Brian Te’o and Ottilia Te’o have been in the media for their son Manti Te’o, notably on two separate occasions; once when he was drafted into the NFL, and another time because of his “girlfriend” scandal. They’re back together again in a new Netflix special. Not to mention: The girlfriend doesn’t exist.
Learn more about Manti’s parents here in this article. We cover their ages, jobs, families, and current residences.
Who are Manti Te’o’s parents?
Brian Te’o and Ottolia Te’o are the parents of Manti Te’o. Manti, their oldest child, is a character on the Netflix show Not to mention: The girlfriend that doesn’t exist is in a serious relationship with his girlfriend Lennay Kekua whom he met online. But the problem is that he has never met her but he still believes that he should share his dating life with his parents.
Manti insists that he felt a religious connection to her through their online conversations. “It was the spiritual aspect that took over,” Matni says. “The spiritual aspect — in my previous relationships, spirituality wasn’t a big deal. It was something, but it wasn’t the primary issue. She always said to me, ‘Manti, the only man I love more than you — well, two men, God and my dad: I will never put you before God.’
“She would say things like that, and we would pray at night before we went to bed,” Manti added. “Then when we woke up in the morning, obviously, because I was on the phone, she would pray again. She always told me to be humble. For me, that was what attracted me.”
Brian and Ottolia also claimed that they had spoken to the woman. They were under the impression that the two had met.
On the show, Manti’s parents described Manti as a “loving husband and father” and “a wonderful son.” On the show, Brian shared about his son’s relationship, “They started out as just friends. Every now and then, she would go on a trip to Hawaii, and that’s when Manti was home, so he would see her there. But over the last year, they became a couple. And we realized that she could be our daughter-in-law.”
Manti lied to his parents because he feared they would not accept someone he had never met. His mother also defended her son, saying, “He is my son. He always put others before himself. He did what a responsible and honorable man should do… I am proud of his character. It hurts to see his image and name being associated with someone who is dishonest.”
Brian also defended his son, saying, “If they say Manti lied about something, then they can say we lied about it today… That story is true for us.”
The Netflix documentary puts things into context by showing how they ignored the warning signs and eventually resolved the situation. You might wonder what Brian and Ottolia did after the problem was resolved.
Meet Manti Te’o’s Dad, Brian Te’o
Brian Te’o is Manti Te’o’s father.
Brian was born to Normalynn Te’o and Ima Uiva Te’o in Samoa. His parents lived in San Francisco for a few years before moving to Fremont, California. They moved to Hawaii and started a successful bakery business.
Ima was born on July 12, 1934. He has two brothers, Lueli and Ma’ataua, and two sisters, Logo and Nafanua. His parents divorced when he was eight years old. His mother later had three more children and his father had seven more children from his second marriage.
Ima completed his high school education at Banning High School and played football there. He died in 1981 at the age of 47 in Pago Pago, American Samoa.
Meanwhile, Norma is the former director of IWES and student employment at Brigham Young University Hawaii. She studied Psychology at Brigham Young University–Hawaii and completed high school at Polytechnic High School, San Francisco, CA.
Brian had three brothers, Nephi, Ephraim, and David, and two sisters, Serena and Naomi.
Regarding Manti’s selection by the Chargers in 2013, Brian said of his son, “I love the pick; we’re really excited and happy. He’s benefiting from being a good son.”
Born in May 1971, Brian Te’o is currently 51 years old.
Brian Te’o currently works as the Lead Grantee Specialist at STG International, Inc. She joined the company in 2017 and just completed her 5th year two months ago. Prior to that, she worked at Kamehameha Schools as an Education Coordinator. She was an Assistant Director at PACT Early Head Start/Head Start.
Additionally, Brian has also served as program director at Early Head Start.
Brian completed high school at Kahuku High School in 1989. He received his BA in Biology/Biological Sciences from Brigham Young University in 1998. Additionally, he holds a MA in Early Childhood Education and Teaching from Chaminade University in Honolulu.
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Does Brian Te’o use Facebook?
Yes, Brian Te’o is on Facebook but he shares a joint account with his wife. You can find them at (@brian.ottiliato). They are also on Pinterest.
Meet Manti Te’o’s mother, Ottilia Te’o
Ottolia Te’o is Mati Te’o’s mother.
Ottolia was born to Louis Kapunelani Santiago (born December 25, 1941 – died January 28, 2012) and Annette Kalama Santiago (née Keala) (born August 30, 1940 – died September 11, 2012). Following Annette Santiago’s death on September 11, a narrative developed around her passing, evolving from the heartfelt loss of a nephew to a talking point for the Heisman Trophy campaign to a complete scam involving a fake dead girlfriend discovered by dead spin.
At that time, Manti shared with ESPN“Just the troubles my family is going through are the hardest thing to accept.”
After the girlfriend scandal, during her son’s NFL career, Ottolia spoke to the media expressing her gratitude to her community. “It’s been overwhelming,” she shared. “We appreciate the support that this community has shown for Manti. They’ve been there through thick and thin. They’ve always stood by him. We’re so grateful.”
Ottolia Te’o’s birth year is also 1971. She celebrates her birthday on October 1.
Ottilia’s job information is not available.
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Does Ottilia Te’o use Facebook?
Yes, Ottolia shares Facebook with her husband.
Related FAQs
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Are Manti Te’o’s parents still married?
Yes, Manti Te’o’s parents, Brian and Ottilia, have been happily married for 31 years. On Mother’s Day 2022, Brian paid tribute to his wife by writing, “Happy Mother’s Day to the Queen of our Castle! She has reigned with dignity and grace for the past 31 years, winning the hearts of her loyal subjects with her love and compassion. We, the royal peasants, love her dearly and pledge our lifelong commitment to her service. We love her, hun! Now let’s go to Hawaii!”.
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Where do Manti Te’o’s parents live?
Manti Te’o’s parents Brian and Ottilia currently live in Laie, Hawaii.
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How many children are there in the Manti Te’o family?
As revealed, Manti is the eldest of six children. He has four sisters; Maya, Eden Brie, Tiare and his only brother Manasseh.
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Will Manti Te’o’s parents appear on Netflix’s Untold: The Girlfriend That Didn’t Exist?
Yes, Manti Te’o’s Parents Are On Netflix Not to mention: The girlfriend doesn’t exist.