Barstool Sports Dave Portnoy apologizes to Mary Kate Cornett after gross, untrue scandal goes viral: Get why family is pissed
Dave Portnoy is apologizing on behalf of Barstool Sports.During an interview with Tom Llamas of NBC News on Thursday, Portnoy apologized to Mary Kate Cornett for Barstool Sports employees posting about the untrue viral rumor that the Ole Miss student had been sleeping with her boyfriend’s father.“I would apologize,” Portnoy told Llamas after being asked what he would say to Cornett.“I get why the family is pissed.”Cornett has been thrown into the public eye over the past month-plus after the rumor spread across multiple sports media platforms, including by members of Portnoy’s Barstool Sports.Charles Nicholas Longley — who goes by “Nicky Smokes” — posted comments about Cornett on an official Barstool Sports social media account, according to the Daily Mail.In addition to Longley, Barstool employees Kevin Clancy, also known as KFC, and Jack “Jack Mac” McGuire had commentary on the rumor.“I thought they were really stupid,” Portnoy told NBC about employees of Barstool Sports amplifying the unverified rumors.“For me, I have been doing this for a long time and I thought it was clearly a fake story,” Portnoy continued.
“I thought we were better than that.”Portnoy previously denied that his company spread the rumors on Barstool-owned platforms when the story first broke in February.“Barstool Sports did not mention or spread this rumor on any of our Barstool owned channels as far as I know,” Portnoy said in February.“Our editors instinctively made the decision to avoid this story as it seemed there was a high likelihood it could have been fabricated.
If I’m wrong about that I’m happy to see where it was posted and revisit.”Regarding Clancy’s video, Portnoy said: “We do not control our employees’ personal socials.Whatever they post on their own is their own stuff.” Outside of Barstool, Pat McAfee also promoted the false story on his show, which airs on ESPN.McAfee made his first public comments concerning the incid...