Pat McAfee has finally addressed the criticism he’s faced for spreading a viral internet rumor that Ole Miss student Mary Kate Cornett had an affair with her boyfriend’s father.
Cornett, 19, received multiple threats over posts falsely claiming she had a sexual relationship with the father of her University of Mississippi boyfriend, Evan Solis, also 19.
The vicious rumors have since sparked a FBI investigation and the Cornett family are considering legal action against anyone who initially shared it online.
The vile claims have never been proven and all parties involved have denied the allegations. In recent weeks, Cornett has criticized McAfee and other high-profile stars who spread the rumor for negatively impacting her life.
Barstool Sports chief Dave Portnoy expressed regret that his media empire played a part, telling the Daily Mail on Wednesday he would be ‘p***ed’ if he was Cornett’s family.
Now McAfee has spoken out on the situation as well, telling the crowd at his ‘Big Night Aht’ event that he ‘never wants to be a part of anything negative in anybody’s life’.
Pat McAfee has finally addressed the criticism he’s faced for spreading a viral internet rumor that Ole Miss student Mary Kate Cornett had an affair with her boyfriend’s father
Cornett has received multiple death threats over posts falsely claiming she had a sexual relationship with the father of her University of Mississippi boyfriend, Evan Solis
The former NFL punter said in Pittsburgh: ‘Just like the current situation that is happening, where I have a lot of people saying that I should be sued. I want to say this: I never, ever want to be a part of anything negative in anybody’s life, ever.
‘That is not what I want to do. You f***ing know it that my lawyers are Pittsburgh lawyers and they’re in here tonight. I do believe that they have a suite here that I have certainly contributed to. They have the same mindset as me, empathy but understanding reality.
‘We will try to figure that out and make some sort of silver lining in a very terrible situation. You can have that promise from me.’
Cornett recently broke her silence about the viral rumors, which she says McAfee helped to spread by discussing them on his show on February 26.
ESPN, which broadcasts McAfee’s show, has declined to comment. McAfee signed a five-year, $85million deal with ESPN in 2023.
She told NBC Nightly News last week that her life became embroiled in chaos after sports radio hosts and McAfee seized on the internet gossip.
‘I’m not a public figure that you can go talk about on your show to get more views,’ the 18-year-old told NBC.
ESPN host and former NFL player McAfee hyped up the false rumors on his show in February
‘Having your life ruined by people who have no idea who you are is the worst feeling in the world,’ said Cornett, pictured with boyfriend Solis
She went on to say that McAfee ‘never once reached out to ask me if this was true or for me to give any sort of statement to him.’
‘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,’ she said.
Worst of all, Cornett claimed she’s been harassed by strangers calling her a ‘whore’ or ‘slut’ over an internet rumor that has ‘zero truth to it.’
Portnoy told Daily Mail that Barstool Sports is ‘better than publishing fake rumors of people not in the public eye regardless of how viral the story was.’
In a statement, he said: ‘I wish we didn’t publish it even if it was only for 7 minutes.
‘I’d be p***ed if I was the family too. I’d like to think we’re better than publishing fake rumors of people not in the public eye regardless of how viral the story was.’
Barstool Sports personality ‘Nicky Smokes’ is among those who posted the claims about Cornett, Daily Mail revealed.
Smokes – real name Charles Nicholas Longley – uploaded commentary about the terrified student to an official Barstool Sports social media account, the Daily Mail has learned.
In an interview with NBC Nightly News, Cornett said the traumatizing rumor has ‘ruined’ her life
Justin Cornett told Daily Mail exclusively: ‘It’s shocking that the official Barstool college account furthered this lie, despite Mr. Portnoy claiming otherwise’
The 25-year-old Florida native, who labeled Cornett ‘disgusting,’ is one of the rising stars of the hugely successful brand.
An attorney representing Cornett told Daily Mail the offensive post will be included as part of future legal action against Barstool Sports.
Portnoy had previously stated of the abusive cyber campaign against Cornett, now in hiding following a barrage of savage abuse, ‘we did not allow any of that on Barstool.’
And he had referred to the viral claims about Cornett, who was 18 at the time, as ‘a lie that is kinda ruining her life for no reason.’
