Dave Portnoy is sorry for his Barstool Sports employee’s deeds.
During a candid interview with NBC News’ Tom Llamas on Thursday, Dave Portnoy publicly apologized to Ole Miss student Mary Kate Cornett.
The apology came in the wake of a Barstool employee, Nicky Smokes, spreading a false rumor. He alleged that she was involved in an affair with her boyfriend’s father.
Ever since Smokes used his platform to throw shades at the young university student, she has been facing an overwhelming amount of scrutiny.
“I would apologize. I get why the family is pissed,” Portnoy said.
Dave Portnoy says he's "worked to up Barstool's editorial standards" in the wake of the viral Ole Miss student rumor, and that he hopes to pursue mediation with Cornett's lawyers & avoid a lawsuit.
— Sports TV News & Updates (@TVSportsUpdates) April 10, 2025
This comes after Pat McAfee spoke on the situation for the first time last night. pic.twitter.com/17QVSHj00G
Earlier, Charles Nicholas Longley, known as Nicky Smokes, along with Barstool’s Kevin Clancy and Jack “Jack Mac” McGuire, made disparaging comments about Cornett on official Barstool social media channels.
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“I thought they were really stupid. For me, I have been doing this for a long time and I thought it was clearly a fake story. I thought we were better than that,” Portnoy added.
Initially, Portnoy had denied that Barstool Sports had any involvement in spreading the rumor when it first surfaced in February.
However, he is now acknowledging the impact of his employees’ personal accounts in fueling the malicious gossip.
Also Read: Dave Portnoy Accuses MLB Team Of Blatantly Cheating In Furious Rant
Dave Portnoy Is Mediating With Mary Kate Cornett After The Rumor Breakout
The rumors initially surfaced when ESPN host Pat McAfee discussed a scandal involving the University of Mississippi student without explicitly naming Cornett.
McAfee said that she had an inappropriate relationship with her boyfriend’s father. His discussion reached a wide audience after he shared clips with his millions of followers on X (formerly Twitter).
This led to individuals associated with Barstool Sports commenting on the rumors, which they have since deleted.
What's going on at Ole Miss 😂😂#PMSLive pic.twitter.com/48ed4tI3ey
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) February 26, 2025
Dave Portnoy later denied that Barstool Sports promoted the rumor, characterizing it as likely “fabricated.”
He also pointed out that employees’ personal posts were not under his control. Portnoy later admitted feeling deeply troubled upon learning about his company’s connection to the rumor.
Portnoy expressed a commitment to reaching out to Cornett’s family and is considering mediation instead of a lawsuit in response to the situation.
In her statements, Cornett conveyed feelings of being overwhelmed and isolated by the public scrutiny following the rumor’s spread.
While Pat McAfee and his team have not commented on the incident, he did express a desire to avoid negativity in people’s lives during a recent show.
Also Read: Dave Portnoy Wants Texas A&M Basketball Player Send To Prison Immediately
