Scandalized Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o says yes, he did lie about his supposed girlfriend, Lennay Kekua — but that he only did what anybody in his position would do.
Te’o admitted the lie during a videotaped interview with ABC’s Katie Couric, scheduled to air tomorrow. In the interview, Te’o told Miss Couric that he had honestly believed his online girlfriend, Lennay Kekua, died of cancer — until December 2012.
Miss Couric replied: Then “you stuck to the script. And you knew that something was amiss.”
Te’o responded, “Correct.” He then also appealed for understanding.
“Katie, put yourself in my situation,” he said in the video. “You know, what would you do?”
Te’o’s parents were also interviewed for the report.
“He’s not a liar,” Te’o’s father said of his son. “He’s a kid.”
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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