ST. LOUIS — A St. Louis sports radio station broadcast an unsubstantiated rumor about an Ole Miss college freshman that “destroyed†her life, according to a story published by The New York Times.
Longtime sportscaster Doug Vaughn and local ESPN radio affiliate WXOS (101.1 FM) were one of several sports shows or figures that parroted a viral internet rumor that an 18-year-student had sex with her boyfriend’s father, said .
Vaughn and the station’s manager did not immediately respond to requests for comment Wednesday.
The rumor started Feb. 25 with an anonymous message on YikYak — a messaging app popular with college students.
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It was posted online and circulated on X, formerly called Twitter, and became a trending topic. It also caught the eyes of sports analyst Pat McAfee. He has millions of followers on social media, and his ESPN show — “The Pat McAfee Show†— has millions of subscribers on YouTube.
On Feb. 26, McAfee raised the rumor on his show, talking about “some Ole Miss frat bro†whose girlfriend had sex with his dad. It “has really captivated the internet,†he says, according to the Athletic story.
Around then, Vaughn, who hosts “The Morning After†show with Tim McKernan, Martin Kilcoyne and Jackson Burkett, spoke about it in a segment called “Infidelity Alley,†according to the Athletic story.
It is unclear what was said in the clip. The video has since been removed from Facebook, TikTok and the show’s website.
Meanwhile, the freshman at the center of the story, Mary Kate Cornett, has been ruined by the rumor, said her lawyer, Monica Uddin, in an email. Kids take Cornett's photo and post it on Snapchat, Uddin said. People yell at her in public. They get physical while trying to take selfies with her.
"She went from complete anonymity to weird, tawdry notoriety overnight," Uddin said in an email.
Uddin told the Athletic she plans to take legal action against McAfee, ESPN and potentially others who spread the rumor.
St. Louis Blues player Cam Fowler talks about the Blues' win against the Detroit Red Wings. Video courtesy of the St. Louis Blues, edited by Jenna Jones.
