Notre Dane linebacker Manti Te’o was recently a victim of “catfish.” People are considered a victim of being “catfished” when they are fooled into an online relationship with someone they have never met in person. According to Te’o, he met and had a two-year relationship exclusively online and over the phone with a woman named Lennay Kekua, a reported Stanford student. Notre Dame’s Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick said that Te’o had never met Kekua in person.
Te’o, 21, had a grandmother who passed away on September 11, 2012, from a long term illness. Then six hours later, Te’o was notified that Kekua had passed away from leukemia.
Then on December 6, Te’o received a phone call from Lennay who told him that she had faked her death. He said he was angry and confused by the call but continued to talk to Kekua anyway.
After an anonymous tip in January, two reporters decided to look into Kekua’s real identity. On January 16, they published an article suggesting that Kekua never existed. They also pointed to a man named Ronaiah Tuiasosopo who they believed to be involved in the hoax.
Te’o said in an interview that Tuiasosopo said he was a cousin of Kekua’s. On January 16, Tuiasosopo confessed to Te’o that he was behind the whole hoax.
On January 31 and February 1, Tuiasosopo went on Dr. Phil where he confessed again and said he had fallen in love with Te’o and is “recovering from homosexuality.” He also recreated the voice of Kekua. He also confirmed that Te’o had known nothing about the hoax the whole time, as Te’o had stated.
Tuiasosopo has since hired an attorney, and he is worried that he will face criminal charges, including identity theft. Tuiasosopo used the pictures of a high school classmate, Diane O’Meara, to pose as Kekua. O’Meara says she has never met Te’o, and she doesn’t know why Tuiasosopo used her pictures.
Until more facts emerge about the situation, it is unclear whether Tuiasosopo will face any charges at all.
So what happens to Te’o now? He was recently invited to the NFL Scouting Combine at the end of February. If he attends, he will go through a series of drills to compete to be chosen for an NFL team.