Pat McAfee, an ESPN show host known for his vibrant personality on air, has formally apologized for his role in perpetuating viral online rumors about Ole Miss student Mary Kate Cornett.
Burner accounts, or anonymous online profiles intended to conceal a user’s identity, flooded platforms like X and Snapchat, claiming that Cornett had been romantically involved with her boyfriend’s father back in February. As the allegations spread, popular figures in the sports entertainment world, including former NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown, a Barstool host, and McAfee, were among those guilty of sensationalizing the rumor.
Cornett, 19, strongly denied the allegations and filed police reports with local law enforcement in Oxford, along with the FBI, to seek the origins of the rumor. She even went public to express her dismay with those who engaged in gossip about a situation she claims to have “ruined her life,” while specifically calling McAfee out.
“I thought it was absolutely ridiculous that an ESPN sports broadcaster would be talking about a 19-year-old girl’s ‘sex scandal’ that was completely false,” Cornett said on NBC back in April.
During the NFL Draft combine, McAfee joked about the rumor during an airing of The Pat McAfee Show. He later took a clip from the portion of the show where he and others discussed the alleged Cornett scandal and posted it on X with the caption, “What’s going on at Ole Miss.” The former Indianapolis Colts punter has more than 3 million followers on the popular social media platform.
Months later, McAfee put forth what appeared to be a conscious effort to make things right. On Wednesday’s airing of his show, the media darling informed his audience that he had met with the Cornett family in person and had conversations with them about his role in the “anguish” he caused Mary Kate and others to experience. Noting that he never wants to “contribute to another human’s suffering,” the College Game Day host was eager to apologize to the family.
“I think you all know from tuning into this program that I never want to be a source of negativity or contribute to another human’s suffering. And I can now happily share with you that I recently got to meet Mary Kate and her family,” McAfee continued.
“And I got a chance to sincerely apologize to them and acknowledge that what I said about Mary Kate was based solely on what others were saying on the internet, or what had previously been reported by others, and that we had no personal knowledge about Mary Kate or her personal life.”
At the time the viral rumor had reached its apex, Cornett’s personal information had been leaked, prompting bad actors to flood her cellphone with seemingly endless harassment, including messages encouraging her to take her own life. McAfee, a father of one daughter, informed Cornett’s father, who has been active in seeking justice since the allegations spread, how remorseful he was for his part in the 19-year-old’s torment.
“As a ‘girl dad,’ I also was very thankful for the opportunity to let Mr. Cornett know that I was wildly regretful for the part that our show, our program, played in his daughter, Mary Kate’s, pain,” McAfee said.
“I deeply regret all the pain that this caused. I hated watching what our show was a part of, in her interviews, and reading about it. And my hope is that this can be something that we all learn from going forward. I know we certainly have. Our goal at this show is to make the world a happier place, a better place. To celebrate life and sports and unify folks. I, and we, don’t always get it right. But we’ll never stop trying.”
McAfee also acknowledged that he shied away from commenting on the matter until he had a chance to speak with the Cornett family personally. Since the two parties have been in contact with one another, the Cornett family’s legal counsel has confirmed that issues involving the former NFL star have since been resolved.
