True Love makes you DO CRAZY Things (link)

[_The Mighty Builder]

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?sid=239062 ... id=queue-8

(AP) - A California man said he created the hoax in which former Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o fell for a fake, online girlfriend because he was in love with the football player.

Ronaiah Tuiasosopo spoke publicly for the first time in an interview with Dr. Phil McGraw for the "Dr. Phil Show," the first part of which aired Thursday.

The 22-year-old Tuiasosopo said he built the online persona of Lennay Kekua, a nonexistent woman who Te'o said he fell for without ever meeting in person and later believed to have died of leukemia.

Tuiasosopo said he felt Kekua was a part of him, and grew feelings and emotions for Te'o that he could not control. He acknowledged that the hoax was cruel, but said it was never intended as a joke and that he got no financial gain from it.

"I pretty much had this escape of Lennay and this was where my heart had pretty much invested, not just time, but all of my energy went into this," he said.

[_bcspace]

Only in California.