Weeks after amplifying an unsubstantiated internet rumor about Ole Miss freshman Mary Kate Cornett, Pat McAfee briefly alluded to the situation during a live event in Pittsburgh on Wednesday night, saying he “didn’t want to add any more negativity as it was taking place” and will try to “make some sort of silver lining in a very terrible situation.”
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McAfee did not specifically name Cornett in his original comments on ESPN’s “The Pat McAfee Show” in February in which he brought up the false story, nor did he mention her by name during his comments at PPG Paints Arena during his “Big Night Aht” show in Pittsburgh.
In the wake of the rumor, which started on an anonymous message board and spread throughout social media before being picked up by media personalities, Cornett received vile and degrading messages, as reported by The Athletic earlier this month. Campus police told Cornett she was a target, and the harassment prompted her to move into emergency housing and switch to online courses. Her family, friends and boyfriend were also impacted, per the report.
McAfee’s comments came Wednesday after he brought up a separate defamation lawsuit he previously faced from Brett Favre, which was later dropped.
“I’m cool with Brett, just like the current situation that is happening, where I have a lot of people saying that I should be sued,” McAfee said. “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.
“For all of these events, you f—ing know it that my lawyers are Pittsburgh lawyers and they’re in here tonight. I do believe they have a suite here that I have certainly contributed to. Certainly. They have the same mindset as me — empathy but understanding reality.”
He continued: “And for that whole thing that’s happening, I didn’t want to add any more negativity as it was taking place, like I did. 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. It won’t be as impossible to be a fan of mine going forward.”
I’ll never forget my first lawsuit 😂😂
We’re good Brett Favre
I never wanna add negativity to a situation#BigNightAHT pic.twitter.com/nQFtoQSefL
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) April 10, 2025
Cornett previously said she intends to take legal action against McAfee and ESPN, but no lawsuit has been filed as of Thursday. She told NBC News 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 would like people to be held accountable for what they’ve done,” Cornett previously told The Athletic. “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.”
The Athletic has reached out to ESPN for comment.
(Photo: Kirby Lee / USA Today via Imagn Images)
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