
Manti Te’o is finally married, and this time, with a real woman. The former Notre Dame football player shared their wedding photos on his Instagram account with a caption stating how happy he is to marry his best friend.
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Manti Te’o’s spouse is Jovi Nicole Engbino, who he met in 2016. Jovi, who aspires to be a nurse, backed Manti Te’o while playing for the Chargers, who took the Heisman Trophy candidate in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He signed a two-year contract with the Saints four years later, and in late 2020, he was added to the Bears’ practice squad.
Jovi has a strong interest in exercise, beauty, and wellness. With over 35,000 Instagram followers, Jovi excitedly revealed in February 2020 that she was engaged to the football player.
In 2012, Manti Te’o led the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame to the BCS National Championship Game. He was a Heisman finalist and one of the most fulfilled defensive players in college football history, taking home the Butkus Award, among many other honors.
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Before a catfishing episode damaged his reputation, he was headed for a great career on the pro circuit.
Manti Te’o garnered widespread attention in 2012 when he revealed that his ex-girlfriend Lennay Kekua had passed away following a battle with leukemia. But later on, it was announced by Deadspin that she didn’t actually exist.
Lennay Kekua was a persona created by Ronaiah Tuiasosopo, now a transgender woman going by the name Naya and using images of Diane O’Meara on social media. She used many of O’Meara’s social media images without her consent.
After that, Manti Te’o’s career came plummeting. The catfishing incident caused him to lose millions of dollars. Manti unexpectedly fell to the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft after being projected to go first. According to CNBC, the former NFL star’s stunning drop in the draft cost him at least $8 million.
He also became one of the most hated athletes in America with Lance Armstrong and Tiger Woods. Luckily, true love found its way back to Manti.
Currently, Manti Te’o is happily married to Jovi and enjoys his life with his growing family. Despite his not-so-good experiences, he continued to pursue his career with the help of his wife.
Although Mati Te’o’s catfishing incident was disheartening, his story proves there are always second chances in everything. Meeting Jovi was proof of it.
After getting married, Manti Te’o seems to have completely overcome his traumatic college experience. Having two children, he is living a comfortable life and is starting to build his career in social media. He and Jovi continue to share snaps of their daily life as a family and promote their advocacies through Instagram.