Michael Hickey/Getty; Justin Cornett
Dave Portnoy; Mary Kate Cornett- Mary Kate Cornett a University of Mississippi student, became the center of an unsubstantiated viral rumor in February
- Cornett has repeatedly denied rumors that she behaved inappropriately with her boyfriend's father
- Founder of Barstool Sports, Dave Portnoy, has now apologized for two personalities associated with his site amplifying the rumor on social media
The founder of Barstool Sports, Dave Portnoy, is publicly apologizing for the role two personalities associated with his sports site played in amplifying a viral false rumor that has plagued a University of Mississippi student’s life.
Mary Kate Cornett, 19, has repeatedly denied rumors that she behaved inappropriately, saying they are “categorically false” and threatened earlier this month to take legal action against those who participated in spreading the speculation.
On April 10, Portnoy addressed Cornett’s claims that her life had been “practically ruined” in an interview with NBC News.
“I would apologize, I get why the family is p------,” he told the outlet when asked what he would say if given the chance to speak to Cornett. “I’m sad, and I wish we didn’t play any part in it.”
Justin Cornett
Mary Kate CornettThe “vicious rumor” that Cornett was involved with her boyfriend’s father was circulating online when ESPN host and analyst Pat McAfee amplified it further by discussing it on the Feb. 26 episode of ESPN'S The Pat McAfee Show while citing “everybody on the internet” as his source.
He didn’t name her, but after a clip from the discussion was shared with his 3.2 million followers on X, at least two people associated with Barstool Sports referenced the rumor in posts on their personal X accounts that have since been deleted.
“I thought it was absolutely ridiculous that an ESPN sports broadcaster would be talking about a 19-year-old girl’s ‘sex scandal’ that was completely false,” Cornett previously told NBC Nightly News.
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