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Pat McAfee Embroiled in Allegations of Disrupting College Student’s Life
Pat McAfee, the prominent sports analyst and commentator, is facing accusations of significantly disrupting the life of Mary Kate Cornett, an Ole Miss college student. The controversy stems from McAfee’s ESPN talk show, where he is alleged to have amplified a damaging rumor about Cornett in February 2025. Cornett, a freshman at the University of Mississippi, contends that McAfee’s broadcast disseminated a baseless rumor alleging she had a sexual encounter with her boyfriend’s father. While McAfee did not explicitly name Cornett on air, the story gained traction, and other figures in the sports media landscape subsequently identified her, leading to widespread online attention and personal distress.
Student Alleges Harassment Following Rumor Amplification
Despite refuting the online rumors as false, Mary Kate Cornett reports enduring a barrage of offensive messages across her social media platforms and even at her Ole Miss dormitory. The escalating situation prompted university officials to relocate her to emergency housing, and she has since transitioned to online coursework to mitigate the impact of the ongoing harassment.
In an April 2025 interview with The Athletic, Cornett expressed the profound personal toll of the situation. “I would like people to be held accountable for what they’ve done,” Cornett stated. “You’re disrupting my life by talking about it on your show for nothing but publicity, but here I am staying up until 5 in the morning, every night, throwing up, not eating because I’m so anxious about what’s going to happen for the rest of my life.”
As of now, McAfee has not publicly addressed these allegations. Us Weekly has reportedly reached out to ESPN for an official statement regarding the situation.
Timeline of Events: McAfee and Cornett Controversy
The Genesis of the Rumor
Prior to gaining attention from Pat McAfee, the online rumor targeting Mary Kate Cornett originated from a fabricated post on YikYak, an anonymous social media platform, in February 2025. This initial post falsely claimed Cornett had engaged in a sexual relationship with her boyfriend’s father. The fabricated story rapidly spread online, quickly becoming a trending topic on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
Pat McAfee’s Broadcast and Escalation
Shortly after the rumor began proliferating on social media, Pat McAfee addressed it during a February 2025 episode of his ESPN program. McAfee inquired with his guest, Adam Schefter, a sports insider, about whether he had “heard” about the unfolding controversy at the university, describing it as “captivating the internet.” Schefter initially expressed unfamiliarity, prompting McAfee to elaborate on the purported drama within the university’s Greek life system.
“I’ll tell you, Greek life [is] getting called into question,” McAfee commented on his show. “We’re learning all about the [Kappa Delta sorority.]” He then proceeded to detail the unverified claims without explicitly mentioning names.
“Some frat bro has a KD girlfriend allegedly,” McAfee stated. “At this exact moment, this is what is being reported by everybody on the internet. The dad had sex with the son’s girlfriend … and it was made public.”
Schefter, a football correspondent, then inquired about the relevance of the story to Ole Miss football and quarterback Jaxson Dart, who was the preceding topic of their conversation.
“We’re just wondering. His dad … We’re just trying to combine, evaluate,” McAfee responded, before returning to sports-related content.
Consequences for Mary Kate Cornett
Following McAfee’s discussion of the rumor to his extensive audience, the narrative was further amplified by other online personalities, including Antonio Brown and Barstool Sports figures KFC Barstool and Jack Mac. Some of these subsequent posts reportedly included images of Mary Kate Cornett, further exposing her to public scrutiny.
Once Cornett’s identity became widely known, she asserted that she received threatening messages at her dormitory, and campus security reportedly informed her that she was considered a “target,” as reported by The Athletic. Cornett’s personal phone number was also allegedly leaked online, resulting in a voicemail inbox overwhelmed with unwanted messages. Additionally, she purportedly received obscene text messages containing derogatory terms.
The Athletic also reported a serious incident involving Cornett’s mother, who allegedly became the victim of a “swatting” incident, leading to the arrival of Houston Police Department officers at her residence with firearms drawn.
Mary Kate Cornett’s Public Response
In response to the viral nature of the rumors following McAfee’s program, Cornett addressed the situation publicly via social media, denouncing the claims.
“I would like to discuss the events that have happened over the past few days,” she posted on Instagram in February 2025. “First of all, this rumor is 100 percent completely false and it is quite frankly, inexcusable that such disturbing accusations went viral.”
Cornett further stated that despite enduring “this difficult time,” she and her family appreciated the outpouring of support from individuals who defended her.
“My family and I have been overwhelmed with support from people all over the country. Thank you, it mattered!” she wrote. “I especially appreciate the support from those who know me well enough to know how ridiculous this is.”
Transitioning to a more serious tone, her post addressed the “harassment and bullying” she had experienced online.
“Cyber attacks based on nothing but falsehoods and misinformation happen all too often. This experience has awakened me to the dangers of how we all can be manipulated to believe things we read on social media that are not true,” Cornett added. “My hope is that I am able to use the heartbreak and pain I have felt to help others that go through things like this in the future.”
Potential Legal Action
Cornett informed The Athletic that she has secured legal representation and is contemplating taking legal action against both Pat McAfee and ESPN, the network that broadcasts his show. The possibility of a lawsuit underscores the gravity of the situation and the potential ramifications for all parties involved in this unfolding controversy concerning online rumors and their real-world consequences.