Manti Te’o has spoken out about the Lennay Kekua death hoax , as it’s now been verified that the Notre Dame linebacker was never dating a Stanford student by that name last year. But the Heisman Trophy finalist is denying reports that he played a role in duping America, instead releasing a statement that says he fell victim to someone on the Internet. “This is incredibly embarrassing to talk about, but over an extended period of time, I developed an emotional relationship with a woman I met online. We maintained what I thought to be an authentic relationship by communicating frequently online and on the phone, and I grew to care deeply about her,” Te’o said. “To realize that I was the victim of what was apparently someone’s sick joke and constant lies was, and is, painful and humiliating. “It further pains me that the grief I felt and the sympathies expressed to me at the time of my grandmother’s death in September were in any way deepened by what I believed to be another significant loss in my life. “I am enormously grateful for the support of my family, friends and Notre Dame fans throughout this year. To think that I shared with them my happiness about my relationship and details that I thought to be true about her just makes me sick. I hope that people can understand how trying and confusing this whole experience has been. “In retrospect, I obviously should have been much more cautious. If anything good comes of this, I hope it is that others will be far more guarded when they engage with people online than I was. “Fortunately, I have many wonderful things in my life, and I’m looking forward to putting this painful experience behind me as I focus on preparing for the NFL Draft.” Are you buying the athlete’s story? Do you believe Manti Te’o was the victim of a hoax? Yes, the poor guy! No, he was in on it! View Poll »
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Manti Te’o Responds to Girlfriend Death Hoax, Claims Victimhood
