Manti Te'o's Dead Girlfriend Never Existed

Deadspin ^ | January 16, 2013

[LibertyJihad]

Notre Dame's Manti Te'o, the stories said, played this season under a terrible burden. A Mormon linebacker who led his Catholic school's football program back to glory, Te'o was whipsawed between personal tragedies along the way. In the span of six hours in September, as Sports Illustrated told it, Te'o learned first of the death of his grandmother, Annette Santiago, and then of the death of his girlfriend, Lennay Kekua.

Kekua, 22 years old, had been in a serious car accident in California, and then had been diagnosed with leukemia. SI's Pete Thamel described how Te'o would phone her in her hospital room and stay on the line with her as he slept through the night. "Her relatives told him that at her lowest points, as she fought to emerge from a coma, her breathing rate would increase at the sound of his voice," Thamel wrote.

Upon receiving the news of the two deaths, Te'o went out and led the Fighting Irish to a 20-3 upset of Michigan State, racking up 12 tackles. It was heartbreaking and inspirational. Te'o would appear on ESPN's College GameDay to talk about the letters Kekua had written him during her illness. He would send a heartfelt letter to the parents of a sick child, discussing his experience with disease and grief. The South Bend Tribune wrote an article describing the young couple's fairytale meeting—she, a Stanford student; he, a Notre Dame star—after a football game outside Palo Alto.

Did you enjoy the uplifiting story, the tale of a man who responded to adversity by becoming one of the top players of the game? If so, stop reading.

[Impy]

He says he only knew her online and over the phone and thus implicitly admits he embellished the relationship. I find that pathetically believable.

Dude Manti, if you never even met her she wasn’t your girlfriend.

But there is an excellent chance he’s lying and he invented her which is very scummy not to mention stupid since any reporter worth a pile of puke could ascertain whether the girl actually existed or not.

Either way, weird.

[jmaroneps37]

“....We also know that Te’o is a devout Mormon. When asked why he picked Notre Dame over Southern California, the school he had supported while growing up in Hawaii, he said he prayed on it.” What was the problem? SC is a secular school; ND is a secular school.
What a sorry pile of crap Notre Damer has become under Father Jenkins!

[socal_parrot]

His story doesn’t add up. Per an article on Breitbart, a high school friend says Teo was in on the hoax. Sooner or later, he’ll come clean.

Oprah Winfrey, call your office.

[John W]

Well we don’t have many reporters worth a pile of puke anymore. I’d like to sic Deadspin on Obama’s trail but I’m sure they wouldn’t take the job.

[waxer1]

Spoke to his aunt last week. They are all still on cloud nine.

[PGalt]

HOORAY deadspin! Glenn Beck giving kudos to deadspin now. Citizen journalism BUMP!

[Bender2]

Re: Manti Te'o's Dead Girlfriend Never Existed

What... a pisser!

Guess I have to take back... my "She's dead, Manti."

Oh My God! The same thing happened to me... and then I met this scrumptious hottie!

Golly, George, just imagine, you lost your grannie and girlfriend all at once and I just magically appear... What a stroke of luck!

I know what you are feeling, Manti... being part chinaman, I, too, have had nonexistent friends and family die online--

How can you say "Manti Te'o's Dead Girlfriend Never Existed" when... she is evidently Obama's long lost love child and the reason for his new 46 Executive Orders outlawing auto accidents and leukemia?

Hey, Bend, you know me. Always doing things... for the children!

Listen, Barry, my Executive Orders outlawing 'Succession' did squat... and neither did my one stopping actors from owning assault derringers, either--

Does this mean my Packers loss to the 49ers... was a hoax, too?

Sorry, big, that arse whippin'... was on the level.

Meanwhile, back at Manti Te'o's Dead Girlfriend's online wake, the entertainment... goes on and on--

[Jaded]

All of the “journalists” knew about Rielle and it took a scandal sheet to print it. Birds of a feather.

[A'elian' nation]

“No one looked for her obit?”
EXACTLY! I just watched ESPN First Take, and the Chicago Tribune reporter that interviewed Te’o said he believed Te’o when he interviewed him. Then went on to say that as he was writing the story he tried to look for her obit but couldn’t find it.

Give me an F’n break! He couldn’t find it! Are you telling me he never asked Manti where his online gf lived? And this lamestream reporter never investigated the Notre Dame investigators?

I don’t know who is telling the truth, but I know who is outright lying; and it is the lying mainstream reporters once again. These guys just don’t vet or investigate.

Skip Bayless and Stephan A. Smith had a wild back and forth on this issue today. They never confronted the Trib reporter and never went incredulous on him like I just did.

[SevenofNine]

Bender I am confused

Is there is dead grandma who died or never exist or dead girlfriend who never exist

I am confused Bender LOL!

[Liberty Valance]

"I, too, have had nonexistent friends and family die online--"

ROFL!

[Bender2]

Re: ROFL!

How dare you, Liberty Valance... How dare you!

When every small, nonexistent child I knew online that were murdered by assault weapons... were all shorter than this!

How dare you roll on the floor... laughing your arse off!

Well, Massachusetts must be... so proud--

[Liberty Valance]

Stay frosty my FRiend ...

[Bender2]

Re: Stay frosty... my FRiend

Bendy, tell me truth. How do I keep on killing this guy... and he never seems to die?

Well, Duke, Liberty is online... so how can he die?

Does that mean I now get to... shack up with Hallie?

Works... for me, Duke.

[Perdogg]

It wasn’t Morgan Fairchild?

[Half Vast Conspiracy]

This fishy tale just reeks of homosex.

That crossed my mind.

[Eric Blair 2084]

I don’t know you but if your screen name is descriptive and you are young, 2 thoughts that I have:

1. A 22 year olds brain is not fully developed. I don’t care if his SAT score is perfect. They can still be book smart and life common sense stupid.

2. 40+ year old sports writers and FReepers like me can’t relate to a meaningless virtual world. Actually we can and do here but we have a PhD in BS from life experience.

[Pride_of_the_Bluegrass]