Ronaiah Tuiasosopo pretended to be Te’o’s girlfriend, Lennay Kekua, for months, communicating on pho

Ronaiah Tuiasosopo pretended to be Te'o's girlfriend, Lennay Kekua, for months, communicating on phone and through orlando florida disney hotels social media. Tuiasosopo went so far as to disguise his voice to sound like a woman when he spoke to Te'o on the phone, his attorney, Milton Grimes, said in an interview with The Times.
Grimes said his client orlando florida disney hotels decided to come clean about the hoax in an attempt to "heal." "He knows that if he doesn't come out and tell the truth, it will interfere with him getting out of this place that he is in," Grimes said.
Dr. Phil McGraw, who spoke with Tuiasosopo for an interview orlando florida disney hotels set to air this week, described the 22-year-old as "a young man that fell deeply, orlando florida disney hotels romantically in love" with Te'o. McGraw, speaking on the "Today" show, said he asked Tuiasosopo about his sexuality, and the 22-year-old said he was "confused."
"There were many times where Manti and Lennay had broken up before," Tuiasosopo said. "They would break up, and then something would bring them back together, whether it was something going on in his life or in Lennay's life -- in this case, in my life."
Tuiasosopo's comments add another twist to a story so bizarre that reporters orlando florida disney hotels from across the country have converged orlando florida disney hotels on Tuiasosopo's home in the Antelope Valley. News of the hoax was first reported earlier this month on the website Deadspin.com.
orlando florida disney hotels Over the year, Te'o repeatedly spoke to the media, including The Times, about his "girlfriend," the car accident orlando florida disney hotels that left her seriously injured and the leukemia that led to her September death. The tale became one of the most well-known stories of the college football season as Te'o led his team to an undefeated season and championship berth.
Those who know Tuiasosopo said they were baffled when they first learned of his involvement in the hoax. Neighbors and former high school coaches described him as popular, faith-driven and family oriented.
"I've done a lot of thinking about it," Jon Fleming, Tuiasosopo's orlando florida disney hotels former orlando florida disney hotels football coach at Antelope orlando florida disney hotels Valley High, said in the days after the ruse was revealed. "It's all speculation. He's goofy just like any other kid. The question that comes up in my mind is: 'What could he possibly gain from doing something like this?' It would really surprise me. What would he gain?"
L.A. Now is the Los Angeles Times' breaking orlando florida disney hotels news section for Southern California. It is produced by more than 80 reporters and editors in The Times' Metro section, reporting from the paper's downtown Los Angeles headquarters as well as bureaus in Costa Mesa, Long Beach, San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, Riverside, Ventura and West Los Angeles.