SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Dr. Phil McGraw, TV’s Dr. Phil, said Ronaiah Tuiasosopo, who masterminded the dead girlfriend hoax involving Manti Te’o, told him the Notre Dame linebacker was not involved in the scheme and that he ended up falling “deeply, romantically” in love with the football player.

McGraw spoke on the “Today” show Wednesday, previewing an interview he did with Tuiasosopo, a 22-year-old California man who created the fictional woman Te’o knew as Lennay Kekua. Tuiasosopo’s interview with McGraw will air in two parts on the “Dr. Phil Show” starting today.

Since the hoax was revealed earlier this month, Te’o has said the relationship with Kekua started online and eventually became serious, even though the two only talked on the phone and exchanged electronic messages, never meeting in person. Te’o said he was told of Kekua’s “death” from leukemia just hours after his grandmother died in September.