ESPN personality Pat McAfee is under fire for something he said about a female student at Ole Miss.
In February, there was a rumor spreading around online about Ole Miss freshman Mary Kate Cornett. She was accused of sleeping with her boyfriend’s father. Countless people ran with this rumor without even checking if it was remotely true. There was a point where her name became the No. 1 trending topic on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Believe it or not, McAfee brought up this rumor on his nationally-televised show. Although he didn't mention Cornett by name, it was pretty evident that he was referring to her.
"Some Ole Miss frat bro has a KD girlfriend allegedly," McAfee said. "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."
During an exclusive interview with Tom Llamas of NBC News, Cornett indirectly called out McAfee for bringing up this rumor at ESPN.
"I’m not a public figure that you can go talk about on your show to get more views," Cornett said.
Cornett later broke down in tears when talking about how this situation "practically ruined" her life.
"It's awful," Cornett said. "Having your life ruined by people who have no idea who you are is the worst feeling in the world. It makes you feel so alone."
Cornett's lawyer said she's a victim of cyberbullying and is seeking justice. The belief is that she'll take legal action against ESPN and Pat McAfee.
McAfee has not yet commented on this messy situation. ESPN hasn't said anything either at this time.
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