ESPN’s Pat McAfee and others amplified a false rumor. A teenager’s life was ‘destroyed’
The devastating consequences of unchecked rumor-mongering were laid bare when an unverified, salacious claim about a college freshman, Mary Kate Cornett, right, spread across social media and was amplified by influential figures like Pat McAfee.
The Athletic
It is Feb. 26, and “The Pat McAfee Show” is filming in Indianapolis the week of the NFL Scouting Combine. McAfee sits behind a desk. Before him is an arc of chairs, occupied by a few of what he describes as his “stooges” and a featured guest: Adam Schefter, ESPN’s NFL insider.
Schefter’s presence and the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine logo behind the chairs seemingly previews the day’s subject matter. However, McAfee has a different topic on his mind.
He teases the subject, asking Schefter: “Have you heard about Ole Miss?” One of his cohorts says, “There is a ménage à trois …” that, McAfee adds, “has really captivated the internet.” After some more buildup, McAfee dives in.
“Some Ole Miss frat bro, k? Had a K-D (Kappa Delta) girlfriend,” McAfee says, and then he stresses the word “allegedly.”
“At this exact moment, this is what is being reported by … everybody on the internet: Dad had sex with son’s girlfriend.” Another person on set chimes in – “Not great” – and then McAfee adds: “And then it was made public … that’s the absolute worst-case situation.”
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