Netflix has released the official trailer for an upcoming documentary about Manti Te'o. It will debut Aug. 16.
The first I heard of this documentary was through ESPN's Don Van Natta Jr. in Jan. 2021. He attempted to shed more light on Te'o's story through his own "Backstory" series. He detailed some of the struggles he had in scheduling a sit-down interview with Te'o here:
www.espn.com
This section sheds some light on it:
We settled on a date, time and venue, and, this time, there would be no ground rules. Only Te'o knows precisely when he first suspected he was hoaxed after believing he was in a relationship he insists felt very real.
I was elated after going back and forth to try to land the interview, but the feeling did not last long. In mid-November, Hiltzik told me Te'o instead had committed to doing a documentary project with The Players' Tribune and Netflix, but there was still the possibility of a shorter, formal interview with Te'o via Zoom. (We later learned Te'o was potentially being paid for his participation and could have some control over the project.)
On Nov. 16, Te'o and I spoke again for 45 minutes. He told me he wanted to explain his reasons for backing out of our scheduled interview. "Your story is your film. It's not mine," Te'o said. "The other project, I would be the star of the beginning, the middle and the finish ... I want to be the star."
The Te'o episode of "Backstory" is available on ESPN+:
www.espn.com
I'll certainly watch this latest Te'o documentary, but I'm curious how many tough questions he'll answer and how much creative control he had over the project. Of course, we can't exactly throw stones because we didn't know it was a hoax while covering him back in 2012. It's just worth knowing who's telling the story.
The first I heard of this documentary was through ESPN's Don Van Natta Jr. in Jan. 2021. He attempted to shed more light on Te'o's story through his own "Backstory" series. He detailed some of the struggles he had in scheduling a sit-down interview with Te'o here:
Inside latest 'Backstory': Manti Te'o and the lingering catfish questions
Former Notre Dame linebacker and 2012 Heisman Trophy finalist Manti Te'o was part of a catfish hoax during his senior season with the Irish. He said he was duped and not involved, but "Backstory" examines why some still doubt Te'o's stance.
This section sheds some light on it:
We settled on a date, time and venue, and, this time, there would be no ground rules. Only Te'o knows precisely when he first suspected he was hoaxed after believing he was in a relationship he insists felt very real.
I was elated after going back and forth to try to land the interview, but the feeling did not last long. In mid-November, Hiltzik told me Te'o instead had committed to doing a documentary project with The Players' Tribune and Netflix, but there was still the possibility of a shorter, formal interview with Te'o via Zoom. (We later learned Te'o was potentially being paid for his participation and could have some control over the project.)
On Nov. 16, Te'o and I spoke again for 45 minutes. He told me he wanted to explain his reasons for backing out of our scheduled interview. "Your story is your film. It's not mine," Te'o said. "The other project, I would be the star of the beginning, the middle and the finish ... I want to be the star."
The Te'o episode of "Backstory" is available on ESPN+:
Backstory - Stream the Full Series on Watch ESPN - ESPN
Stream the latest episode of Backstory on Watch ESPN. Investigative reporter Don Van Natta Jr. goes beyond what viewers think they know about unresolved sports stories of the past and present.
I'll certainly watch this latest Te'o documentary, but I'm curious how many tough questions he'll answer and how much creative control he had over the project. Of course, we can't exactly throw stones because we didn't know it was a hoax while covering him back in 2012. It's just worth knowing who's telling the story.
