Pat McAfee has officially stepped forward to own his role in spreading a false and damaging rumor about a college studentmonths after the story went viral online.
The ESPN host and former NFL punter used The Pat McAfee Show to deliver a public apology to University of Mississippi student Mary Kate Cornett, whose life was turned upside down after being wrongly accused of sleeping with her boyfriends father.
The original claim came from the anonymous app YikYak and quickly picked up traction online. McAfee repeated the rumor back in February without confirming if it was real. On Wednesdays episode, he revealed that he finally met Cornett and her familyand personally apologized.
McAfee said he waited to go public because he felt it was more important to face the family directly first. Describing them as wonderful people, he admitted he felt sick watching Cornetts interviews detailing the fallout from the false accusations.
Cornett told NBC News in April that the aftermath was devastating. Her phone number was leaked, death threats poured in, and her family home was swatted in a horrifying prank that sent police to their door.
While Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy denied any direct involvement from his company, one of their employees had reportedly referenced the rumor online. McAfee never named Cornett when he first addressed the story, but his latest statement made things clearand heartfelt.
Mary Kates father, Justin Cornett, praised McAfee for confronting the situation directly and with respect.
In a media world where viral rumors can spiral in seconds, McAfees apology serves as a rare example of taking accountability on a public platformthough it came only after serious damage was already done.
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