Back in February, Mary Kate Cornett, an 18-year-old Ole Miss student, became the subject of a viral rumor that claimed she had cheated on her boyfriend with his father. It spread across the internet and reached sports commentator Pat McAfee, who amplified the falsehood on his podcast, ESPN’s The Pat McAfee Show. In an interview with the New York Times in April, Cornett said McAfee’s gossip had contributed to “ruining her life.” Now, the sports commentator is apologizing for his role in fanning the flames.
At the end of his two-hour show on Wednesday, McAfee issued a statement about the situation, saying he has since learned that “the story was not true and that my show played a role in the anguish caused to a great family and especially to a young woman, Mary Kate Cornett.” McAfee revealed he’d recently met with the Cornett family and “got a chance to sincerely apologize to them and acknowledge that what I said about Mary Kate was based solely on what others were saying on the internet.”
McAfee added that, as “a girl dad,” he was thankful for the opportunity to let Cornett’s father know that he regrets playing a part in her pain. He also addressed why it took so long for him to publicly address the situation, saying he wanted to meet the family first and “a lot was going on behind the scenes.”
During her interview with the Times, Cornett and her attorney, Monica Uddin, had said they intended to take legal action against McAfee and ESPN. It’s unclear what happened during the meeting between the family and McAfee, but following this week’s podcast apology, Uddin told People that “the matter has been resolved to each of our satisfaction.” ESPN also told People in a similar statement that the matter had been “resolved.”
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