Newly surfaced text messages are shedding further doubt on allegations that a Cornell University student was gang-raped by members of the Chi Phi fraternity, according to reporting by Breitbart News. The messages, obtained by ABC News, appear to show the accuserâidentified only as Jane Doeâdescribing the encounter as consensual and expressing regret after rumors circulated on campus.
The case dates back to the early hours of October 20, 2024, when Jane Doe, then 20, claims she was gang-raped by seven fraternity members. But contemporaneous statements she gave at the time, including to campus police, consistently described the drug use and sex as voluntary. That changed this week when she filed a civil lawsuit alleging rape.
What the New Texts Reveal
In messages exchanged three days after the event, on October 23, 2024, Jane Doe vented about the fallout from campus gossip. âbro everyone knows iâm incredibly stressed out,â she wrote, adding that her âreputation is destroyed and iâm utterly ashamed.â The man she was texting reassured her that âit would all blow over soon,â noting âhow fast nonsense spreads at this school,â and told her she had âanything to be ashamed of.â
Jane Doe responded by suggesting that societal attitudes toward sexuality were shifting: âyouâre right itâll get better and u think everyoneâs jealous of us.. but also like everyone needs to grow up cause sexuality and sex and [expletive] is changing and stuff like this is going to become more common.. iâm also really open minded tho. i luv u king,, also tell anyone who gives u [expletive] that iâll actually beat them up that donât want the smoke i promise.â
Later that same day, the conversation turned tense when the man mentioned he had been labeled an âassaulter in the public eyeâ and asked if she had said something to that effect. Jane Doe denied naming him but admitted she told a friend to avoid Chi Phi. She then wrote, âi think iâm done talking to you. i know you lied.â
According to the district attorney, Matthew Van Houten, Jane Doe went to campus police that same day and gave a statement in which she still claimed the encounter was consensual. Van Houten has said âJane Doeâs statement described her participation in drug use and sexual conduct as voluntary, conscious, and consensual.â
The newly released texts follow earlier messages uncovered by CBS News in which Jane Doe allegedly told one of the accused that ânone of the sexual stuff was illegal,â that she enjoyed being with him and another man, and that she would like to get together again.
Shifting Explanations
The source of Jane Doeâs later change of heart may lie in her social standing on campus. According to the texts, she was initially invited to a Chi Phi Halloween party but then uninvited, which appeared to deepen her sense of shame. âI knew this was going to happen,â she wrote. âThe woman will always get the short end of the stick. Yall arenât my friends. Yall are covering your asses.â
Despite the mounting evidence that the encounter was consensual, Breitbart notes that the behavior described remains disturbing. Cornell was right to shutter the fraternity house and suspend or expel some of the men involved, the outlet argues, and the illegal drug use alone justified those actions. If the district attorney chooses to prosecute the seven men and Jane Doe for underage drinking and drug use, Breitbart writes, âhe will not get an argument from me.â
But regretting oneâs behavior, the article emphasizes, does not make that behavior a crime.
Van Houten, who is taking the case to a grand jury, has acknowledged there is no evidence that Jane Doe did not consent. The reasonable doubt, Breitbart concludes, is glaringly obvious.
As the case moves forward, the outlet anticipates potential defamation suits against what it calls an âelectronic mob.â Breitbart reserves the right to change its assessment if new facts emerge.
Source: www.breitbart.com â https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/10/01/nolte-additional-text-messages-appear-to-unravel-cornell-gang-rape-allegations/