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Ole Miss’ Mary Kate Cornett receives an apology from Barstool Sports as Pat McAfee breaks his silence but offers no apology

Mary Kate Cornett, a college freshman, has accused Pat McAfee of amplifying an unverified rumour about her on his show, drawing criticism despite McAfee's statement expressing his aversion to negativity. Barstool Sports, also implicated in spreading the rumour, has apologized to Cornett. Dave Portnoy regretted publishing the rumour, even briefly.
Ole Miss’ Mary Kate Cornett receives an apology from Barstool Sports as Pat McAfee breaks his silence but offers no apology
Image via Michael Hickey/Getty, Justin Cornett and People
Pat McAfee, host of the popular show The Pat McAfee Show, has been accused by a 18 year old college freshman, Mary Kate Cornett, of using an unverified rumour about her to attract “views”. While Pat McAfee has broken his silence on it, he has not yet apologised for it. Barstool Sports was also accused of amplifying the unverified rumour, and now they have finally apologised to Mary Kate Cornett for it.

Mary Kate Cornett receives an apology from Barstool Sports for amplifying the unverified rumour linked to her



As per the Daily Mail, Dave Portnoy of Barstool Sports said, “I wish we didn’t publish it even if it was only for 7 minutes.”
He added, “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.”
In February 2025, an unverified rumour about a University of Mississippi student who had s*x with her boyfriend’s father suddenly became hugely popular among college students. So much so that it started trending on X and for unknown reasons, peers had linked it to Mary Kate Cornett.
This unverified rumour was picked up by former NFL player, Pat McAfee as he discussed it on his show on 26th February. But he did not take Mary Kate Cornett’s name even though the damage was done.
As reported initially by The Athletic, Mary Kate Cornett recalled the trauma she faced after Pat McAfee spoke about the rumour linked to her on his show which was watched by million.
To make things worse, as per the Daily Mail, employees of Barstool’s, Kevin Clancy and Jack 'Jack Mac' McGuire spread the unverified rumours through other outlets while Charles Nicholas Longley commented about the controversy through an official Barstool Sports social media account.
Both Kevin Clancy and Jack McGuire have since apologised for their actions and posted a video and statement on X about it.

Pat McAfee spoke about how he does not want to bring negativity in anyone’s life



Pat McAfee opened up about the situation on the Big Night Aht show last week and said, “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.”
In an interview with the NBC News, Mary Kate Cornett had brutally slammed Pat McAfee and accused him of “changing” her life in a negative way.
Mary Kate Cornett is a business major student at the University of Mississippi and her parents as well as her boyfriend have completely supported the college freshman.
As per The Athletic, Mary Kate Cornett’s parents are devastated by how their daughter has been treated by her peers because of how the rumour blew up.
Also Read: “I never want to be part of anything negative”: Pat McAfee finally speaks on scandal linked to Ole Miss' Mary Kate Cornett
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TOI Sports Desk

The TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the essence of live sporting events and deliver compelling content to readers worldwide. From running live blogs for India and non-India cricket matches to global spectacles featuring Indian talents, like the Chess World Cup final featuring Praggnanandhaa and the Badminton World Championships semifinal featuring HS Prannoy, our live coverage extends to all mega sporting events. We extensively cover events like the Olympics, Asian Games, Cricket World Cups, FIFA World Cups, and more. The desk is also adept at writing comprehensive match reports and insightful post-match commentary, complemented by stats-based articles that provide an in-depth analysis of player performances and team dynamics. We track news wires for key stories, conduct exclusive player interviews in both text and video formats, and file content from print editions and reporters. We keep track of all viral stories, trending topics and produce our own copies on the subjects. We deliver accurate, engaging, and up-to-the-minute sports content, round the clock.

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