The Manti Te'o dead girlfriend story is a hoax (Deadspin)

Dan · Jan 16, 2013, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Nor is there any report of a severe auto accident involving a Lennay Kekua. Background checks turn up nothing. The Stanford registrar's office has no record that a Lennay Kekua ever enrolled. There is no record of her birth in the news. Outside of a few Twitter and Instagram accounts, there's no online evidence that Lennay Kekua ever existed.

The photographs identified as Kekua—in online tributes and on TV news reports—are pictures from the social-media accounts of a 22-year-old California woman who is not named Lennay Kekua. She is not a Stanford graduate; she has not been in a severe car accident; and she does not have leukemia. And she has never met Manti Te'o.

http://deadspin.com/5976517/manti-te...ason-is-a-hoax

quhawks12 · Jan 16, 2013, 02:32 PM

This is crazy...

classof2016 · Jan 16, 2013, 02:32 PM

wtf

ChiCityHoops34 · Jan 16, 2013, 02:34 PM

if true, i dont even know where he goes from here

Dan · Jan 16, 2013, 02:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChiCityHoops34

if true, i dont even know where he goes from here

1) Apology Tour

2) NFL Draft 1st Round

ChiCityHoops34 · Jan 16, 2013, 02:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan

1) Apology Tour

2) NFL Draft 1st Round

Illinigirl · Jan 16, 2013, 02:41 PM

Wow - some people are crazy!!

Cool Hand Luke · Jan 16, 2013, 02:44 PM

The Ravens need a replacement.

Why not replace one psychopath with another?

Shenanigans · Jan 16, 2013, 02:45 PM

HE IS WHO WE THOUGHT HE WAS!!!!!

Warriors1994 · Jan 16, 2013, 02:49 PM

What the hell????

Botb9 · Jan 16, 2013, 02:53 PM

All for publicity's sake. My God.

noahsmar · Jan 16, 2013, 02:56 PM

In retrospect.. does Demetrius Jackson commit to Notre Dame??

OlivetNaz · Jan 16, 2013, 02:57 PM

Just how sick and demented are these people to DO this?

TheSecretWeapon · Jan 16, 2013, 02:58 PM

so can Djax get out of his LOI since he was supposedly inspired by a Teo speech?

RHITIllini · Jan 16, 2013, 03:01 PM

Did Te'o seriously have an imaginary girlfriend?

guess this can all come out now that his Heisman campaign was unsuccessful.

-josh- · Jan 16, 2013, 03:07 PM

This is awful, i hope he goes undrafted.

mdonsbach · Jan 16, 2013, 03:11 PM

I actually had a classmate who claimed one of their family members was in the world trade center when the planes hit and die in the collapse. 2 days later he recanted. It's amazing what people will do for attention.

cmore · Jan 16, 2013, 03:13 PM

Has this hit mainstream media yet (ex Espn)?

Dan · Jan 16, 2013, 03:14 PM

Quote:

I'm told Notre Dame will have an official comment on the Deadspin Manti Te'o story shortly.

http://twitter.com/BFeldmanCBS

-josh- · Jan 16, 2013, 03:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cmore

Has this hit mainstream media yet (ex Espn)?

I just checked and there's not even whispers of it, if this does indeed turn out to be true than the ones who have the biggest PR disaster outside Teo would be ESPN considering how much they beat this story into our heads. Fact checking be darned these days i guess.

Dan · Jan 16, 2013, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Notre Dame statement: "Notre Dame coaches informed Dec 26 by Manti Te’o & parents Manti had been victim of what appears to be a hoax"

ND: "Lennay Kekua apparently ingratiated herself w/Manti & then conspired w/others to lead him believe she had tragically died of leukemia"

ND: "Proper authorities continue to investigate, this appears to be, at minimum, a sad & very cruel deception to entertain its perpetrators"

http://twitter.com/McMurphyESPN

Groundhogday · Jan 16, 2013, 03:19 PM

wow. This is one heck of a whopper. How did he expect to get away with this? How the heck did he get away with this for so long?

Dan · Jan 16, 2013, 03:20 PM

Full ND Statement-

Quote:

Notre Dame Statement: Manti Te'o

On Dec. 26, Notre Dame coaches were informed by Manti Te'o and his parents that Manti had been the victim of what appears to be a hoax in which someone using the fictitious name Lennay Kekua apparently ingratiated herself with Manti and then conspired with others to lead him to believe she had tragically died of leukemia. The University immediately initiated an investigation to assist Manti and his family in discovering the motive for and nature of this hoax. While the proper authorities will continue to investigate this troubling matter, this appears to be, at a minimum, a sad and very cruel deception to entertain its perpetrators.

Dennis Brown
University Spokesman | Assistant Vice President

https://www.facebook.com/FightingIri...51543714604705

OlivetNaz · Jan 16, 2013, 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan

ND Statement quotes from random ESPN reporter

After reading the Deadspin piece...what a load of s***. No way Te'o isn't in on this somehow.

Groundhogday · Jan 16, 2013, 03:21 PM

So is there a real Lennay Kekua? And what possible advantage would she gain from making friends with Manti and pretending to die?

Jan 16, 2013, 02:44 PM	#8
Cool Hand Luke Founder, Mike Thomas Fan Club Location: Tuscola, IL Posts: 709	The Ravens need a replacement. Why not replace one psychopath with another? __________________ "The freight train is moving. Either jump on or get off." - John Groce

Jan 16, 2013, 02:45 PM	#9
Shenanigans Location: Central Illinois Posts: 261	HE IS WHO WE THOUGHT HE WAS!!!!! __________________ Illini Bears Cubs Bulls Blackhawks

Jan 16, 2013, 02:53 PM	#11
Botb9 Realist Posts: 3,148	All for publicity's sake. My God. __________________ Hype is a self-serving beast that feeds on the hopes and dreams of fans.

Jan 16, 2013, 02:57 PM	#13
OlivetNaz Location: East Central IL Posts: 4,087	Just how sick and demented are these people to DO this? __________________ "If life were logical, men would ride side-saddle."

Jan 16, 2013, 02:58 PM	#14
TheSecretWeapon Location: ILLINI NATION! Posts: 583	so can Djax get out of his LOI since he was supposedly inspired by a Teo speech? __________________ PSA: Teams "LOSE" games. They don't "LOOSE" them. PSA#2: "Would have" or "would've," not "would of." ORANGEY RUN RUN RUN SCORE SCORE

Jan 16, 2013, 02:32 PM	#2
quhawks12 Location: Hamilton County, IN Posts: 3,355	This is crazy...

Jan 16, 2013, 02:34 PM	#4
ChiCityHoops34 Location: DeKalb IL Posts: 804	if true, i dont even know where he goes from here

Jan 16, 2013, 02:41 PM	#7
Illinigirl Posts: 210	Wow - some people are crazy!!

Jan 16, 2013, 02:49 PM	#10
Warriors1994 Posts: 611	What the hell????

Jan 16, 2013, 02:56 PM	#12
noahsmar Posts: 2	In retrospect.. does Demetrius Jackson commit to Notre Dame??

Jan 16, 2013, 03:01 PM	#15
RHITIllini Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 1,751	Did Te'o seriously have an imaginary girlfriend? guess this can all come out now that his Heisman campaign was unsuccessful.

Jan 16, 2013, 03:07 PM	#16
-josh- STAHP! Location: The paign born and raised Posts: 3,174	This is awful, i hope he goes undrafted. __________________ virtus junxit mors non separabit

Jan 16, 2013, 03:11 PM	#17
mdonsbach Location: Bethalto, IL Posts: 1,257	I actually had a classmate who claimed one of their family members was in the world trade center when the planes hit and die in the collapse. 2 days later he recanted. It's amazing what people will do for attention. __________________ Twitter

Jan 16, 2013, 03:13 PM	#18
cmore Posts: 1,833	Has this hit mainstream media yet (ex Espn)?

Jan 16, 2013, 03:19 PM	#22
Groundhogday Posts: 18,074	wow. This is one heck of a whopper. How did he expect to get away with this? How the heck did he get away with this for so long? __________________ ONLY ORANGE!

Jan 16, 2013, 03:21 PM	#25
Groundhogday Posts: 18,074	So is there a real Lennay Kekua? And what possible advantage would she gain from making friends with Manti and pretending to die? __________________ ONLY ORANGE!