Pat McAfee, known for stirring up controversy both as a WWE commentator and ESPN host, is once again in hot water—this time over comments made on The Pat McAfee Show that could lead to legal consequences.
The situation stems from a February 26 episode of McAfee’s show, where he and his co-hosts discussed an online rumor involving an Ole Miss college student allegedly having an affair with her boyfriend’s father. While McAfee didn’t mention the student by name, The Athletic has since identified her as 18-year-old freshman Mary Kate Cornett, a business major with no ties to sports.
The discussion happened during a segment with NFL insider Adam Schefter, who was covering Ole Miss quarterback and NFL Draft prospect Jackson Dart. Despite no apparent connection between Dart and Cornett, the rumor gained traction after McAfee’s show addressed it. Former NFL receiver Antonio Brown, personalities from Barstool Sports, and ESPN St. Louis radio host Doug Vaughn further amplified the story, leading to widespread social media harassment directed at Cornett, her boyfriend, and her family. The harassment escalated to the point that Cornett had to relocate to emergency housing.
Cornett has since hired attorney Monica Uddin and is pursuing legal action against McAfee, ESPN, and potentially others involved. Speaking on the ordeal, Cornett expressed how deeply the situation has affected her life.
“I would like people to be held accountable for what they’ve done,” she said. “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.”
As of now, neither McAfee nor ESPN have responded to the controversy. With legal action on the horizon, this situation could have serious consequences for McAfee’s media career—not to mention his role with WWE.
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