How Netflix&#8217;s &#8216;Untold&#8217; Creators Landed on the Story of Manti Teo and His Girlfriend Hoax

The new Netflix series, Untold: The girlfriend that didn’t exist, is to premiere
today on the big screen. The show is about the infamous Notre Dame Fighting
Irish linebacker Manti Te’o and his allegedly fake affair.

[data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==]

It’s known as one of the biggest scandals in the history of college football.
This catfishing tale of the footballer runs way deeper than the general audience
like us ever thought. Listen to what the creators of the series have to say on
the same.


FILMMAKERS OF THE NETFLIX ORIGINAL SERIES SPEAK ABOUT MANTI TE’O AND HIS ALLEGED
GIRLFRIEND

Ryan Duffy and Tony Vainuku are documenting the Netflix Original. The story’s
main frame is that Manti Te’o, a Samoan-Hawaiin linebacker for Notre Dame, lied
about being in a relationship with a girl who didn’t even exist. Now the reasons
behind the hoax are pretty obvious: media attention and sympathy. But was that
all?



“When we got the news that we’d be able to make more “Untolds” and we’d have
volume two, this was a story that was on our literal and proverbial whiteboard
of sports ideas. it’s something that my brother and I remember very well, just
kind of reading the news media on it and all the noise,” said
[https://edition.cnn.com/2022/08/16/entertainment/manti-teo-untold-netflix-q-and-a-cec/index.html]
the creators.

ALSO READ: Distressing Netflix Documentary ‘Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey’ Uncovers
the Chilling Horrors of Warren Jeffs’ FLDS Sect
[https://netflixjunkie.com/netflix-original-distressing-netflix-documentary-keep-sweet-pray-and-obey-uncovers-the-chilling-horrors-of-warren-jeffs-flds-sect/]

In December 2012, the footballer claimed live on a YouTube video
[https://youtu.be/6pEXuEgcQAo] that his grandmother and the love of his life
both passed away on the same day in a gap of six hours. This story was appealing
and attractive to Duffy and Tony. “For us as filmmakers, that’s when we knew,
All right, we have something special here. I think we can go make this
documentary film,” they said.


FROM A POSTER BOY TO A GLOBAL JOKE, MANTI LOST IT ALL

All the noise that surrounds him leads him to receive great support worldwide.
The player also unlocked new heights of success in his field, all due to his
half-truth about his loss.

[data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==]

Gradually, this fable
[https://deadspin.com/manti-teos-dead-girlfriend-the-most-heartbreaking-an-5976517]
took a dirty turn when his story went national in the following year. His
rumoured girlfriend came to be known as Lennay Kekua, although no such girl ever
existed. It doesn’t stop here. The girlfriend was said to be a Stanford student
whom Te’o had wooed online. The fake account of the girl was also made, and this
was done by a man from Seattle with, surprisingly, the same Samoan ancestry as
the footballer.

[data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==]

Although this hoax fetched the footballer temporary fame and a little success,
it became a massive red flag for the player sooner than expected. Later, it was
again reconfirmed that a trans woman made the account on Facebook. The person
could talk in a woman’s voice for which their relationship lasted for whatever
period it did.

You can know all the details of this infamous incident by streaming Untold: The
Girlfriend Who Didn’t Exist.

ALSO READ: Netflix Documentary on Trump Presents Modern America as Lived by One
Man, Ex-president Donald Trump
[https://netflixjunkie.com/netflix-news-netflix-documentary-on-trump-presents-modern-america-as-lived-by-one-man-ex-president-donald-trump/]

Shraddha null

Comment

How Netflix&#8217;s &#8216;Untold&#8217; Creators Landed on the Story of Manti Teo and His Girlfriend Hoax - Netflix Junkie

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Shraddha Das is a Content Lead and the Sub Group Head at Netflix Junkie. Captivated by the power of storytelling and the written word at a young age, which led her to pursue a career in journalism at the Esteemed KIIT School of Journalism and Mass Communication, in Orissa. She has over 1500 articles to her name. She takes pride in her work, always striving to provide insightful and informative content that her readers can trust. Her report on Buckingham Palace Green Lights Investigations Into the Monarchy’s Account on Disclosure of Links With Slavery is a prime example of her dedication to unbiased reporting. Her love for literature and film intertwines, as she finds solace in book adaptations turned into Hollywood productions. When she is not chasing a story, you will find her engrossed in a Christopher Nolan movie, eagerly waiting to review the latest blockbuster. In her free time, she enjoys revisiting classics like Oscar Wilde, Hemmingway, Jane Austen, Brontës, or losing her mind over any psychotic thriller franchises or heartwrenching historical world war masterpieces.

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How Netflix&#8217;s &#8216;Untold&#8217; Creators Landed on the Story of Manti Teo and His Girlfriend Hoax - netflix-junkie

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The new Netflix series, Untold: The girlfriend that didn&#8217;t exist, is to premiere today on the big screen. The show is about the infamous Notre Dame Fighting Irish linebacker Manti Te’o and his allegedly fake affair.
<img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-46302 lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" data-src="https://netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Untold_The_Girlfriend_Who_Didnt_Exist_Episode2_00_54_52_18.png" alt="" width="1024" height="576" data-sizes="auto" data-srcset="https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Untold_The_Girlfriend_Who_Didnt_Exist_Episode2_00_54_52_18.png 1024w, https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Untold_The_Girlfriend_Who_Didnt_Exist_Episode2_00_54_52_18-300x169.png 300w, https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Untold_The_Girlfriend_Who_Didnt_Exist_Episode2_00_54_52_18-768x432.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />
It&#8217;s known as one of the biggest scandals in the history of college football. This catfishing tale of the footballer runs way deeper than the general audience like us ever thought. Listen to what the creators of the series have to say on the same.
<h2>Filmmakers of the Netflix original series speak about Manti Te’o and his alleged girlfriend</h2>
Ryan Duffy and Tony Vainuku are documenting the Netflix Original. The story&#8217;s main frame is that Manti Te’o, a Samoan-Hawaiin linebacker for Notre Dame, lied about being in a relationship with a girl who didn&#8217;t even exist. Now the reasons behind the hoax are pretty obvious: media attention and sympathy. But was that all?
<div class="flex-video widescreen youtube"><iframe loading="lazy" title="Untold: The Girlfriend Who Didn&#039;t Exist | Official Trailer | Netflix" width="1170" height="658" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sTj-jHfhdzo?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
“When we got the news that we&#8217;d be able to make more &#8220;Untolds&#8221; and we&#8217;d have volume two, this was a story that was on our literal and proverbial whiteboard of sports ideas. it&#8217;s something that my brother and I remember very well, just kind of reading the news media on it and all the noise,” <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2022/08/16/entertainment/manti-teo-untold-netflix-q-and-a-cec/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> the creators.
ALSO READ: <a href="https://netflixjunkie.com/netflix-original-distressing-netflix-documentary-keep-sweet-pray-and-obey-uncovers-the-chilling-horrors-of-warren-jeffs-flds-sect/">Distressing Netflix Documentary ‘Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey’ Uncovers the Chilling Horrors of Warren Jeffs’ FLDS Sect</a>
In December 2012, the footballer claimed live on a <a href="https://youtu.be/6pEXuEgcQAo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">YouTube video</a> that his grandmother and the love of his life both passed away on the same day in a gap of six hours. This story was appealing and attractive to Duffy and Tony. “For us as filmmakers, that&#8217;s when we knew, All right, we have something special here. I think we can go make this documentary film,&#8221; they said.
<h2>From a poster boy to a global joke, Manti lost it all</h2>
All the noise that surrounds him leads him to receive great support worldwide. The player also unlocked new heights of success in his field, all due to his half-truth about his loss.
<img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-46289 lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" data-src="https://netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/220815174314-02-manti-teo-untold-netflix-super-169.jpg" alt="" width="1100" height="619" data-sizes="auto" data-srcset="https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/220815174314-02-manti-teo-untold-netflix-super-169.jpg 1100w, https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/220815174314-02-manti-teo-untold-netflix-super-169-300x169.jpg 300w, https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/220815174314-02-manti-teo-untold-netflix-super-169-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/220815174314-02-manti-teo-untold-netflix-super-169-768x432.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1100px) 100vw, 1100px" />
Gradually, this <a href="https://deadspin.com/manti-teos-dead-girlfriend-the-most-heartbreaking-an-5976517" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fable</a> took a dirty turn when his story went national in the following year. His rumoured girlfriend came to be known as Lennay Kekua, although no such girl ever existed. It doesn&#8217;t stop here. The girlfriend was said to be a Stanford student whom Te’o had wooed online. The fake account of the girl was also made, and this was done by a man from Seattle with, surprisingly, the same Samoan ancestry as the footballer.
<img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-46288 lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" data-src="https://netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/220816113044-01-naya-tuiasosopo-handout-super-169.jpg" alt="" width="1100" height="619" data-sizes="auto" data-srcset="https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/220816113044-01-naya-tuiasosopo-handout-super-169.jpg 1100w, https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/220816113044-01-naya-tuiasosopo-handout-super-169-300x169.jpg 300w, https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/220816113044-01-naya-tuiasosopo-handout-super-169-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/220816113044-01-naya-tuiasosopo-handout-super-169-768x432.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1100px) 100vw, 1100px" />
Although this hoax fetched the footballer temporary fame and a little success, it became a massive red flag for the player sooner than expected. Later, it was again reconfirmed that a trans woman made the account on Facebook. The person could talk in a woman&#8217;s voice for which their relationship lasted for whatever period it did.
You can know all the details of this infamous incident by streaming Untold: The Girlfriend Who Didn&#8217;t Exist.
ALSO READ: <a href="https://netflixjunkie.com/netflix-news-netflix-documentary-on-trump-presents-modern-america-as-lived-by-one-man-ex-president-donald-trump/">Netflix Documentary on Trump Presents Modern America as Lived by One Man, Ex-president Donald Trump</a>

Netflix Documentary on Trump Presents Modern America as Lived by One Man,
Ex-president Donald Trump

Distressing Netflix Documentary ‘Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey’ Uncovers the
Chilling Horrors of Warren Jeffs’ FLDS Sect

https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/netflixjunkie-logo-2.jpg

https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Untold_The_Girlfriend_Who_Didnt_Exist_S1_E1_00_01_47_15-1.png

Manti Te’o and his alleged girlfriend’s tragic lovestory from the Netflix original series, Untolds’ filmmakers’ point of view.

How Netflix's 'Untold' Creators Landed on the Story of Manti Teo and His Girlfriend Hoax - Netflix Junkie

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How Netflix’s ‘Untold’ Creators Landed on the Story of Manti Teo and His Girlfriend Hoax

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