The Pat McAfee settlement most searchers are asking about is the July 2025 resolution of a dispute with Mary Kate Cornett, an Ole Miss freshman whose life was upended after McAfee amplified a false sexual rumor about her on his ESPN show. No lawsuit was ever filed. The matter was resolved through private mediation, sealed with an on-air apology from McAfee on July 23, 2025, and described by the Cornett family’s attorney as resolved “to each party’s satisfaction.”1TODAY. Pat McAfee Apology Mary Kate Cornett Ole Miss Financial terms were not disclosed.
What McAfee Said On Air
In late February 2025, an anonymous YikYak post claimed an Ole Miss sorority member had slept with her boyfriend’s father. The rumor jumped to X, where users attached Cornett’s name and photo. She became the top trending topic on X in the United States.2Forbes. Pat McAfee Faces Legal, Ethical Fallout Over Ole Miss Remarks Her family later described what followed as a “deliberate and coordinated cyberattack” involving doctored screenshots, AI-generated fake videos, and manipulated photographs.3People. Pat McAfee Apologizes for Spreading False Sex Scandal Rumor About Ole Miss Student Mary Kate Cornett
On February 26, 2025, McAfee spent roughly two minutes on his ESPN show discussing the rumor from the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. “This is what is being reported by everyone on the internet: Dad had sex with son’s girlfriend,” he told viewers, using the word “allegedly” but offering no verification.2Forbes. Pat McAfee Faces Legal, Ethical Fallout Over Ole Miss Remarks He did not say Cornett’s name. She was the only person publicly connected to the rumor at the time.4The New York Times / The Athletic. Pat McAfee ESPN Ole Miss Student
The fallout was severe. Cornett received thousands of hostile texts and voicemails, including messages urging her to kill herself.5TODAY. Ole Miss Student Freshman Rumor Her phone number was leaked. On February 27, a “swatting” call sent the Houston Police Department’s homicide division to her mother’s home.6NBC News. Pat McAfee Apologizes to College Student Over False Rumor Campus officials moved her into emergency housing, and she switched all her courses to online instruction.7The New York Times / The Athletic. Mary Kate Cornett Pat McAfee – The Pulse
How the Case Was Resolved Without a Lawsuit
Cornett retained the Houston law firm Ahmad, Zavitsanos & Mensing, with attorneys Monica Uddin, Michael Killingsworth, and John Zavitsanos handling the case.8NBC News. University of Mississippi Student Speaks About Viral Rumor In April 2025 she told NBC News she intended to take legal action against McAfee and ESPN, and possibly against others who profited from a cryptocurrency memecoin created using her name.4The New York Times / The Athletic. Pat McAfee ESPN Ole Miss Student By April 11, 2025, reporting indicated lawyers for both sides were in communication and pursuing mediation rather than litigation.9The New York Times / The Athletic. Pat McAfee Mary Kate Cornett
As a private individual rather than a public figure, Cornett would have faced a lower bar in a defamation case. She would need only to show McAfee was negligent in repeating the false claim, not that he acted with “actual malice.”2Forbes. Pat McAfee Faces Legal, Ethical Fallout Over Ole Miss Remarks ESPN declined to comment throughout the spring of 2025.4The New York Times / The Athletic. Pat McAfee ESPN Ole Miss Student
The On-Air Apology
On July 23, 2025, McAfee opened his show with a public apology. He said he had recently met with Cornett and her family in person, acknowledging his commentary “was based solely on what others were saying on the internet” and that he had “no personal knowledge about Mary Kate or her personal life.” He added: “I deeply regret all the pain that this caused. I hated watching what our show was a part of.” Identifying himself as a “girl dad,” McAfee said he had told Cornett’s father how “wildly regretful” he was for the role his program played in his daughter’s suffering.10SuperTalk Mississippi. ESPN’s Pat McAfee Apologizes for Role in Perpetuating Viral Rumor Against Ole Miss Student
Justin Cornett, Mary Kate’s father, said it “was refreshing to stand by Mary Kate’s side and see a man that made a mistake look her in the eyes and apologize with sincerity. Now the healing can begin.”11AL.com. ESPN Host Apologizes to Coed for False Story: ‘I Deeply Regret the Pain That Was Caused’ Attorney Monica Uddin confirmed to TODAY.com that “the matter has been resolved to each party’s satisfaction.”1TODAY. Pat McAfee Apology Mary Kate Cornett Ole Miss Justin Cornett separately confirmed the same.12The New York Times / The Athletic. Pat McAfee Apology Ole Miss Student False Rumor
What Was Not Disclosed
No financial terms were made public. McAfee referenced “a lot going on behind the scenes” before his on-air statement but did not confirm or deny a monetary payment.13USA Today. Pat McAfee Apology Mary Kate Cornett Reporting on the resolution did not reveal whether ESPN contributed to any settlement or whether a confidentiality agreement was in place. The Oxford Police Department’s investigation into the origin of the viral rumor remained open as of early 2025, with no arrests reported.14The Clarion-Ledger. Ole Miss Student Speaks Out After Pat McAfee Put a Viral Lie on ESPN
The Earlier Brett Favre Suit
Searches for a McAfee settlement sometimes surface a separate 2023 dispute with Brett Favre. That case also ended without a payment. In February 2023, the Hall of Fame quarterback sued McAfee for defamation over commentary tying him to the Mississippi welfare scandal, in which tens of millions in federal anti-poverty funds were diverted to projects including a volleyball arena at the University of Southern Mississippi.15The Clarion-Ledger. Brett Favre Files Defamation Lawsuits Against Mississippi State Auditor Shad White and Commentators Favre alleged McAfee had called him a “thief” and accused him of “stealing from poor people in Mississippi.”16ESPN. Brett Favre Sues Mississippi State Auditor Shannon Sharpe Pat McAfee Defamation
On May 11, 2023, Favre withdrew the lawsuit after McAfee issued a statement clarifying that his comments were “expressed in comedic style” and “based solely on public information and allegations.” No money changed hands.17CBS Sports. Brett Favre Mississippi Welfare Scandal: Hall of Fame QB Withdraws Defamation Lawsuit Against Pat McAfee Favre confirmed the withdrawal on social media, writing that McAfee “was attempting to be funny and not commenting based on any personal knowledge.”18Fox 11. Brett Favre Pat McAfee Settle, Drop Defamation Lawsuit Mississippi Welfare Scandal