Manti Te’o was a victim of an elaborate and cruel catfishing scandal that was featured in the Netflix documentary Untold: The Girlfriend Who Didn’t Exist.
An American former professional football player’s alleged girlfriend, Naya Tuiasospo, who was involved in the catfishing scandal, has since come out as a transgender woman.
Highlights
- Naya Tuiasospo, previously known as Ronaiah Tuiasospo, posed as Lennay Kekua and established a fake online relationship with Manti Te’o.
- Their online relationship occurred in 2013, and she was only the online creation of a young man who was trans.
- Manti married Jovi Nicole in 2020, and they have two children, Hiromi and Kyro Aumua Te’o.
Manti Malietau Louis Te’o began playing football at Punahou School, where the Honolulu Advertiser named him the state defensive player of the year as a junior in 2017.
He helped his private co-ed institution win its first-ever state football championship in 2008 and, in the same year, won the inaugural Butkus Award at the high school level.
Manti is regarded as one of the most highly recruited athletes and attracted considerable college attention. On National Signing Day of 2009, he was a five-star recruit committed to the University of Notre Dame.
As one of the most decorated defensive players in college football history, he won the 2012 Defensive IMPACT Player of the Year Lott Trophy, Walter Camp Award, Chuck Bednarik Award, and many more.
San Diego Chargers selected him in the second round of the 2013 NFL draft and signed a four-year contract with the Chargers on May 9, 2013.
Similarly, he played with the New Orleans Saints, signing a two-year contract in 2017, and with the Chicago Bears’ practice squad in 2020.
Manti Te’o Alleged Girlfriend Naya Tuiasospo Is A Trans
Naya Tuiasospo, previously known as Ronaiah Tuiasospo, posed as a woman named Lennay Kekua and established a fake online relationship with Manti Te’o.
Lennay never existed, and the athlete had been a victim of an elaborate hoax Ronaiah planned. Moreover, she opened up about her sexuality as a transgender woman.
My heart breaks for Manti Te'o & how this twisted person catfished & DESTROYED his life! IDC that ur trans & u had issues finding urself bc what u did to Manti is on another level & had nothing to do that! Watch Untold: The Girlfriend That Didn't Exist @netflix #MantiTeo #Netflix pic.twitter.com/4uj2CXqRFn
— Kaitlin Galbraith🇺🇸🇺🇦🇮🇱 (@Kate_Kosmo) August 16, 2022
Tony Vainuku and Ryan Duffy directed a Netflix documentary featuring their online relationship in 2022.
It is divided into two parts and provides the emotional and psychological impact of the hoax on the athlete. Moreover, it also portrays Naya’s motivations and actions.
Their relationship story occurred in January 2013, when Manti’s alleged girlfriend purported to be a student at Stanford. She was only the online creation of a young man who was trans.
Naya invented Lennay and gave her a Facebook profile with photos of a former high school classmate, extended family members, and friends.
She was good at impersonating the female voice that sustained months of texting and phone calls.
Manti turned to a lawyer uncle for guidance after Lennay, who was alleged to be dead, called him to announce that she was still alive.
My uncle immediately said, ‘I think you’re getting catfished.’ And that was the first time that somebody ever brought up the term ‘catfish.’ I didn’t know what catfishing was. Even when he explained what it was, I still couldn’t understand what that even entailed.
Manti Te’o
Afterward, Manti went from being a top athlete to a global joke. He was painted as both a fool and a potential liar. Several pundits speculated that he may have been complicit in the scheme to gain national attention.
Similarly, netizens also speculated that he was gay and the whole affair was a weird Polynesian to embarrass the athlete.
Nonetheless, Manti has claimed that his previous girlfriend and his grandmother died on the same day in December 2012.
Manti Te’o Has Two Kids From His Wife, Jovi Nicole
Manti’s wife, Jovi Nicole, has supported the athlete significantly, especially after the catfishing scandal that affected his career and life.
Jovi is a fitness enthusiast and a personal trainer. The love birds engaged in February 2020 and married in La Jolla, California, on August 29, 2020.
Manti and Jovi began dating in 2015, and over the years, Jovi has been the biggest cheerleader in his journey.
Yesterday, I got to marry my best friend and the love of my life in an intimate beach ceremony. Although this was not how we envisioned our ceremony, it was perfect. We will have our reception and celebration when Temples and venues open back up so we can share this special occasion with our families, and I couldn’t be more excited.
Jovi Nicole
The married couple has two children, Hiromi “Hiro” Te’o, born August 12, 2021, and Kyro Aumua Te’o, born January 16, 2023.
Jovi completed her accelerated nursing program from May 2021 to January 2023.
Simultaneously, she documented her journey from giving birth to Hiro the day before finals to finishing her last clinical rotation while pregnant with their son.
Moreover, she joined Salt Lake City’s LUXX Medical Spa & Wellness team as a cosmetic injector.
She worked hard to get through nursing school and looks forward to making women and men feel more confident and enhancing their natural beauty.
Additional Information
- Manti Te’o, the son of Brian and Ottilia Te’o, was born on January 26, 1991, in Laie, Hawaii.
- He is of Samoan ancestry and grew up with five siblings: BrieAnne, Tiare, Eden, Maya, and Manasseh.
- He ended his athletic career as a linebacker after his contract with the Bears expired in 2021.
- His net worth is estimated at $3.5 million as of 2024.
