Pat McAfee Faces Legal Threats After Broadcasting Viral College Rumor on ESPN

A new report from The Athletic has brought serious allegations against WWE commentator and ESPN host Pat McAfee, with legal consequences now looming.

The controversy stems from the February 26 episode of The Pat McAfee Show, where NFL insider Adam Schefter appeared as a guest. During the broadcast, McAfee introduced an unverified rumor from social media that accused a University of Mississippi freshman of cheating on her boyfriend with his father. Although the woman, Mary Kate Cornett, was not named on air, her photo—taken from Instagram—was widely shared online after the claim went viral on X. The original post reportedly came from anonymous college platform YikYak.

Schefter attempted to steer the discussion back to football, but McAfee and others continued making jokes before transitioning to talk about quarterback Jaxson Dart's NFL draft prospects.

Barstool Sports personalities also reportedly discussed the rumor. Cornett later stated the viral story led to severe harassment, forcing her into emergency housing and remote learning. She also experienced a swatting incident at her mother’s Houston home, confirmed by police, and received harassing voicemails after her phone number was leaked.

Cornett and her boyfriend publicly denied the rumor and are now pursuing legal action. She has hired legal counsel and intends to hold McAfee, ESPN, and others accountable.

"You are ruining my life by talking about it on your show for nothing but attention,” Cornett said. “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.”

You can read more here.

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