Pat McAfee Concedes to Spreading False College Student Rumor

Pat McAfee Addresses False Rumor About Ole Miss Student

Pat McAfee, a former NFL punter and host of "The Pat McAfee Show," has publicly apologized to University of Mississippi student Mary Kate Cornett for amplifying a false rumor about her. Nearly five months after the initial discussion, McAfee took the time to address the situation on the July 23 edition of his show.

The false rumor surrounding Cornett began circulating on social media in February. It was later picked up by Barstool Sports and amplified by McAfee during a show at the NFL Scouting Combine on February 26. Although he did not mention Cornett’s name directly, he addressed the rumor, which led to significant backlash.

In his apology, McAfee expressed regret over the impact the story had on Cornett and her family. “I have since learned that the story was not true, and that my show played a role in the anguish caused to a great family, and especially to a young woman, Mary Kate Cornett,” he said. “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.”

McAfee also shared that he recently met with Cornett and her family, where he had the opportunity to sincerely apologize. He acknowledged that the information he shared about Cornett was based solely on what others were saying online or previous reports, without any personal knowledge of her life.

Cornett spoke with The Athletic in April about the fallout from the false rumor. She described the experience as overwhelming, stating that she faced significant backlash and had to move into emergency housing due to safety concerns. Her phone number was even released online, leading her to switch to online courses.

In an interview with NBC News, Cornett criticized the involvement of ESPN sports broadcaster in discussing a “sex scandal” about a 19-year-old girl that was completely false. She mentioned that she intended to take legal action against McAfee and ESPN for their role in spreading the rumor.

Although the rumor was not mentioned on the show after the initial discussion, McAfee briefly addressed it during a live event in Pittsburgh less than two weeks after The Athletic article was published. He stated that he did not want to add more negativity to the situation and aimed to find a silver lining in a difficult scenario. Other outlets, such as Barstool Sports, also issued apologies for their part in spreading the rumor.

Regarding the delay in addressing the issue on his show, McAfee explained that there was a lot going on behind the scenes. He emphasized that he personally wanted to speak with Cornett and her family before making a public statement.

“I can now say that I had the opportunity to meet (Cornett's family), chat with them, and they’re wonderful people. And I’m very thankful that they gave me the opportunity to tell them how sorry I was that this all happened, and that our program was a part of this,” 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.”

USA TODAY Sports has reached out to Cornett’s lawyer for further comment.