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Manti Te’o Admitted He Lied
Watercooler
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
9:13 am
39 Comments
Tagged: admits, good morning america, hoax, katie couric, lied, Manti Te'o, notre dame
Posted in:
Watercooler
Katie Couric sat down with Manti Te’o and he admitted he lied after he found out the whole thing was a hoax. Good Morning America played part of the interview this morning. He said, “Katie, put yourself in my situation. I, my whole world told me that she died on Sept. 12. Everybody knew that. This girl, who I committed myself to, died on Sept. 12…Now I get a phone call on Dec. 6, saying that she’s alive and then I’m going be put on national TV two days later. And to ask me about the same question. You know, what would you do?”
In addition, I guess Manti produced a receipt from the funeral home where he sent flowers to proving he wasn’t in on the hoax.
I think Manti was really naive in the situation with his alleged “girlfriend,” but I don’t think he’s lying now. I want to know the deal with Ronaiah Tuiasosopo! Get him to talk on national TV about this.
This story would be a great movie. It’s like the anti-Rudy of 2013.
Here’s part of the interview they played on GMA this morning:
39 Comments
You know what I would do? NOT LIE ABOUT A DEAD GIRL.
Couldn’t agree more. He’s still a douche.
Rumor – I heard he did this because he is gay. How very sad if true.
My boyfriend from camp, who lives in Niagara Falls, agrees with me.
Trying to spin it like “confession is good for the soul” – the truth is he got busted in a lie. He didn’t ADMIT anything he got CAUGHT.
If I rob a bank on Dec 6th then tell everybody on Dec 8th I didn’t do it and survelliance tape reveals on Jan 16th that I did it then I go to Katie Couric on Jan 23rd and say I did it then it’s OK?
Isn’t that Ronaiah Tuiasosopo supposed to be a part of Manti’s entourage and close personal friend? Why would Ronaiah sabotage his future “grave train” by making him the laughing stock of the USA? Manti needs to do himself a HUGE favor and STFU. The more he talks the deeper the hole he’s digging.
I personally think this guy is just stupid. I mean, obviously we are not dealing with a mental giant here. Let’s face it, he’s a muscle head, a dim, naive muscle head at that.
I dunno, i can see how the initial embarrassment of the hoax would keep him locked into just keeping up with the story. It’s strange, but also who knows what he was told to say by his associates, family, and administration, too once the hoax was revealed.
Idiots.
So what was I supposed to do??
How about telling the truth and being the kind of person that other people can look up to for doing the right thing.
Now you will be forever known as a guy who lied.
He kept receipt for the flowers at funeral . That’s right who doesn’t do that, just in case. If the women you commit your self to and. don’t go funeral cause of game never visits grave site. Everyone does that
I hear that Oprah “America’s Confessor” Winfrey is spitting mad because Katie’s people got Manatee Whatshisdouche and her people didn’t. I guess the Big O’s rage eating is quite out of control; her minions just can’t keep her Huge-ness supplied with enough Chunky Monkey…
@Some Guy – great point. I keep all my receipts from flowers sent to fake dead friends funerals that I did not attend. Where did the florist deliver them too? Would they be returned as there was no funeral?
Wasn’t a fund set up to collect money in her name or something? And isn’t the ‘hoaxer’ a family friend? And who was the ‘girl’ he talked to and spent all those all-nighters on the phone with – Was the ‘hoaxer’ possessed with a convincing falsetto, or what?
Something stinks worse than his workout clothes.
@Nads I’ve been hollering for a movie since this story came out!
Now all that needs to happen is for Manti and Diane O’Meara to finally meet in real life, fall in love and live HEA.
While we wait for that, who all do you guys think should play Manti and Ronniah and Diane etc?
So far I vote for Selena Gomez for Diane. Too bad Vili that married Mary K LeTourneau’s not an actor. Because he looks just like Ronniah. I”m still deciding who I want for him and Manti. Could Taylor Lautner take more roids without busting something?
Yeah!! You guys are all right!! Let’s grab the pitchforks!
This guy is practically a genius mastermind when it comes to pranking the country!!! (Except for the whole getting caught thing of course)
1. He saved a single receipt of sending flowers to the cemetery. (Bold) I know I throw away all my receipts- especially ones that might have sentimental value. That’s totally a “tell” right there!
2. He also left his phone on for hours at a time, long nights, etc, all to this one specific phone #, just in case this day came where he had to produce months and months of phone call records!
3. He planted the seed of his girlfriend with other teams, especially Stanford, where he constantly asked the team members if they knew his girlfriend. (he just knew, that one day, this would all come out, and people would interview the stanford players and ask them if Manti ever mentioned his girlfriend!)
4. He has successfully convinced multiple people to all come out as well, with their own made of versions of being duped by Roniah and the imaginary girl- because hey, true friends have no problem looking like a fool to protect a friend, amirite?!! I know I would jump up in a heartbeat and go on national television and say I was also foolishly duped, if it were to help cover a friend’s lies!!
5. Plus he did this all way in advance, years in advance even, just for the hopes that he would have a magical undefeated season for Notre Dame against all odds, and then a defensive player could MAYBE be considered for the Heisman, if all the circumstances hit just the right note!!
6. And on top of it, he’s a total douche. I mean, as if his Grandma dying wasn’t enough!!! He decided why not add a dead girlfriend to the mix, then there’s no way people can’t feel sorry for him!!! Good thinking Manti!
oops, sorry. I can’t find my sarcasm font.
I’m right with ya Captain. Keep on fighting the good fight.
The guy is a star athlete and should be able to get any girl he wants. He ends up with a chick he met online. Tots not cool, so we elaborate so his friends don’t think he’s stupid (sounds like a college guy to me) He finds out a few weeks before the biggest game of his life that it’s all a hoax. So not only is the guy heartbroken but embarrassed. So a 22 year old MAN (no offense to men but ya’ll do lie) kept the facade going a few more weeks. Sheesh…he’s 22. He was embarrassed and lied. He probably dealt with all his friends making fun of him until they found out she died. They then laid off because you can’t speak ill of the dead…amirite? You find out it all fake so you have to tell these guys who have been picking on you that you got played?!?! Bad decision by a young man yes….douche bag…not so much
Rant over
Thanks Classy!!! I can’t help it. It’s like no one is actually reading anything (interviews, articles, timelines, etc) except for a blurb or two. Driving me nutso. And yes, I was #teammanti from the start, but I’ll still have his back. There’s just no way he was involved.
And to address the peeps who are mad he didn’t announce on national television TWO DAYS after finding out, at the Heisman trophy ceremony, that his gf didn’t exist… are you serious? Yes, by all means, Manti- pull a Kanye for us:
“Excuse me… *interrupts Johnny football receiving the Heisman* I’m gonna let you finish but… I just have to get this off my chest! I just found out I’ve been duped hardcore, and am going to become known as a national fool or a liar, and I thought this national ceremony would be the perfect time to share with you what I just found out…
You’re right. He is just so silly!! There’s no way he can ever be an idol now, that dubious liar Manti!! Grrrr.
I’d say end rant, but let’s be honest. You know my drunk ass will be on here again when a brave soul dares to challenge me. Mwahaha haha.
Damn, my captcha code is: basket case. Could have said it behind my back ‘gasm.
Classy,
I wouldn’t want an athlete on my team so pussyfied that they crumble when someone makes fun of him. Embarassing my ass, it is embarrasing to drop a ball that should have been caught, or a missed tackle, an interception. If he is so sensitive about getting teased from 21 yr olds, it is probabably a good idea that he find another career before the big boys get ahold of him.
The saddest part is that his grandmothers death was lost in the fray and I have a feeling he will be sorry for that in the future.
Take Care, Robin
@captain-save-uh-hoe
Just saw your post! Bring it on Babe
“I’d say end rant, but let’s be honest. You know my drunk ass will be on here again when a brave soul dares to challenge me. Mwahaha haha.”
Robin
Well to be fair he was damned if he did and damned if he didn’t. Even if he was like 35 or something and mature and worldly wise enough to be anything but embarrassed and freaked out.
Because you know if he had gotten up there and said Thanks for the sportsball oscar guys. Oh yeah btw remember my gf that died? Well it turns out I got totally catfished. Then people would’ve said it was inappropriate.
They’d be hollering that the ceremony’s about sportsball. Not his personal problems.
So he went ahead and did his event. And then went and told his sportsball advisor or whatever.
My guess is by receipt he might mean his card statement.
Plus I don’t know if he was getting $ from home. But some people make their kids keep receipts. And since he’s from a conservative religious family they might do that. So he wouldn’t get influenced by Catholics and be tempted to buy beer.
@Robin— “SOMEONE HOLD MY EARRINGS”…
But in all seriousness, I think it wasn’t a matter of just being teased … it’s not like just a group of buddies would give him a hard time. It’s practically the whole nation, and on top of what was an amazing year for him filled with multiple awards etc, and his story being told over and over… I mean the implications of this are a bit more serious than him just being a sensitive sally.
I agree that it is sad that this had to be coupled with the loss of his Grandma. That blows.
Who’s next. Don’t come for meeeee!!!
Well to be fair he was damned if he did and damned if he didn’t.
With all due respect, I don’t think this is a damned if you do or don’t situation. He didn’t have to say she was dead and he didn’t have to take any shit from anyone about his catfish. All he had to say was right now, I am dealing with the death of my Grandmother and if anyone else says anything about this again, you better TAKE YOUR EARRINGS OUT!
See how simple?
TC, Robin
Well he didn’t know she didn’t exist until way after the fact… He only found out two days before the Heisman ceremony (december 6th) (if we are to believe his version)… So, I’m not sure that’s the issue at hand. Supposedly both his Grandma and non-existent girlfriend died within hours of each other (september 12th), so technically he was dealing with both deaths until he found out otherwise.
When someone asks you about your dead girlfriend that doesn’t exist, at the heisman ceremony, and you’re still reeling from revelations two days prior, im not sure anyone has the simple or right answer.
And as it turns out, she was still acting as though she existed. So here he is, two days before the ceremony, receiving a phone call from her, saying she’s still alive and that she had to make up the death story because she was running from drug dealers..
Soooo…. I’m not sure how anyone takes that bombshell and then attempts to field questions about it, nationally, two days later.
@Robin Oh I know you or I could think up a whole list of polite ways he could’ve gotten around talking about it at all at his Dec event. No matter who asked him what. I’m saying I don’t think he’s sophisticated enough to.
In my personal opinion I probably wouldn’t have told him to talk about her or his grandma in the 1st place even back in Sept.
Which is reason #9863 no school would ever hire me to package sportsball players.
@Robin…I’m pretty sure the Notre Dame team, coaches, boasters and fans were quite happy to have him on their team soooooooooooo there’s that…
I’m with you Captain! If the time line that he is reporting is correct then he didn’t find out during the season that he wasn’t real. It wasn’t until right before the Heisman ceremony, so quite honestly isn’t he still dealing with the situation himself and probably hasn’t told ANYONE the truth yet?!?!!? Let alone the media.
I guess the people at the gasm are more stand up than I thought because at 22 I can guarantee I’m lying about the situation. I wasn’t strong enough at that age to face my teammates, family, fans, boosters, and the scrutiny of the national media with something that made me look like a complete idiot two days after I found out.
These are wonderful comments. I just love y’all to pieces
I think it was Mark Twain who said, “When you find yourself in a hole — stop digging.”
Uh, have you heard the latest?
Evidently, the GIRL he was talking to on the phone was a MAN!!!!
I feel for this guy. He was bamboozled publically. He’s just 22 years old and was in the national spotlight for this trophy. He doesn’t have media training. Finding out that you had a fake girlfriend is an ego-buster. He was emotionally vested in a fake….that’s hard to deal with without having national attention on you at the same time. Agree with Capt, Classy and Co.
I thought college athletes had media training? At least ones at large school OR schools that find themselves in the national spotlight????
@Plock. No not at all…have you heard some of those buffoon in post game interviews?!?!?!
They prep might a few players (and by that I mean don’t answer this, this is how you answer this) for certain interviews but they don’t receive any formal training. The college players are very secluded from the media unlike professional players that actually HAVE to give interviews after games.
Went to a major university, and I know a Heisman trophy winner.
I have several thoughts on this, but mostly, I agree that he is a naive kid that got way in over his head. Classy, I couldn’t agree with you more; when I was 22 I made some questionable judgement calls, and if caught in the moment, I think I would have reacted the same way as him. But lets be honest, I have no idea how I would react in that situation because I have never been in that situation, and I’m pretty sure no one here has either. It’s easy for us all to say \if I was in that situation…\ I just know that now I know what I would do, but as a 22 year old, it’s safe to say I wouldn’t have had the maturity to deal with it the perfect way either.
Being able to produce a receipt for flowers delivered is not that difficult, I’m assuming he sent them online if it was across the country, which means most likely he could have gone on to the website and printed his receipt to show proof. I have had to do it several times for work; it’s not difficult. I don’t think his having a receipt proves he was in on it.
And finally, people say it’s hard to believe he would have stayed faithful to an online girlfriend or that he really fell for her. He is a devout Mormon, away at college, which has a lot of temptations. For him, while I’m sure he would have liked to meet her in person, it could have been an ideal relationship for him. He gets to be with someone who is also spiritual, had (in his mind) a strong emotional bond formed with through their phone calls, but without the daily temptations. I have known several Mormons who really struggled with staying true to their faith while in college, while trying to figure out what they really wanted in life.
Basically I just feel sorry for the guy. Yes, he made some stupid choices, but it makes me grateful that none of my stupid choices at that age were broadcast world wide by the media.
Thanks Classy!
This doesn’t really have anything to do with the story, but I thin Manti is fugly. Just thought I would put that out there.
The problem we are seeing is the generation gap. The older folks don’t understand how he could have been duped, but they didn’t grow up with computers. Everyone is screaming Skype, but I just got a new laptop with a camera. Up until 2 months ago, I didn’t have a camera to Skype with people. There are a ton of people like me who don’t upgrade everything thing we have every 6 months.
What is really sad between this and Catfish are the numerous amounts of lonely people who are so desperate for attention/affection/any thing they want to believe.
After seeing multiple news stories and articles, I’m still maintaining my original and official position of……who……cares?!
“It seems like these people just live in the fairylands of their imaginations. Why even bother meeting in person? It hasn’t been necessary for four whole years! Isn’t Delusion just a nicer place to be?”
Honey Gangsta (from the latest Catfish recap)
It was NY Daily news got ahold of the 1 800 flowers receipt. He sent them to Kainoa Kekua. That was supposedly Lennay’s brother.
So now it’s looking like Ronniah did at least 3 voices. Because there was a sister too. U’ilani. That’d talk to Manti during the time Lennay was in a coma.
I think 1 thing that happens is people put high expectations and feelings etc on sportsball players. Even though in their minds they know they’re just young kids. That have all kinds of different back grounds etc. But sportsball is so fucking popular. It gets into people’s psychology. Unless you’re born without a gene for it like me. So I get that I’ll never understand their point of view. Beyond knowing some of them are real upset.
Because my point of view’s so different. To me it seems like anybody that’s been in a school class with a computer in it’s seen a bunch of kids all crowded around making suggestions while somebody types cyber sex. And it’s been like that near about since Manti could walk.
@labowner I would’ve thought older people would be more liable to fall for something like that. But then everybody that’s been on the show’s been in his same age range, so..
Anyway there’s still some ends to get tied up.
And I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if later on we find out Manti had some ?s way back in his own mind. That he wouldn’t even let get to the front. Because like some people have said this would be perfect for him. Since it’d be against his religion to have a regular girlfriend in the same way as most boys in college. Not to mention him being at Notre Dame was supposed to be so he could set an example. Of how his religion was strong enough to resist Catholics hypnotizing him into worshipping idols etc.
But I still think the most interesting character in the story’s going to end up being Ronniah.
Plus all the lawyers have started arguing about whether he did anything Diane can press charges for. I don’t know if he lives in Cali. But it looks like they’ve got a state law against creating a false identity. I guess depending on what they mean by identity that’d mean most of us here could all get locked up if we went to Cali.
Anyway some old fart on this 1 show was saying that a big problem for Diane is that Ronniah didn’t really steal her identity. He just stuck a pic of her on a made up person. He didn’t charge anything on her card. Or ever use her name. So she can’t say he dragged it through the mud. Or hurt her professional reputation etc.
The only way we even know it was her pic is from reporters running the pic on the Lennay page through tineye. Not Ronniah.
In fact it’s reporters that are how come any of it ever came out in the 1st place. They wanted to flesh out their human interest story. So they started trying to get ahold of Lennay’s family. But couldn’t find anything about her funeral, or her dying, or being in school, or existing.
Ronniah’s got all lawyered up. And a counselor too. That says he doesn’t want to talk about Ronniah’s motives at this time.
But another thing that’s come out is that Manti’s not the only 1 Ronniah catfished with the Lennay character. Which has got some people wondering in the back of their own minds if Ronniah might be the 1 that needs to come out. Since he’s also from a super conservative religious family.
Once everything and everybody that needs to does come out, though, what else will happen besides the movie?
Will USA make an anti catfishing law? Were the reporters secretly working for Mark Zuckerberg’s sister? That wants it to be illegal for anybody in the world to type so much as a word on the internet that’s not tied to their govt name and finger prints?
I’m REALLY out of the loop on this.
Can anyone give a cliff notes version of what happened & what catfish have to do with it?
Oh, NatPatBen. If you don’t know, count yourself as lucky!
BUT if you really want to know, read this:
http://www.tvgasm.com/watercooler/manti-teos-story-is-crazy.html
Nads also linked a good article w/in that article. Worth a read, in my opinion.
Just came out some Redskins players were being played on Twitter.
@Classy,
Even though we disagree, still Wub you.
Robin
OK I watched the whole Katie Kewrik and here are some things I can’t figure out.
Katie put up some Facebooks from other guys. Where Manti had asked them about Lennay, if she was real. A long time ago, I guess when he 1st started shifting her over from the friend zone.
And they all said oh yeah, she’s totes real. 1 of them said she’s just fake about some things. I don’t know what that meant.
Or what they meant by her being real. That they also knew her on Facebook?
It seems like if the guys he asked just happened to be other 1s that Ronniah catfished with the same Lennay persona then Dead spin would’ve been all over that like MJ on a plate of sliders.
And if any of them had recognized Diane wouldn’t they have said yeah that’s this older girl Diane? Which doesn’t seem real likely that they would. Since they were college kids up wherever they keep Notre Dame.
Deadspin just says they got an email. Saying Lennay was suspicious. They don’t say who from. Even though earlier the news was saying it came out from reporters that wanted to find Lennay’s family and interview them about this sad tragic romance. And get quotes about how Manti helped bring happiness to her last days etc.
If you’ve seen the interview you can tell Manti’s mos def been talked to. And told what to stress. About his parents being the #1 most important thing. And their ways.
And this morning all of a sudden there was this random piece by some (I guess white?) dude that teaches Samoan kids. Talking about their ways etc. 1 of the things he said made a lot of sense. That the reason Lennay had to die the same day as Manti’s grandma’s because if she didn’t then Ronniah’d have to come up with some $. Because just like with a lot of groups when somebody dies it’s the custom to send $. Not just flowers.
And for not relevant to this reasons I happen to know that custom comes partly from old ways. And partly because of newer ways and having to ship bodies real long ways.
So when MeeMaw T’eo passed, for Ronniah that was the turning point. Because Manti and Lennay had gotten close enough so if she didn’t send some $ that’d be too rude and disrespectful to even think about.
Then he said those same island ways were also how come Manti didn’t go see her when she came out of her coma right on the same day he was supposed to be at a family reunion. Because family came 1st.
Which made me go hm. Just 1 m but still hm. Because by that time she’d also been texting his parents. And he’d been talking to them about her like she was the girl he’d probably marry once he was out of school etc. So it seems like to me with her just coming out of the coma it’d be OK if he showed up late to the family reunion.
He told Katie he just “didn’t test that.” And just went to his family thing.
And his #1 big regret is lying to his dad. Saying he met her in Hawaii that time. When he really didn’t.
So it might be that there’s more loose ends than we know. But you can’t help but think about all the people that are getting catfished on Facebook all the time.
And it wouldn’t be hard for somebody that had administrator powers on there and a fancy search program hooked up to have a list of everybody catfishing more than 1 person. Or has. And all of their catfishees..