FOXNews.com: GIRLFRIEND HOAX: Heisman Finalist Claims He Was Fooled by 'Sick Joke'

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GIRLFRIEND HOAX: Heisman Finalist Claims He Was Fooled by 'Sick Joke' Jan 16th 2013, 23:37 Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o was portrayed in the lead-up to this month's BCS Championship game as a young man who persevered in the face of tragedy, with his grandmother and girlfriend dying on the same day in September. But the truth may be stranger than fiction. It now seems that the supposed girlfriend's death was some sort of hoax, as the university put out a statement Wednesday night saying that Te'o and his family had been victimized by "someone using the fictitious name Lennay Kekua (who) apparently ingratiated herself with Manti and then conspired with others to lead him to believe she had tragically died of leukemia." The apparent hoax was first reported by sports gossip site Deadspin.com, and Notre Dame spokesman Dennis Brown confirmed that on Dec. 26 the school's coaches were informed of the hoax. "The university immediately initiated an investigation to assist Manti and his family in discovering the motive for and nature of this hoax," Brown said in a statement posted on the football program's website. "While the proper authorities will continue to investigate this troubling matter, this appears to be, at a minimum, a sad and very cruel deception to entertain its perpetrators." It remains unclear how much Te'o knew about Kekua's real identity and how he would have been fooled. Deadspin said one of its sources claimed to be "80 percent sure" that Te'o was "in on it" as some sort of publicity stunt. The college star claims he was tricked, putting out a statement Wednesday saying the matter was "incredibly embarrassing to talk about." "I developed an emotional relationship with a woman I met online," he said in a statement cited by ESPN.com. "We maintained what I thought to be an authentic relationship by communicating frequently online and on the phone, and I grew to care deeply about her. To realize that I was the victim of what was apparently someone's sick joke and constant lies was, and is painful and humiliating. ... "In retrospect, I obviously should have been more cautious. If anything good of this, I hope it is that others will be far more guarded when they engage with people online than I was." Te'o was a Heisman finalist last year and helped lead the Fighting Irish to the championship game, but the team wasn't much match for Alabama, which won 42-14. The week before Notre Dame played Michigan State on Sept. 15, coach Brian Kelly told reporters that Te'o's grandmother and a friend had died. Te'o didn't miss the game. He said Kekua had told him not to miss a game if she died. Te'o turned in one of his best performances of the season in the 20-3 victory in East Lansing, and his playing through heartache became a prominent theme during the Irish's undefeated regular season. Four days ago Te'o posted on his Twitter account: "Can't wait to start training with the guys! Workin to be the best! The grind continues! #Future" Te'o's mother did not immediately return a call from the Associated Press seeking comment. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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