Ronaiah Tuiasosopo’s cousin Tino Tuiasosopo played the part of “Lennay Kekua,” the fake girlfriend he created, The NY Post reported.
Tino Tuiasosopo convinced the Notre Dame star that she was the real deal, calling him at school, telling him she loved him and even sobbing hysterically when another girl answered his phone, several of the woman’s relatives confirmed on Thursday.
“Tino is the girl that Manti has been talking to all these months,” said one of Tuiasosopo’s cousins.
The revelation shoots down claims by Ronaiah Tuiasosopo’s attorney, Milton Grimes, that Ronaiah altered his masculine voice to play the part of Kekua.
Grimes did not respond to calls or e-mails for comment.
One of Ronaiah’s relatives believes Grimes put out the story because the admitted hoaxer “is determined to take the rap.”
Thurday on Katie Couric’s interview with Manti Te’o, voicemails were released that were sent to Teo’ that he had saved. After hearing the voicemails, one of Tino’s cousins told The NY Post, “There is no doubt whatsoever that it’s Tino.”
Te’o told Couric he believes the voice he heard as “Lennay” was definitely a woman. “Well, it didn’t sound like a man. It sounded like a woman,” he said
Tino is in her mid-20s, lives in Pago Pago, American Samoa and works for her dad. She listed “acting” on a profile from 2008.
