SlimCelebrity.com

"Us" magazine claims Ronaiah Tuiasosopo . . . the guy allegedly behind the MANTI TE'O dead-girlfriend hoax . . . tried out for "The Voice", and he used some of the SAME sob story that he used for Manti's "girlfriend," Lennay Kekua.

A so-called "insider" says he told producers "he and his cousins started a Christian band together, and were on their way to perform at a youth conference in Nevada when they got into a 'massive' car accident."

He said a truck crashed into their vehicle, which sent them "flip-flopping all over the freeway."  He also said doctors initially thought one of them might be brain-dead . . . but miraculously, everyone was FINE.

Of course, a car accident was part of Lennay's tragic (but made up) story.  But she was not fine, especially after she was subsequently diagnosed with leukemia.

The insider says Ronaiah passed a "background check and psych evaluation" . . . whatever that entails . . . and nothing about his story was suspicious.  But now some people connected with the show are wondering if it was a LIE.

Well, of course!  But that being said, there's talk online that Ronaiah actually WAS in a bad car accident . . . and THAT was his inspiration for adding it as part of Lennay's story.  Allegedly, of course.

The audition was for the upcoming season . . . and supposedly, he DID get the opportunity to perform in front of the judges.  He sang Matisyahu's "One Day".

But none of the judges turned their chair around for him . . . so, it's unclear if was going to be featured on TV.