'Faaaaar from it': Manti Te'o refutes gay theories after being questioned about sexuality in sitdown with Katie Couric, who also released new emotional voicemail audio of fake lover
By Rich Schapiro, Teri Thompson and Nancy Dillon
ABC's Katie Couric interviews Notre Dame football star Manti Te'o, which is to be broadcast on "Katie" January 24. (Lorenzo Bevilaqua/ABC)
Fooled in love and embarrassed the world over, Manti Te'o says he's sure of this: He is not gay.
Katie Couric rushed at the Notre Dame star linebacker in her exclusive sitdown, which aired in full Thursday, questioning the truth of his statements that he was merely the victim of a sensational hoax.
"One of the theories, many theories, Manti, making the rounds is somehow you created this whole scenario to cover up your sexual orientation," Couric said. "Are you gay?"
"Far from it. Faaaaaaaaar from it," Te'o shot back.
Ronaiah Tuiasosopo, alleged mastermind behind the hoax of Notre Dame star Manti Te'o's fake girlfriend, disguised his voice to sound like a woman in telephone chats with the linebacker. (Nick Stern/Nick Stern.)
In the interview, Te'o vehemently denied having any role in creating fake Stanford hottie Lennay Kekua. He said his biggest mistakes were lying to his parents about once having met Kekua, and perpetuating the myth she was real after a Dec. 6 phone call in which
Kekua, back from the dead, insisted she staged her demise to dodge drug dealers.
Couric's ABC talk show Thursday also released new evidence in the social-media-inspired scam: three voice mails that Te'o's soon-to-die gal pal left for the duped defender last year.
Diane O'Meara told NBC News' "Today" show Wednesday that Ronaiah Tuiasosopo used pictures of her without her knowledge to create the Internet profile that captured the heart of Manti Te'o. (Peter Kramer/AP)
The voice is bubbly at times, and at others full of wounded love in accusing Te'o of having someone else with him. Te'o said he never suspected Kekua's voice was actually that of hoax mastermind Ronaiah Tuiasosopo, as the trickster's lawyer told the Daily News in an exclusive interview Wednesday.
"It didn't sound like a man. It sounded like a woman," Te'o said. "But if he somehow made that voice, that's incredible."
Tuiasosopo, a 22-year-old singer and former high school football player from California, may tell his side of the story, but is now getting mental health counseling, lawyer Milton Grimes told The News.
Manti Te'o can't run away from this scandal fast enough. (Reuters)
Grimes was adamant his client never used others as vocal stand-ins for Kekua — though Te'o previously said he believes a second man and a woman were in on the ruse, because he spoke with people posing as Kekua's relatives.
A source familiar with the details told The News there is suspicion Tuiasosopo is taking all the blame to protect people close to him.
"There's this guy, and if he comes 'clean,' he saves the other two," the source said.
ndillon@nydailynews.com
Notre Dame Fighting Irish linebacker Manti Te'o must be fighting mad about the dirty trick played on him. (JEFF HAYNES/REUTERS)
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