We’ve all heard the rumors, and Mary Kate Cornett, the freshman at the University of Mississippi, is finally speaking out. She’s claiming that the rumors about her having relations with her boyfriend’s dad have completely ruined her life. That’s sad!
Mary Kate says that these rumors spread like wildfire and have affected her life. People are giving her dirty looks, spreading gossip, and all that. It’s a total mess. And let’s not forget about her poor relationship with her boyfriend. I can’t even imagine how awkward that must be.
Mary Kate Cornett, 19, told NBC News on Wednesday that she and her family have faced a barrage of harassment and insults in the weeks since a false rumor about her and her boyfriend’s father went viral online.
“Having your life ruined by people who have no idea who you are is the worst feeling in the world,” Cornett said, while tearing up. “It makes you feel so alone. It’s a horrible experience.”
The rumor involving Cornett, whose experience was detailed in a profile published by The Athletic earlier this week, was referenced on “The Pat McAfee Show” by the host, a former NFL player, and his guests as they discussed an alleged “ménage à trois” at Ole Miss. Cornett and her boyfriend were not mentioned by name in the ESPN show.
Cornett said her friends first told her about a rumor that was spreading on YikYak, an anonymous messaging-based app used by some college students, about a college student at her university and in her sorority who was sleeping with her boyfriend’s father.
Within an hour and a half of the rumor spreading, Cornett said she already started noticing people staring at her on campus. Eventually, she saw that her name was a top trending topic on X, with “hundreds and hundreds” of posts falsely identifying her as the person at the center of the rumor.
She said that she, her boyfriend and his father were shocked.
“It was so insane. It all happened so fast,” she said. “I was just in shambles. I just felt so helpless and so alone because so many people were hating on me for something that I had no idea anything about.”
Cornett said her number was shared online and that she was overwhelmed with “thousands” of calls and texts, with some telling her she “deserved to die.” She said she could barely leave her dorm room and had to switch to online classes.
Cornett denounced people who talked about her online, suggesting they did so for clout.
“I want these famous people to know that I was not famous before this,” she said. “ … I am a normal 19-year-old college freshman. That’s it. I was happy. I had a great friend group.”
“I’m not a public figure that you can go talk about on your show to get more views,” she added.
Justin Cornett, Cornett’s dad, said that as a parent he was “worried” that his daughter “wouldn’t recover.”
“You just want to protect them,” he said. “She’s a beautiful person. She has a tender heart and a kind soul.”
Now, he said he “wants justice.”
“The people that did this to her and her boyfriend and his dad deserve what they have coming to them,” he said.
Now, we can’t say for certain whether these rumors are true or not, but the damage they’ve caused is real. It’s a reminder that our actions and what we say can have long-lasting consequences. So, let’s take this as a lesson and think twice before we start spreading rumors and ruining someone’s life. It’s just not cool.
Flip to the next page to watch Mary Kate Cornett share her ordeal…
