Mary Kate Cornett, a University of Mississippi student who became the center of an unsubstantiated viral rumor in February, is no longer staying silent.
The Ole Miss student and her family are now fighting back over allegations that she was involved in an affair with her boyfriend’s father. According to a viral post shared by X user @MAGAgeddon, Cornett allegedly became intimate with her boyfriend Evan’s father.
It’s important to note that these events are based on unverified social media posts, and Cornett is ensuring that she fights back for her name.
Cornett is not only speaking out, but she is doing her first on-camera interview about how her ‘life was ruined’ after a rumor about an alleged affair with her boyfriend’s dad went viral.
The 19-year-old explained how she became the target of online trolls, and things only got worse when the situation was discussed on The Pat McAfee Show.
“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 said during an interview with NBC News.
NEW: Ole Miss freshman speaks out after a rumor went viral claiming she had slept with her boyfriend's father.
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) April 3, 2025
This story is insane.
19-year-old Mary Kate Cornett is reportedly considering legal action after the rumor went viral, trending number 1 at one point on X.
Cornett… pic.twitter.com/j7DCmPi9Vf
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The student said that the rumor “has affected me in such an awful way and has practically ruined my life.”
Mary Kate Cornett Planning Legal Action Against Pat McAfee, ESPN
Mary Kate Cornett, a University of Mississippi freshman, says a false accusation accusing her of inappropriate behavior rapidly circulated online in February.
The unverified claim was briefly discussed on McAfee’s show.
Though McAfee never mentioned her name directly, Cornett insists the segment helped amplify the false narrative.
Now, she may be looking to take legal action against ESPN and Pat McAfee.
“You’re ruining my life by talking about it on your show for nothing but attention, but 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,” said Cornett, who is plotting legal action against ESPN and others possibly for their roles in “spreading the rumor,” according to The Athletic.
