Earlier this year, Ole Miss student Mary Kate Cornett became the target of social media rumors regarding her relationship with her boyfriend. Now, she has decided to speak out against those who propagated the misinformation, including Pat McAfee. In February, Cornett’s name circulated widely on social media due to these unfounded rumors, which even reached The Pat McAfee Show. The host mentioned her name in a discussion with ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter about Ole Miss quarterback and NFL Draft prospect Jaxson Dart.
In a feature at The Athletic by Katie Strang, Cornett and her family share the distressing impact of having their names dragged into a scandal they maintain was entirely fabricated. Their ordeal has involved swatting attempts, harassment, and forced Cornett to seek emergency housing at Ole Miss.
As the rumor spread, Cornett was compelled to remove her name from outside her dorm room, but she continued to receive vile messages slipped under her door. Campus police warned her she was a target, leading her to transition to emergency housing and online courses.
On February 27, Houston police arrived with guns drawn at her mother’s house in a case of “swatting” – falsely reporting a crime to dispatch emergency responders. Security footage and a police report have confirmed the response by the homicide division.
With her phone number circulating online, Cornett was bombarded with degrading messages, including men laughing as they called her a “naughty girl.” Others sent her obscene texts, making threats and telling her to end her life.
Cornett and her lawyer, Monica Uddin, highlighted McAfee’s role in disseminating these false rumors on national television and the further damage they caused. Others mentioned in the article include former NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown, Barstool Sports personalities Jack Mac and KFC, and ESPN St. Louis radio host Doug Vaughn, all of whom contributed to spreading the misinformation.
“They don’t think it matters, because they don’t know who I am and they think that I deserve it,” Cornett stated. “But I don’t.”
Uddin added: “They elevated a lie from the worst corners of (X) to millions of general sports fans just to get a few more clicks and ultimately a few more dollars. While they don’t have to deal with it after it airs, the lie is chained to Mary Kate for the rest of her life.”
Following the revelations, Mary Kate Cornett and her father indicated in a Facebook post that she was considering legal action against McAfee and others. The article in The Athletic reaffirmed this position. Thus far, ESPN and McAfee have not responded. McAfee had previously come away unscathed from a defamation lawsuit by Brett Favre regarding comments on the Mississippi welfare scandal, yet this situation involves a college student whose life has been significantly impacted by the online rumors propagated on his national program.
McAfee has a history of tackling criticism and controversy directly, whether it be his feuds with former ESPN executives, his role in platforming Aaron Rodgers’ conspiracy theories, or even polls about his College GameDay popularity. Strang’s piece does not shy away from detailing these controversies, even referencing the program’s opening titles, which include the line “p.s. don’t sue us.”
Considering the sensitivity of this issue and Cornett’s potential legal action, it will be intriguing to see whether McAfee addresses the situation on his program or opts for silence following this intense story.
