January 23

'Face' of Te'o's fake girlfriend says hoax also on her

The woman in the phony Twitter photo says the alleged hoaxster apologized to her.

The Associated Press

NEW YORK — The woman whose photo was used as the "face" of the Twitter account of Manti Te'o's supposed girlfriend says the man allegedly behind the hoax apologized to her.

Diane O'Meara told NBC's "Today" Tuesday that Ronaiah Tuiasosopo used pictures of her without her knowledge in creating a fake woman called Lennay Kekua. Te'o asserts he was tricked into an online romance with Kekua.

O'Meara went to high school in California with Tuiasosopo, but she says they're not close. He called to apologize Jan. 16, the day Deadspin.com broke the hoax story, she said.

"I don't think there's anything he could say to me that would fix this," said O'Meara.

Te'o is scheduled to appear with his parents on Katie Couric's syndicated show Thursday.

 

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