Pat McAfee has been accused of “ruining” the life of an Ole Miss college student.
Mary Kate Cornett, who is a freshman at Ole Miss, claimed that McAfee spread a rumor about her on his self-titled ESPN talk show back in February 2025. On the show, McAfee spoke about a rumor circulating on social media about a student at the university who allegedly slept with her boyfriend’s father.
While McAfee did not name Cornett on his show, other sports personalities picked up the story and included her name. After going viral, Cornett slammed the rumors calling them false. Despite shutting down the rumors, Cornett has claimed that she has received vile messages in her social media inbox and Ole Miss her dorm. She has since been moved to emergency housing and switched to online courses.
“I would like people to be held accountable for what they’ve done,” Cornett said to The Athletic in April 2025. “You’re ruining my life by talking about it on your show for nothing but attention, 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.”
McAfee has not publicly addressed the situation. Us Weekly has reached out to ESPN for comment.
Keep scrolling for a complete breakdown of McAfee and Cornett’s drama:
How Did the Rumor About Mary Kate Cornett Start?
Before getting the attention of McAfee, a fake post on the anonymous social media platform YikYak was shared in February 2025. It claimed that Cornett hooked up with her boyfriend’s dad. The post went viral and ended up becoming a trending topic on X.
How Did Pat McAfee Get Involved?
Shortly after the rumor circulated on social media, McAfee brought it up during a February 2025 episode of his self-titled show. The sports analyst asked guest Adam Schefter if he had “heard” about the scandal at the college that was “captivating the internet.” While Schefter was unaware, McAfee explained there was drama going on in the school’s fraternity and sorority life.
“I’ll tell you, Greek life [is] getting called into question,” McAfee said. “We’re learning all about the [Kappa Delta sorority.]”
While not naming names, McAfee broke down the heresay.
“Some frat bro has a KD girlfriend allegedly,” McAfee claimed on the show. “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, who is a football reporter, asked how the story related to Ole Miss and its quarterback Jaxson Dart — which the group was previously discussing before the tangent.
“We’re just wondering. His dad … We’re just trying to combine, evaluate,” McAfee said before getting back to sports.
What Happened to Mary Kate Cornett After the Pat McAfee Incident?
After McAfee shared the rumor with his millions of followers, the story was circulated by other personalities including Antonio Brown and Barstool Sports’ accounts KFC Barstool and Jack Mac. Some of the posts included photos of Cornett.
When Cornett’s identity was revealed, she claimed she received messages at her dorm room and campus security told her she was a “target,” per The Athletic. Cornett’s phone number was allegedly leaked online which led her voicemail to be filled with unsolicited messages. She also allegedly received obscene text messages that reportedly called her a “whore” and a “slut.”
The outlet also reported that Cornett’s mother was the victim of a swatting incident as Houston PD arrived at her home with guns drawn.
How Did Mary Mary Kate Cornett React to the Rumors?
Cornett took to social media to slam the claims after they went viral from McAfee’s show.
“I would like to discuss the events that have happened over the past few days,” she wrote via 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 added despite going through “this difficult time” she and her loved ones were grateful for those who had come to defend her.
“My family and I have been overwhelmed with support from people all over the country. Thank you, it mattered!” she continued. “I especially appreciate the support from those who know me well enough to know how ridiculous this is.”
Her post then took a serious tone as she addressed the “harassment and bullying” she faced.
“Cyber attacks based on nothing but lies 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,” she penned. “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.”
Is Mary Kate Cornett Taking Legal Action Against Pat McAfee?
Cornett told The Athletic she has engaged in legal representation and is planning on taking action against McAfee and ESPN, which airs the talk show.
