‘Untold: The Girlfriend Who Didn’t Exist’: Who Is Manti Te’o Married to Now?
College football fans knew the name Manti Te’o before he made headlines for something that had nothing to do with his skills on the field. Te’o was a star linebacker at Notre Dame and became a household name in 2013 after it was revealed that he was the victim of catfishing scandal which left more questions than answers. The Netflix documentary Untold: The Girlfriend Who Didn’t Exist takes a deep dive into the bizarre tale that brought Te’o so much unwanted attention.
Here’s more on that and the woman who the former Heisman trophy finalist ended up marrying after the public girlfriend hoax.
Documentary dives into how Te’o became victim of a catfishing scam
In 2012, when Te’o still played for the Fighting Irish, he learned that his grandmother, Annette Santiago, had died. Soon after he received word that his girlfriend, Lennay Kekua who was in a near-fatal crash months earlier, died of leukemia. He took the field after he got the news and dedicated his performance to both of them. However, months later, it was revealed that his girlfriend never existed in a Deadspin article titled: Manti Te’o’s Dead Girlfriend, The Most Heartbreaking And Inspirational Story Of The College Football Season, Is A Hoax.
Te’o connected with who he thought was Kekua via Facebook in 2011 and they began a relationship without ever meeting in person. USA Today noted that the profile was actually created by Naya Tuiasosopo, who then went by Ronaiah Tuiasosopo before transitioning to female.
“I knew what was right and wrong, but I was too far in love with being looked at in this way,” Tuiasosopo said in the documentary. “Yes, it was completely selfish, but it was what made me happy. It was what I wanted to be a reality.”
Te’o found a love that does exist
Following the girlfriend hoax, Te’o did find true love.
In 2016, he began dating Jovi Nicole Engbino. She was born on Jan. 14, 1988. After high school, Engbino attended Arizona State University and graduated in 2007 with a degree in business administration and management. She previously worked as a sales support specialist for Robert Half in San Diego. She also attended nursing school. These days Engbino is described as a beauty consultant, social media influencer, and fitness trainer. She frequently posts workout videos on her Instagram account.
In August 2020, Engbino and Te’o tied the knot during an oceanside ceremony in La Jolla, California.
The athlete took to social media at the time and posted a series of photos with the caption to his bride: “I couldn’t give you the world but I think I did better … I gave you my last name and it looks good on you Mrs. Te’o.”
The couple welcomed their daughter, Hiromi, on Aug. 12, 2021, and one year later announced that they were expecting a son.
Te’o’s glad everything is out now and says he’s ‘healed from it all’
As for the catfishing scandal, Te’o is glad the whole story is out now and he’s been able to heal and move on from it.
“Doing this project and going through old text messages and going through the old phone, there (were) a lot of things that were coming up that needed to be addressed for me,” he said. “Now that the doc is out, and everything is out there — there is nothing that is left — definitely, I’ve healed from it all.”
