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ESPN: Tuiasosopo, the man allegedly behind Te'o's non-existent dead girlfriend, confesses hoax

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Recommended by Landon Hemsley, Deseret News

Published: Friday, Jan. 18 2013 11:55 a.m. MST

Ronaiah Tuiasosopo, @ronaiahhh

Photo via Twitter

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Summary

The Thursday assertion that Ronaiah Tuiasosopo was behind the Kekua persona has been substantiated. A friend of Tuaisosopo told ESPN's "Outside the Lines" on Thursday that Tuiasosopo called her up in tears and admitted he was behind the hoax.

More Coverage
  • Manti Te'o tells ESPN: Not involved in creating hoax

  • Who is Ronaiah Tuiasosopo, the man allegedly behind Lennay Kekua, Manti Te'o's non-existent dead girlfriend? (Updated)

  • Was Manti Te'o hooked by a catfish?

A Deadspin.com report earlier this week asserted Lennay Kekua was a figment of someone's imagination, and the name that Deadspin proposed as the mastermind behind the Kekua persona is Ronaiah Tuiasosopo.

Thursday, the assertion that Tuiasosopo was behind the Kekua persona were substantiated. A friend of Tuaisosopo's told ESPN's Outside the Lines on Thursday that Tuiasosopo called her up in tears and admitted he was behind the Lennay Kekua hoax.

According to the ESPN report, Tuiasosopo's friend said the hoax started as a game, and was not the first time Tuiasosopo had done it.

"He (Ronaiah) told me that Manti was not involved at all, he was a victim. … The girlfriend was a lie, the accident was a lie, the leukemia was a lie," said the woman. "He was crying, he was literally crying, he's like, 'I know, I know what I have to do.'

"It's not only Manti, but he was telling me that it's a lot of other people they had done this to."

The ESPN report says the friend was interviewed under conditions of anonymity because she feared for the safety of herself and her family in the wake of the publicity this story has generated, but did allow her voice to be recorded.

Landon Hemsley is the sports content manager for DeseretNews.com. Email: lhemsley@deseretnews.com. Twitter: @EarlOfHemsley

Read more about the confession on ESPN.com.

Related Stories
  • Manti Te'o tells ESPN: Not involved in creating hoax

  • Who is Ronaiah Tuiasosopo, the man allegedly behind Lennay Kekua, Manti Te'o's non-existent dead girlfriend? (Updated)

  • Was Manti Te'o hooked by a catfish?

Featured Comments

See all 4 comments »
Third try screen name
Mapleton, UT

Why would a family friend keep up a hoax like this for three years?
The motive only makes sense if he has an audience for his prank, like the TV show, Punked.
Otherwise, it's funny for a couple of weeks.
And it takes work to keep More..

  • 1:18 p.m. Jan. 18, 2013
  • Top comment
Johnny2000
Layton, UT

Manti said he talked to "his girlfriend" on the phone. Ronaiah is a guy. Who was the girl he talked to on the phone?

  • 12:23 p.m. Jan. 18, 2013
  • Top comment
DEW Cougars
Sandy, UT

What a headacke for Manti. Poor kid and good luck with NFL. oH, stay away from online dating thing which is not a good system.

  • 2:20 p.m. Jan. 18, 2013
  • Top comment
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About the Author
Landon Hemsley

Landon Hemsley

Landon is the Sports Content Manager for DeseretNews.com. Landon has backgrounds in web development, digital product management and journalism. He previously managed FamilyNews.com for Deseret Digital Media and reported more ..

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