitely a woman. “Well, it didn’t sound like a man. It sounded like a woman,” he said.

“If he somehow made that voice, that’s incredible, that’s an incredible talent to do that. Especially every single day. “

In one voice recording, a hysterical “Lennay” accuses Te’o of having another girl in his room, saying, “I don’t know who answered your phone . . . I don’t care. [Inaudible] I’m trying. You made it clear what you want. Take care.”

One of the Tuiasosopo sources said, “That’s the way [Tino] cries when she’s feeling sorry for herself. Its her, that’s the voice.”

Tino, in her mid-20s, lives in Pago Pago, American Samoa. She works for her dad’s construction company and is described by relatives as vivacious and flirtatious, but very involved in the church. In a profile on the social networking site BEBO from 2008, she lists “acting” as a hobby.

Tino assumed her role in the Te’o ruse after she was dumped from a long-distance relationship with another man — and there were “extraordinary similarities” between the two situations, a source said.

The man broke off the relationship in late 2011.

“She said it was OK, because she was doing better. She said she was talking to another person [and] he plays football for Notre Dame — number 5, Manti,” a source recalled.

Tino couldn’t be reached for comment. Her dad, Bob, declined to talk about the situation, saying, “I don’t want to divulge anything.”

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[elpablo21]

 

So she did this out of spite from being scorned  from a previous relationship?

That was her only incentive? Damn

 

[nako xl]

The question stands though... why doesn't he sue Ronaiah and Tino for conspiracy to commit false pretenses?

(Answer: Because he was in on it too.)

 

[whywesteppin]

I only get more confused with each new revelation.

Te'o, come out of the closet already.

 

[RyGuy45]

The question stands though... why doesn't he sue Ronaiah and Tino for conspiracy to commit false pretenses?

(Answer: Because he was in on it too.)

True, but assuming he had an intention to sue is it confirmed he even could?

States have different laws obviously but......no money was handed over and nothing was technically "obtained" by the scammer(s) to sue to get back. False pretense is pretty broad but you typically have to prove things were stolen or taken. You obviously could go with the defamation-type angles but I would think the scammers' lawyers would pounce on the fact Te'o went along with it to the media for weeks after finding out, something that would play well in court.

Found this from USA Today concerning civil action:

Victims of "catfishing" schemes, in which someone creates a fake online profile to pursue romantic relationships, seldom have much legal recourse.

Te'o likely would have a hard time making a civil lawsuit against Tuiasosopo, the 22-year-old California man Te'o said was responsible for creating fictitious girlfriend Lennay Kekua.

"The only other thing I can think of is some intentional infliction of emotional stress," said Karl Kronenberger, a San Francisco lawyer who specializes in Internet law. "If someone did this to harm Te'o, if it's outrageous misconduct and Te'o clearly was not in on this and it caused Te'o emotional distress, there's perhaps a claim for intentional affliction emotional distress. But I'm stretching."

The possibility of Tuiasosopo facing any criminal charges seems to be a long shot, as well.

Short of any revelation that money was involved, Kronenberger said it is unlikely Te'o would want to take the case to court. He has dealt with intense news media scrutiny in the days since the story was first reported, and a civil suit would only stand to expose more details in an embarrassing saga.

"I think Manti Te'o probably doesn't need any more attention paid to this," Kronenberger said. "If you sue somebody, there's going to be an even closer analysis.

"It's an uphill battle for him, and really the last thing he wants is focus on him."

 

[airblaster503]

These voicemails were just planted I feel. NO way a girl like that could dedicate 4 years of her life for absolutely no gain. Te'o looks a bit off but the other 2 look more normal. I know looks can be deceiving, but still to have 3 people so ******ed to spend 3-4 years of their life being in on a lie sounds absurd.

 

[jjs07]

So, Te'o was calling American Samoa? That's where Roniah's cousin lived.



Maaaan, NOTHING in this story adds up.

 

[mronegative]

I thought I was crazy for a sec. I'm like, you know what, I can see how that voice could get over.

So many damn plot twists. popcorn.gif

 

[lacrimestopper]

dude this story is so sketch bro.... ed lover said it best.. "u could tell straight out the gate, dude has no swag. he only became hot when he became an all american fball player. he knos nothing about the oppossite sex."

 

[airjordan jb23]

at the amount of turns this story is taking

 

[executive76]

http://www.buzzfeed.com/jpmoore/the-16-greatest-skeptical-katie-couric-faces-from

 

[CP1708]

Ok wait, so......it was a man's voice pretending to use a woman's voice, but now we find out, it really was a woman's voice, only, she wasn't calling from Palo Alto California, she was calling from Pago Pago, American Samoa?

I miss anything? We current?

 

[bigmike23]

EVERY TIME a new report comes out you find even more holes in his story. Stephen A smith has me in tears each morning when they touch this subjective cause he sees what we all do

 

[jordan23dotcom]

So the guy first said it was him faking to be a girl using his professional voice acting skills, but now it's his female cousin that was doing it, but during face chat or was always dark for 3 years......... What?

 

[jumpmanpro97]

View media item 234864

 

[mr jordan04]

So, what about that fullback from the cardinals that said she was a real person?

 

[duba169]

I'm convinced this is all an M Night Shyamalan movie.

 

[scarsorscabs]

They need to get their lies together. I thought Roniah admitted he was the voice? Now it's his cousin in American Samoa? She trying to save face for him so he looks like a little less of a sociopath? And Manti's dad was adamant that his son was not a liar but Manti lied to him about having spent time with her in Hawaii? So many holes.

Also, I watched the movie Catfish for the first time last night and saw one of the episodes the other night of the TV show where a man who claims he isn't gay but meets what he thinks is a transgender female (male sexy parts) and maintains a 4 year relationship with her using his cousin's name and pictures. Finally meets her, finds out she's really an actual woman and doesn't want anything to do with her, had gotten money out of her and said he used her or some ****. In the movie, the woman has like 8 profiles, pretends she as the mom is someone different, that her 8 year old daughter is painting things that she actually paints, they bought a gallery, and she plays the role of her other daughter who the guy Nev falls for. 2 cell phones, husband knows about it and her young daughter is a pawn. Insane.

People are ******g crazy and that's partly why I think Manti could've actually been duped for most of the time then lied to cover up out of embarrassment. It's clear this happens more than I could've ever imagined. Lots of lonely, messed up sociopaths who live unfulfilled lives and crave attention and love.