Tuiasosopo Molested As Child As Revealed in Dr. Phil Interview

The mastermind of the Manti Te’o hoax, the man who played the fake girlfriend of Te’o, talked to TV host Dr. Phil.  The 22-year-old Ronaiah Tuiasosopo spoke publicly for the first time on TV, saying as a child, he was repeatedly molested, by someone who was close to his father, a church pastor and youth minister.

“I felt that I couldn’t do things, accomplish things, pursue things, live out as Ronaiah,” Tuiasosopo said to Phil. “And I felt the need to create this. It has everything to do with what I went through as a child.”

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Ronaiah Tuiasosopo said he built the online persona of Lennay Kekua because it allowed him to live in an alternate reality, and helped validate that he was a good person. “When I looked at Lennay through Manti’s eyes, I got a glimpse of who I was as far as my heart,” said Tuisasosopo.

Te’o and his family had no immediate comment on Friday.