Dave Portnoy gives verdict on Ole Miss student targeting Pat McAfee over viral fake sex rumor

In the aftermath of a pupil astatine the University of Mississippi lashing backmost astatine those spreading mendacious rumors astir her relationships, Barstool Sports president Dave Portnoy is connected the defensive.

Mary Kate Cornett, a freshman astatine the school, has been taxable to lurid mendacious rumors successful caller weeks astir her dating life.

Cornett and the different parties progressive successful these rumors person each vehemently denied the allegations that dispersed crossed the net similar wildfire.

As she told some Katie Strang of The Athletic arsenic good arsenic NBC Nightly News, her beingness has been altered arsenic a effect of this un-wanted publicity.

In particular, Cornett is upset astatine Pat McAfee of ESPN and 2 Barstool employees - Kevin Clancy, besides known arsenic KFC, and Jack McGuire, besides known arsenic 'Jack Mac' - for their roles successful spreading the rumors.

'I'm not a nationalist fig that you tin spell speech astir connected your amusement to get much views,' the 18-year-old told NBC.

McAfee concisely brought it up connected his amusement connected ESPN, without naming Cornett specifically, successful a conception with NFL insider Adam Schefter. Schefter dodged the question and past moved on.

ESPN declined a petition for remark from DailyMail.com astir this communicative in a erstwhile report. 

Clancy, meanwhile, publically tweeted astir it connected his ain backstage societal media account. McGuire, connected the different hand, promoted a meme coin with Cornett's sanction connected it. 

In the latest occurrence of 'The Unnamed Show' alongside co-hosts Kirk Minihane and Ryan Whitney, Portnoy made it wide that Barstool Sports did not determine to tally with the communicative connected their main institution channels - calling the concern 'tough' and openly debating if helium should punish Clancy and McGuire for their actions.

'The miss did not bash it. If you work this happening for a second... we did not let immoderate of that connected Barstool. It ne'er was connected our main [page],' Portnoy said connected the show.

'McAfee talked astir it, but McAfee brought it up connected ESPN and it's connected ESPN connected his show. He didn't accidental the sanction but the communicative was precise viral and helium alluded to it.'

When Minihane tried clarifying astir Cornett's presumption arsenic a nationalist figure, Portnoy instantly rebuffed the suggestion. 

'I would perfectly accidental she is not a nationalist figure,' Portnoy said. 'No, this was connected an Ole Miss YikYak wherever anybody tin enactment anything. They doctored photos they just... idiosyncratic who knew her ran with it. She wanted nary portion of this.

'And beauteous evident to maine that it was... 1 of those viral things. To me, wide backstage citizen. For [Barstool Sports employee] Paul Gulczynski to beryllium similar "no we're not posting this"... smart, I was similar "congratulations."'

Portnoy past addressed what his employees did connected their idiosyncratic accounts. 

'Now, we can't power what I judge Jack Mac and KFC did connected their backstage [social media accounts]... similar we didn't cognize you're gonna speech astir it successful backstage connected similar a TikTok oregon Kevin tweeted it,' helium said.

'That's being [treated] similar it's us. I conjecture we could punish idiosyncratic for what you bash connected your backstage [accounts], I wouldn't successful this case. They some were like... they're talking astir the internet.

'Now does McAfee.. is that a antithetic modular erstwhile you're connected ESPN? I deliberation determination kinda is. It's a pugnacious one... At what level bash you person like, I don't cognize if it's motivation oregon whatever, to a miss who's conscionable having a prevarication that is kinda ruining her beingness for nary reason.

'So if you're McAfee, wherefore adjacent bring it [up]? Like we decided it's not going connected our channels. I would've told Kevin and Jack Mac don't adjacent speech astir it astatine each if they asked me. 

Concluding the treatment of the subject, Portnoy admitted, 'I could spot america getting sued, adjacent though we didn't enactment it connected our network. Like we're getting mentioned successful each of it. 

'I person replied a mates of times being similar "it wasn't connected thing we control". I can't power what our employees bash connected their idiosyncratic social, I don't adjacent cognize they're doing it... we could punish them aft the information I guess, similar this doesn't stand. It's a grey area, I wouldn't with this one... I can't halt thing I don't cognize is happening.'

Cornett revealed that McAfee 'never erstwhile reached retired to inquire maine if this was existent oregon for maine to springiness immoderate benignant of connection to him.'

'I thought it was perfectly ridiculous that an ESPN sports broadcaster would beryllium talking astir a 19-year-old girl's 'sex scandal' that was wholly false,' she said.

Worst of all, Cornett claimed she's been harassed by strangers calling her a 'whore' oregon 'slut' implicit an net rumor that has 'zero information to it.'

'I don't deliberation these boys recognize what they're doing to people,' said an affectional Cornett. 'It's atrocious and having your beingness ruined by radical who person nary thought who you are is the worst feeling successful the world. It makes you consciousness truthful alone.'

Cornett precocious broke her soundlessness astir the viral rumors, which she says McAfee helped to dispersed by discussing connected his amusement connected February 26.

'I would similar radical to beryllium held accountable for what they've done,' she said successful an interrogation with The Athletic.

'You're ruining my beingness by talking astir it connected your amusement for thing but attention, but present I americium staying up until 5 successful the morning, each night, throwing up, not eating due to the fact that I'm truthful anxious astir what's going to hap for the remainder of my life.

'They don't deliberation it matters, due to the fact that they don't cognize who I americium and they deliberation that I merit it, but I don't.'

Cornett's attorney, Monica Uddin, says her squad whitethorn look astatine enactment astatine those who profited from promoting a mendacious rumor, saying to The Athletic: 'This is conscionable a chaotic westbound mentation of a precise acquainted problem.

'It's conscionable that it's adjacent worse due to the fact that it's not a company. It's an 18-year-old girl.

'They elevated a prevarication from the worst corners of (X) to millions of wide sports fans conscionable to get a fewer much clicks and yet a fewer much dollars. While they don't person to woody with it aft it airs, the prevarication is chained to Mary Kate for the remainder of her life.'

The study besides reveals disturbing details of however the societal media rumors person impacted Cornett's family.

Her 89-year-old gramps was seemingly targeted with a telephone telephone successful the mediate of the nighttime astir her. Her begetter says helium has hired a backstage researcher arsenic good arsenic contacting police, Ole Miss field information and the FBI.

Cornett herself, who turned 19 connected March 20, says she is targeted connected her schoolhouse field by students screaming 'vulgar, disgusting things' astatine her.

She besides says her telephone fig was shared online and arsenic a result, was inundated with abusive and degrading telephone calls.

Speaking to DailyMail.com earlier successful March, Cornett's begetter Justin said: 'This has been a pugnacious clip for the household and we admit each the support.

'The authorities, some section and federal, are afloat engaged successful the process and are making progress.

'She wasn't looking for this attraction and this is beauteous unfair. It's been precise hard for america to person immoderate semblance of a mean life.'