Scarinci Hollenbeck, LLC
The Firm
201-896-4100 info@sh-law.comFirm Insights
Manti Te'o: Hoax Victim or Manipulator?
Author: Scarinci Hollenbeck, LLC
Date: January 18, 2013
Key Contacts
Back
Few sports stories are as inspirational and compelling as the one of Notre Dame linebacker and 2012 Heisman Trophy runner-up Manti Te’o. After learning about the deaths of his grandmother and girlfriend in a six-hour span in September, he still managed to lead his team against the favored Michigan State in a 20-3 victory that very evening. However, the underdog story fell apart when it was revealed by Te’o that the death of his girlfriend was a hoax.
Te’o, who met and carried on an online relationship with his girlfriend, Lennay Kekua, who reportedly died of leukemia, said he received a call from her number in December saying she was not dead. Manti Te’o and his parents reported the situation to the university, which launched its own investigation. Notre Dame released a statement saying Te’o had in fact been duped by a girlfriend he had never met in person, and that “someone using the fictitious name Lennay Kekua apparently ingratiated herself with Manti and then conspired with others to lead him to believe she had tragically died of leukemia.”
However, a number of elements don’t add up, which have led some to believe the hoax may have been a publicity stunt that Te’o himself was involved in. For example, the linebacker asserted that the relationship was strictly online, but his father told the South Bend Tribune that the two met at a football game and vacationed together in Hawaii in 2012. Te’o himself told ESPN that Kekua was “the most beautiful girl I’ve ever met.” Reporters also noted discrepancies in the dates and times of his girlfriend’s “death” in relation to that of his grandmother. Background checks, hospital and university records also reveal that no Lennay Kekua ever existed.
While the controversy may not equate to any sports law violations on the part of the linebacker, some are concerned that the discrepancies and potential involvement in the hoax may impact his credibility among the National Football League.
For more information on the Manti Te’o issue, please contact Anthony Caruso, Chair of Scarinci Hollenbeck’s Sports and Entertainment Law Group.
- Industries: Entertainment & Media
- Locations: Red Bank, NJ, New York City, Little Falls, NJ
No Aspect of the advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court. Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances.
Related Posts
See all
Reputational Risk and Legal Exposure: Why New Jersey Businesses Must Manage Them Together
New Jersey businesses must manage legal and reputational risk together because modern disputes play out on two fronts at once: the legal proceeding itself and the court of public opinion, where customers, employees, investors, and business partners often reach conclusions long before a judge or jury has had the opportunity to evaluate the facts. Success […]
Author: Sean M. Pena
Eviction Is Not Always the End: Understanding Post-Possession Rent Claims in New Jersey and New York
No. An eviction does not automatically end a tenant’s obligation to pay rent. Post-eviction rent claims are common because recovering possession resolves who has the right to occupy the premises, but it does not extinguish the tenant’s contractual obligations under the lease. Whether unpaid or future rent remains owed depends on three factors: the lease’s […]
Author: Donald M. Pepe
Company Dissolved? Legal and Financial Consequences to Expect
A company is dissolved; legally, it ceases to exist. Accordingly, dissolution results in significant legal and financial consequences. It is a process that must be properly managed to avoid continuing liability. The Corporate Dissolution Process Corporate dissolution is the legal process of formally closing a corporation, paying its debts and distributing the remaining assets. Most […]
Author: Jay McDaniel
The Legal Implications of Signing a Triple Net Lease
A triple net lease is a commercial lease in which the tenant pays the property’s real estate taxes, insurance, and maintenance costs, known as the three nets, in addition to base rent. They are most often used in freestanding retail and office buildings and in large single-tenant industrial properties, with terms that typically run 10 […]
Author: Donald M. Pepe
When to Settle and When to Fight: A Litigator's Framework
Every lawsuit comes with a cost, and knowing when to settle a lawsuit is one of the most consequential decisions a business owner will face. Experienced litigators understand how to minimize cost and obtain certainty for their clients. For many business owners, the decision is viewed almost entirely through a financial lens: What will it cost […]
Author: Sean M. Pena
Types of Business Law Services Companies Actually Use
Business law services are legal services that help companies form, operate, transact, protect assets, manage risk, and resolve disputes. The phrase can sound broad because it is broad. A company may need help with entity formation one month, contract review the next, a commercial lease after that, and a business dispute later in the year. […]
Author: Scarinci Hollenbeck, LLC
No Aspect of the advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court. Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances.
Sign up to get the latest from our attorneys!
Explore What Matters Most to You.
Consider subscribing to our Firm Insights mailing list by clicking the button below so you can keep up to date with the firm`s latest articles covering various legal topics.
Stay informed and inspired with the latest updates, insights, and events from Scarinci Hollenbeck. Our resource library provides valuable content across a range of categories to keep you connected and ahead of the curve.