'Untold' Netflix series, a reminiscence of ex-Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o hoax

A new Netflix series named 'Untold: The Girlfriend That Didn't Exist' depicts the infamous Notre Dame Fighting Irish linebacker Manti Te'o affair. This incident is recalled as one of the biggest scandals in college football history. This Netflix Original documentary is directed by Ryan Duffy and Tony Vainuku.

However, before it premiers today, we need to understand that it is not just a catfishing tale but something much bigger and deeper.

The story's basic premise is that Te'o is a Samoan-Hawaiian linebacker for Notre Dame. In December 2012, he claimed that his grandmother and girlfriend died on the same day.


He saw a lot of sympathies that poured in from all over the nation, and he saw new heights of success on the field. His team finished the season undefeated, and he seemed like he would be the first-round pick of the 2013 NFL draft.

In January 2013, his story became national, and his "girlfriend" Lennay Kekua wasn't real. Kekua claimed to be a Stanford student, and Te'o had pursued her online. The account of Kekua was made by a man from Seattle, who coincidentally was of Samoan ancestry.

Te'o's transformation was brutal and swift, and he went from a pin-up poster boy to a global joke. Kekua's account was made by Naya Tuiasosopo, who has come out as a trans woman since then and uses her/she pronouns. Naya created Kekua's fake Facebook profile and used a former high-school classmate's stolen pictures and pictures of friends and family members.

Naya could talk in a woman's voice, and due to this, their relationship sustained for months.