Manti Te’o has found love once more.
In August 2020, the former NFL player married Jovi Nicole Te’o (née Engbino). The couple began dating in 2015, just a few years after Manti made headlines for his involvement in a catfishing scandal.
Jovi has been Manti’s biggest supporter over the years, backing both his professional football career and his decision to tell his story in the Netflix documentary Untold: The Girlfriend Who Didn’t Exist. Though Jovi hasn’t directly addressed the scandal, she did leave a heartfelt comment on Manti’s Instagram post promoting the documentary. “I’m proud of you, hunny,” she wrote.
Manti and Jovi have two children since their marriage: daughter Hiro and son Kyro, born in 2021 and 2023, respectively.
So, who is the wife of Manti Te’o? Continue reading to learn everything you need to know about Jovi Nicole Te’o.
Manti proposed after five years of dating while playing The Whisper Challenge with friends in February 2020. Manti asks Jovi in a video posted to Jovi’s Instagram, “Will you marry me?” as she tries (and hilariously fails) to guess what he’s saying while wearing headphones.
After correctly guessing the word “will,” Manti goes down on one knee. Manti pulls a ring from his pocket and asks her again, prompting Jovi to shout the entire phrase.
“We’re ENGAGED ❤️,” Jovi captioned the video. The pair first went public with their romance on social media in 2015.
Manti and Jovi married in August 2020 during an intimate oceanside ceremony in La Jolla, California, following a brief engagement. Manti shared the happy news on Instagram, along with a collection of wedding photos. “I couldn’t give you the entire world, but I believe I did better… Mrs. Te’o, I gave you my last name, and it suits you “He wrote.
In a post of her own, Jovi elaborated on their plans for a future post-COVID celebration with friends and family. “✨ Yesterday I got to marry my best friend and the love of my life in an intimate beach ceremony❤️ Although this was not how we envisioned our ceremony, it was perfect. We will be having our reception and celebration when Temples and venues open back up so we can share this special occasion with our families and I couldn’t be more excited,” she wrote, adding their couple nickname “#joviteo.”
On August 12, 2021, the couple welcomed their first child, daughter Hiromi “Hiro” Te’o. Manti announced the news on Instagram, alongside a sweet photo of him and Jovi with their newborn. “I will be eternally grateful to my wife. Thank you for bringing our daughter into the world. My hero is you. I adore you, “Manti penned a letter. “Hiro, Daddy adores you, and I’m ecstatic to be your father. My baby girl, I adore you.”
Manti announced on CBS Mornings in August 2022, just days after Hiro’s first birthday, that they were expecting a son. Jovi shared a clip of Manti’s interview with a blue heart and baby emoji on Instagram to confirm the news. Kyro Aumua Te’o, their son, was born in January.
“Welcome my little King. We’ve all been waiting for you!” she captioned her and Manti’s first photo with Kryo. In the comments section, Manti wrote to Jovi: “Love you babe!! Thank you!! Thank you!! Thank you!!”
“The past 20 months have been crazy to say the least,” she wrote alongside a slideshow of graduation photos. “We moved from San Diego to Utah, where I immediately started an accelerated RN program while pregnant with our first-born, Hiromi. I took second semester finals in the hospital the day after I gave birth. I’ve spent hundreds of hours in zoom classes, clinicals and labs. Met some amazing friends along the way. Sacrificed lots of vacations and family time to study for exams and pass-offs. Gave birth to my second child Kyro a week before graduation. What a wild ride! ????”
She expressed gratitude to Manti for “pushing me to finish even when I felt like giving up” and to Hiromi for her ability to lull her to sleep “right before an exam so mama could focus.”
Manti also celebrated his wife’s birthday on Instagram, writing alongside a photo of her: “She graduated from nursing school!! @jovi.nicole, I’m so proud of you; you’re one step closer to your goal.” Jovi’s dream is to open her own med spa, according to the father of two, but until then, “it’s nice to have an RN in our home,” he says.
Jovi announced on Instagram in early 2023 that she had joined the LUXX Medical Spa & Wellness team in Salt Lake City as a cosmetic injector. She found out about the exciting job opportunity just three weeks before graduating from nursing school. The career milestone marks Jovi’s professional debut in the beauty cosmetic world.
“It’s official! I am excited to announce that I have joined LUXX Medical Spa & Wellness as the newest Cosmetic Injector!” she captioned the post. “I have worked super hard to get through nursing school and train in the Aesthetic field, and I look forward to making women (and men!) feel more confident and enhance their natural beauty!”
