PAT McAfee has issued an on-air apology for surfacing a false claim that a model is expecting a baby conceived by NFL owner Mark Davis.
The ESPN star talked about influencer Hayden Hopkins, 26, and Las Vegas Raiders owner Davis, 69, on his self-titled show on Tuesday.
Hopkins announced on Monday that she was expecting a baby later this year.
Numerous social media Accounts, including aggregator Dov Kleiman, created a rumor and linked Hopkins’ baby to Davis.
During the 2022 NFL season, Davis hosted Hopkins at a Raiders game as rumors swirled that the two were falling in love before Hopkins revealed that their relationship was platonic.
During WWE Raw, commentator McAfee said during a wrestling sequel, “Mark Davis is 70 years old and expecting a 26-year-old son. Anything is possible in this modern world!”
Following McAfee’s comments on Raw, Hopkins disputed the rumor that Davis was the father.
During Tuesday’s ESPN show, McAfee addressed his false claim on WWE Raw.
“I apologize for perpetuating a lie,” the former NFL punter turned sports media star said on The Pat McAfee Show.
“I understand how happy you should be right now.
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“It would be terrible to have a 70-year-old billionaire hovering over this.
“So I’d like to apologize to Hayden and let the world know, hey, we need to make sure we get these things right.
“I spread lies in the middle of the match between Braun Strowman and JD McDonagh last night.
“Mark Davis is not the father.”
McAfee was referring to the fact that he shared the false rumor when JD McDonagh fought Braun Strowman.
Hopkins denied that she was pregnant with Davis’ child in X, formerly known as Twitter.
“Reports that Mark Davis is the father of my child are completely false. I was photographed sitting next with him in a game in 2022 and have endured false rumors of a romantic relationship ever since,” the 26-year-old wrote on X.
“I was just a guest sitting in the owner’s box with other friends.
“These continued stories in the media are negatively affecting what should be my happiest days.
“Joey and I are looking forward to welcoming our baby in the fall.”
Hopkins has lived in Las Vegas since 2017, when he was offered the role of There Belle in Cirque Du Soleil’s Mystere from Treasure Island.
She has surpassed more than 200,000 followers on Instagram and the number continues to rise after the recent false rumor between her and Davis.
NFL owner Davis has no children and also owns the Las Vegas Aces of the WNBA.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story