I CHOSE TO FORGIVE

US footballer Manti Te’o has finally healed from the catfishing scandal that almost destroyed his life and career

- NASIFA SULAIMAN

LIFE seemed to be handing everything to him on a silver platter: he had a dazzling sports career ahead of him, a growing band of fans and a beautiful girlfriend he’d met online who seemed like the perfect partner.

Manti Te’o’s future seemed alive with possibility – until everything came crashing down.

First, his beloved grandmother died and then, just hours later, he learnt his girlfriend had lost her battle with leukemia.

Yet despite the back-to-back losses Manti soldiered on, putting his grief aside to play in the national American football championships where he led his team to victory and dedicated his success to his gran and girlfriend.

His inspiring story captivated the nation and won him many fans – but their love and admiration turned to disgust and disbelief when it emerged his girlfriend, Lennay Kekua, had never had cancer.

In fact, she wasn’t even real.

Americans presumed he’d fabricated the whole story to get sympathy and he soon went from hero to zero.

The gripping tale of Manti’s rise, fall and ultimate redemption is told in The Girlfriend Who Didn’t Exist, the latest instalment in Netflix’s Untold series. The episode has dominated the streaming service’s top 10 shows and everyone from Kim Kardashian to basketball star LeBron James is talking about it.

It marks the first time Manti has opened up about the drama that nearly destroyed his life and it’s helped him deal with the hurt, he says.