The texts behind the investigation
New light is being shed on the drama at Cornell University. Freshly surfaced text messages reveal that the student—known as Jane Doe—who later accused seven Chi Phi fraternity brothers of gang rape, was actively messaging one of those members, Matthew Ingalls, about campus gossip shortly after the party in question.
Four days after the 2024 event, Doe reached out to Ingalls, venting about how rumors regarding them having sex were spreading across campus. She told him the situation was “f—king RUINING my life” and expressed a desire to sniff out the “rats” who were talking. For his part, Ingalls sympathized, calling the gossip “fan behavior” and saying, “Stupid bitches like to yap.”
Shifting narratives
In the exchange, Doe expressed frustration with peers she deemed “jealous” and insisted that people needed to "grow up" regarding changing social norms around sexuality. At the time, she claimed to be “open-minded” about the situation. Later in the messages, Doe suspected another fraternity member, Jonathan Newell, of spreading the rumors, which Ingalls denied.
However, the dynamic shifted significantly by November 7. Ingalls messaged Doe asking if she was the one labeling him a sexual abuser. Doe maintained she hadn’t said anything but noted that "people are changing the narrative because like in any sexual scenario w one woman and many men the woman was probably victim." The same day, Doe went to an ER for a rape kit and reported the alleged assault to campus police. Both Ingalls and Newell were eventually expelled from Cornell.
Why it matters
The real tea is that these texts are now a major focal point in the legal battle following the expulsion of seven students. While Doe claims the encounter was a non-consensual gang rape, the defense is using these early messages to highlight the timeline and the nature of the communication between the parties before formal allegations were filed.
