When it comes to Barstool Sports’ role in amplifying the baseless rumor involving 19-year-old Ole Miss freshman Mary Kate Cornett, Dave Portnoy is taking the situation head on.
Appearing on NBC News on Thursday, the Barstool Sports founder addressed the his company’s involvement in the controversy, which saw multiple personalities create content regarding the rumor that Cornett had an affair with her boyfriend’s father. But despite his combative reputation, Portnoy expressed sympathy for the Ole Miss freshman, even going as far to apologize.
“I would apologize,” Portnoy told NBC News’ Tom Llamas when asked what he would say to Cornett. “I get why the family is pissed. I’m sad and I wish we didn’t play any part in it and I’d apologize and say I wish we didn’t.”
The Boston native had previously noted that none of Barstool’s platforms posted about the rumor. Multiple Barstool personalities, however, did create content about it on their personal social media accounts, which their boss says they were “really stupid” for doing.
“For me, I have been doing this for a long time. I thought it was clearly a fake story,” Portnoy said. “I thought we were better than that.”
Portnoy’s comments come a week after Cornett made her own appearance on NBC News, detailing the fallout from the entire ordeal. According to Cornett, she received so much harassment that she was forced to move into emergency housing and begin taking online classes.
In addition to Barstool Sports’ personalities, Cornett has been quick to criticize Pat McAfee, who discussed the rumor — albeit without naming her — during an episode of his eponymous show. Her family has also threatened legal action regarding the matter, although it has yet to actually do so.
During his Big Night AHT event in Pittsburgh on Wednesday, the former All-Pro punter appeared to break his silence about the situation for the first time. And while he didn’t apologize or even name Cornett, he did vow to make things right both for her and his fans.
“Just like the current situation that is happening, where I have a lot of people saying that I should be sued,” McAfee said in apparent reference to Cornett. “I want to say this: I never, ever want to be a part of anything negative in anybody’s life, ever. That is not what I want to do… my lawyers are Pittsburgh lawyers and they’re in here tonight… they have the same mindset as me: empathy but understanding reality.
“And for that whole thing that’s happening, I didn’t want to add any negativity as it was taking place like I did. We will try to figure that out and make some sort of silver lining in a very terrible situation. You can have that promise from me. It won’t be as impossible to be a fan of mine going forward.”
As far as any potential legal fallout, Dave Portnoy said that his company’s lawyers have been in touch with the lawyers of Mary Kate Cornett, who have offered either mediation or to file a lawsuit. The 48-year-old says he believes the plan is to mediate. And while he maintains Barstool didn’t do anything wrong legally, he admitted, “morally, we were wrong.”