What we know about Ronaiah Tuiasosopo in Manti Te’o story
More details have come out about 22-year-old Ronaiah Tuiasosopo, the man Deadspin believes posed as Te’o’s girlfriend online:
- He was a friend of Manti Te’o’s family
- He once auditioned for The Voice and told producers that he was involved in a “massive” car accident, according to Us Weekly. He claimed doctors thought one of them could have been brain-dead but that miraculously, everyone was healthy after the event.
- He is described by Deadspin as “a star high school quarterback turned religious musician.”
- Prior to the story breaking Wednesday, two Twitter users (@ceeweezy51 and @jayRahz), posted about Te’o’s girlfriend. @jayRahz tweeted after the story broke:
“My fam & I have an idea who the guy is behind the @LennayKay profile & hes up there leading a worship band at his dad’s church! SMFH”
“we caught Ronaiah’s persona as Lennay Kekua back in 2008 and ended all ties with him.”
- He has not spoken publicly since the story broke Wednesday afternoon.
- This is believed to be Tuiasosopo playing piano, on the left:
And here, on the guitar:
