The man who pretended to be a woman and engaged in a virtual online romance with Notre Dame football star Manti T’eo has admitted what many of us suspected all along — he was in love!
In an exclusive interview with Dr. Phil that aired last Thursday and Friday, Ronaiah Tuiasosopo came clean and said the reason he maintained a long term “relationship” with Manti is because he fell in real love with the football player and didn’t want it to end. When asked by Dr. Phil if he was gay, Tuiasosopo said yes, then corrected himself and said he thinks he is confused. Hmmm…
Tuiasosopo also answered the question of who was behind the voice of the pretend girlfriend, “Lennay Kekua,” on Manti’s voicemails — it was him!
Tuiasosopo delivered a live portrayal of “Lennay’s” voice for Dr. Phil (while hiding behind a privacy screen), then played a 2nd performance from his home telephone, while a show producer looked on for validation. The voice Tuiasosopo presented was an exact replica of the voice of “Lennay,” heard on Manti’s voicemails.
Ronaiah Tuiasosopo hails from a deeply religious family and has appeared in various YouTube videos promoting his highly talented Christian singing voice and music. He told Dr. Phil that his actions involving Manti T’eo are the result of his being molested as a child. He also said Manti T’eo had nothing to do with the hoax, although that is still up for discussion.
The Tuiasosopo and T’eo families do know each other, so it’s not beyond the realm of possibility that Ronaiah and Manti could have actually been romantically involved. Manti’s explanation that he had a so-called girlfriend on the Internet for several years whom he had never met, who died tragically of cancer without him ever seeking to go to her hospital bed or funeral, is still quite a tale for most to swallow.
Ronaiah Tuiasosopo has acknowledged that he was in love (with Manti). Manti T’eo has acknowledged that he was also in love (with pretend girlfriend “Lennay Kekua”). But were the 2 men simply just in love with each other?
DR. PHIL STORY:
RONAIAH TUIASOSOPO VOICE RECORDING:
