# Manti Te'o's Fake, Dead Girlfriend **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [January 16, 2013, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manti-teos-fake-dead-girlfriend/647424 "2013-01-16T22:06:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2013, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manti-teos-fake-dead-girlfriend/647424/1 "2013-01-16T22:06:14Z")
This is crazy! [Manti Te’o’s Dead Girlfriend, The Most Heartbreaking And Inspirational Story Of The College Football Season, Is A Hoax](http://deadspin.com/5976517/manti-teos-dead-girlfriend-the-most-heartbreaking-and-inspirational-story-of-the-college-football-season-is-a-hoax) > [@](#): > > Notre Dame’s Manti Te’o, the stories said, played this season under a terrible burden. A Mormon linebacker who led his Catholic school’s football program back to glory, Te’o was whipsawed between personal tragedies along the way. In the span of six hours in September, as Sports Illustrated told it, Te’o learned first of the death of his grandmother, Annette Santiago, and then of the death of his girlfriend, Lennay Kekua. > [@](#): > > There was no Lennay Kekua. Lennay Kekua did not meet Manti Te’o after the Stanford game in 2009. Lennay Kekua did not attend Stanford. Lennay Kekua never visited Manti Te’o in Hawaii. Lennay Kekua was not in a car accident. Lennay Kekua did not talk to Manti Te’o every night on the telephone. She was not diagnosed with cancer, did not spend time in the hospital, did not engage in a lengthy battle with leukemia. She never had a bone marrow transplant. She was not released from the hospital on Sept. 10, nor did Brian Te’o congratulate her for this over the telephone. She did not insist that Manti Te’o play in the Michigan State or Michigan games, and did not request he send white flowers to her funeral. Her favorite color was not white. Her brother, Koa, did not inform Manti Te’o that she was dead. Koa did not exist. Her funeral did not take place in Carson, Calif., and her casket was not closed at 9 a.m. exactly. She was not laid to rest. > > Lennay Kekua’s last words to Manti Te’o were not “I love you.” Seriously, you have to read this, it is insane. ---
**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2013, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manti-teos-fake-dead-girlfriend/647424/2 "2013-01-16T22:15:29Z")
Seconded. This is a plot that would be rejected from Days Of Our Lives for being too unrealistic. Absolutely mind-blowing what transpired. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2013, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manti-teos-fake-dead-girlfriend/647424/3 "2013-01-16T22:19:35Z")
Speaking as a Notre Dame fan… That is so weird that, for once, I can’t think of a damn thing to say. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2013, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manti-teos-fake-dead-girlfriend/647424/4 "2013-01-16T22:32:23Z")
And now a Notre Dame statement saying Te’o was duped, which makes no sense. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2013, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manti-teos-fake-dead-girlfriend/647424/5 "2013-01-16T22:37:55Z")
This is why I’m not in favor of long-distance relationships. How do you know that girl you’re talking to on the phone _even exists_? 😉 Seriously, he is saying he was duped? Stay tuned… ---
**Author:** ![pancakes3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2013, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manti-teos-fake-dead-girlfriend/647424/6 "2013-01-16T22:38:45Z")
I just finished the article and was about to start a pit thread but decided to wait and see what the fallout was, and to check the game room. This is some bizarre shit. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2013, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manti-teos-fake-dead-girlfriend/647424/7 "2013-01-16T22:39:58Z")
Its like “my girlfriend in Canada” taken to the nth degree. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2013, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manti-teos-fake-dead-girlfriend/647424/8 "2013-01-16T22:41:23Z")
Why is a famous Mormon athlete pretending to have a girlfriend? Why would you participate in a two-man operation to keep this fraud going? ---
**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2013, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manti-teos-fake-dead-girlfriend/647424/9 "2013-01-16T22:42:15Z")
> [@Gangster\_Octopus](#): > > And now a Notre Dame statement saying Te’o was duped, which makes no sense. The timeline shows that they supposedly met several times IRL, and also that she posted pics on twitter (that turned out to be obtained from a stranger). So unless he met a dead ringer for the stranger who was also in on it, I can’t see how he could have been duped. Could this be a beard that went horribly wrong? ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2013, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manti-teos-fake-dead-girlfriend/647424/10 "2013-01-16T22:46:52Z")
It’s the _Breakfast Club_ as directed by Tim Burton: "She lives in Canada, met her at Niagara Falls. You wouldn’t know her. And is, you know, dead." ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2013, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manti-teos-fake-dead-girlfriend/647424/11 "2013-01-16T23:08:29Z")
> [@JSexton](#): > > Could this be a beard that went horribly wrong? Reading down that Deadspin article… it’s almost got to be a fake beard created by Manti and Ronaiah, to cover up their relationship. They had to “kill her off” when it became too hard to maintain the story, but with his fame, it was just a matter of time before someone figured it out. And it’s a shame that - assuming this is correct - we still have a society where people feel they have to resort to such things. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2013, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manti-teos-fake-dead-girlfriend/647424/12 "2013-01-16T23:18:18Z")
> [@Gangster\_Octopus](#): > > And now a Notre Dame statement saying Te’o was duped, which makes no sense. No, it doesn’t. So I guess he lied to the school about it, too. If this is a coverup of his sexuality, it’s that much more ironic: he’d been a very successful and clean-cut guy, and the first ‘out’ pro athlete is probably in for a huge marketing bonanza that would dwarf the one that was coming to Te’o based on the image he’d made up, so he was giving away money even before he was caught in this scam. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2013, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manti-teos-fake-dead-girlfriend/647424/13 "2013-01-16T23:25:14Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > No, it doesn’t. So I guess he lied to the school about it, too. > > If this is a coverup of his sexuality, it’s that much more ironic: he’d been a very successful and clean-cut guy, and the first ‘out’ pro athlete is probably in for a huge marketing bonanza that would dwarf the one that was coming to Te’o based on the image he’d made up, so he was giving away money even before he was caught in this scam. Well he is Mormon, so that probably played a role in his wanting to hide it, if it is the case. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2013, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manti-teos-fake-dead-girlfriend/647424/14 "2013-01-16T23:30:17Z")
[Te’o says he’s the victim of a hoax and the relationship was only online.](http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/8851033/story-manti-teo-girlfriend-death-apparently-hoax) I wish we knew who made all the claims about his relationship with Kekua, because that would make it much easier to figure out if he was in on all of this. [The South Bend Tribune piece, for example, has no sourcing at all (what a piece of crap).](http://articles.southbendtribune.com/2012-10-12/sports/34419536_1_brian-and-ottilia-manti-te-o-irish-head-coach) Who told them when they met, what it was like? I doubt it was Ronaiah Tuiasosopo. Was it Te’o? Someone in Te’o’s family? [This story says the fake brother and sister would talk to Te’o and read him letters from Lennay.](http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1206588/index.htm) ---
**Author:** ![R.P.McMurphy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7993a0/32.png) [@R.P.McMurphy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R.P.McMurphy)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2013, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manti-teos-fake-dead-girlfriend/647424/15 "2013-01-16T23:33:05Z")
It wouldn’t be the first time a Mormon made up a fantastic fairy tale and got others to believe it. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2013, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manti-teos-fake-dead-girlfriend/647424/16 "2013-01-16T23:34:30Z")
Wow, I thought Lance would be nearly untouchable as lying-shit athlete of the year, and not a week later we have a serious challenge. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2013, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manti-teos-fake-dead-girlfriend/647424/17 "2013-01-16T23:37:38Z")
Maybe he got got Catfished? ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2013, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manti-teos-fake-dead-girlfriend/647424/18 "2013-01-16T23:48:01Z")
I feel bad for the fake family of the fake girlfriend having to go through this all over again. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2013, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manti-teos-fake-dead-girlfriend/647424/19 "2013-01-16T23:49:44Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > Reading down that Deadspin article… it’s almost got to be a fake beard created by Manti and Ronaiah, to cover up their relationship. They had to “kill her off” when it became too hard to maintain the story, but with his fame, it was just a matter of time before someone figured it out. And it’s a shame that - assuming this is correct - we still have a society where people feel they have to resort to such things. Why would they need to kill her off to end the ruse? Wouldn’t it make far more sense to just say they broke up due to distance? A death is far too easy to verify. > [@Marley23](#): > > No, it doesn’t. So I guess he lied to the school about it, too. > > If this is a coverup of his sexuality, it’s that much more ironic: he’d been a very successful and clean-cut guy, and the first ‘out’ pro athlete is probably in for a huge marketing bonanza that would dwarf the one that was coming to Te’o based on the image he’d made up, so he was giving away money even before he was caught in this scam. Nah, he’d be in for a marketing bonanza at some point but it would have to happen after he was already a pro and a success. If he comes out now the odds of him getting drafted are much worse. Teams would steer away just to avoid attention even if they don’t care about his sexuality. Do you think Belicheck would invite that media attention? Also, as I write this I see Te’o’s press release on the topic. Basically he says he’s a victim of a hoax. A) This statement is a master class on how to handle a press release and B) totally believable to me considering some of the recent internet identity hoaxes that have happened. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2013, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manti-teos-fake-dead-girlfriend/647424/20 "2013-01-17T00:04:46Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > Why would they need to kill her off to end the ruse? Wouldn’t it make far more sense to just say they broke up due to distance? A death is far too easy to verify. I dunno - under that theory, maybe they figured that someone would eventually want to interview the ex with a “what was he like” retrospective, and they didn’t realize how easy it’d be to prove that a random girl wasn’t dead or actually real. I thought the accounts of their relationship said they physically got together, so unless that was the press assuming things/Manti spinning his Internet Girlfriend as being Real (rather than not wanting to admit he hadn’t actually met her but actually totally believing in her reality), something weird is definitely up. Oo, did Ronaiah have a crush and want to cyber with Manti, and ended up “Catfishing” him, killing “her” off when it was too hard to maintain the story? **Marley** - Gay/lesbian people don’t get a whole lot of slack in that religion. Not only is homosexual activity considered a sin, but you also don’t get a shot at the “best” afterlife unless you’re heterosexually married (and Mormon). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manti-teos-fake-dead-girlfriend/647424.md?page=2)