Pat McAfee slammed for reporting fake sex rumor about teenage student on ESPN
Ole Miss student Mary Kate Cornett's online supporters are ridiculing ESPN's Pat McAfee for his participation in reporting on a viral and false rumor on his show - without using her name
Ole Miss freshman Mary Kate Cornett had her world turned upside down by what she claims was a false and viral internet rumor that spread like wildfire and ended up on national television. She became the target of a fabricated scandal suggesting she had an affair with her boyfriend's father, which ESPN personality Pat McAfee mentioned during a Feb. 26 episode of The Pat McAfee Show.
Although McAfee never used her name and the video no longer appears on his YouTube channel, Cornett's face was already attached to the rumor by a random internet user. By the time McAfee reported the story carefully with an "online rumor" disclaimer, the rumor had already been spreading online. Within 2.5 hours of the tale's existence, Cornett's photos were trending on X, and her name was at the center of one of the most viewed stories on the internet.
"I want these people to know that I was not famous before this," Cornett said in her first public interview with NBC News. "I'm not a public figure that you can talk about on your show to get more views. Sorry. Nobody did know who I was, but them pressing it and pushing it farther made my situation so much worse. Because the people who were talking about it are who I would want to take a picture with if I saw them in public."
The aftermath for Cornett saw her begin to receive threatening voicemails, hateful texts, and slurs, all for something she says has "zero truth" to it. She vividly recalled waking up at 3 a.m. and throwing up from stress while watching hateful words pour in directed at her social profiles.
Cornett has since been forced to leave her dorm at Ole Miss, which has undergone a popularity resurgence behind the success of the football program and QB Jaxson Dart. She was forced to switch to online classes and remove herself from campus life altogether. Her emotions turned to heartbreak when she admitted she once admired McAfee before he took part in spreading rumors about her life. She even said that his show and ESPN would play in her home consistently before the ordeal.
"I used to look up to these people," she said. "And now the same people are making me feel worthless and like I'm a joke." Both declined to comment on the matter when approached by Mirror US Sports, and online sports fans were furious with McAfee's involvement and the network's silence. The controversial sports host was already under fire for his commentary regarding Canada during WWE's Elimination Chamber.
"ESPN should be ashamed for engaging with the rumor mill. Incredibly unprofessional," one viewer posted in reaction to the YouTube clip. Another said, "I feel bad for her. It's harmful and hurtful."
"You can't put a real person into a fake story and act like that's okay," another added. "Pat McAfee should invite her on the show and apologize to her live. That would at least show some responsibility."
Cornett has since hired legal representation and hopes to take action. Her team is reportedly exploring possible legal avenues surrounding defamation, cyberbullying, and the use of AI-manipulated images that falsely circulated during the ordeal.