Manti Te’o Netflix Documentary: Former Linebacker Thanks Supporters Who Have Reached Out After Watching ‘Untold’

Manti Te’o is thanking all of his supporters who have come to his defense after seeing the Netflix documentary about his absurd cat fishing story of 2012.

At that time, Te’o dedicated his senior season at Notre Dame to his grandma and girlfriend who had passed away earlier that year. But one problem: the girlfriend didn’t exist, but was rather part of an elaborate cat fishing attempt from an online admirer.

Now, many are sending out apologies and support to Manti Te’o after seeing what he was forced to endure in the aftermath of his cat fishing story.

In response, Te’o shared a message to fans on Instagram.

“I just wanted to come out here real quick to give a heartfelt thank you to everybody who has come through and has shown so much love to me and my family, for your messages, for your comments,” Te’o said in his video post. “It’s been amazing to me to hear the battles that we’re all facing, the challenges that we’re facing in our lives at this time and how the documentary has given some of us hope, the extra push just to keep going, if there’s anything that I wanted from this thing was just to give some of us hope who needed it, to tell those who needed some love that they’re loved, and to help them to forgive.”

Now, Manti Te’o is ready to forgive the Ronaiah Tuiasosopo, the person who catfishes him on the web. However, Tuiasosopo is now a transgender woman who goes by “Naya”.

“I’m grateful that Naya was able to go on there, and I’m sure it wasn’t comfortable for Naya as well, but I wanted it,” Te’o told ET. “I told (’Untold’ directors) Tony Vainuku and Ryan Duffy I wanted it to be the story. That’s what was so great. Everybody said it’s my story. No, I wanted it to be the story. (Because) when this thing comes out I don’t want it to just be one-sided. I didn’t want it to just be me. I wanted it to be everybody. And again, it was the entire truth and I think that’s what people really love about it. There was no stone left unturned, and definitely it was a powerful experience.”

Manti Te’o is now happily retired from the NFL after being drafted by the Chargers. He has been married to Jovi Nicole Engbino since 2020.

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