Polymarket Pressured into Removing Predatory “Cornell 7” Prediction Event

For Immediate Release: October 19, 2026
Contact: media@fwdshift.com

Public outcry and an UltraViolet pressure campaign led the platform to take down a prediction market allowing users to bet on the horrific sexual abuse case. 

UltraViolet, a national women-led gender-justice organization responsible for numerous impactful campaigns that create a cost for tech-enabled sexism and sexual violence, released the statement below following reports that prediction market platform Polymarket had removed a market allowing users to bet on the outcome of the horrific “Cornell 7” sexual abuse case in which a former university student, known as Jane Doe, accused seven fraternity members of drugging and brutally gang-raping her. Ultraviolet’s petition launched last week drew immense public scrutiny to Polymarket’s disgusting practices and called on Polymarket’s high-profile celebrity ambassadors to cut ties with the platform.

“This is a victory for survivors. By allowing its users to gamble on the ‘Cornell 7’ case, Polymarket was essentially gamifying gang rape and profiting from the pain of courageous survivors like Jane Doe,” said Jenna Sherman, Campaign Director at UltraViolet. “The fact that over $450,000 went into betting on the outcome of an alleged gang-rape is a stain not just on Polymarket, but also its many celebrity ambassadors—like Lebron James, Sue Bird, and Emily Ratajkowski—who are legitimizing and profiting off of the platform’s morally indefensible practices.”

By structuring itself as a “predictive market” Polymarket has been able to evade anti-gambling laws, creating betting rings that allow users to place money on almost anything from tomorrow’s weather to sports and political races. These largely unmoderated markets have been criticized for facilitating insider trading and market manipulation as well as other ethical concerns. Recently, the platform hit a new low when hundreds of thousands of dollars in trading volume poured into a market betting on the outcome of the “Cornell 7” case before it was taken down. While it was live, the Polymarket “market event” offered users the ability to buy shares wagering on whether any of the accused would face felony sex crime charges for just 33 cents apiece, potentially profiting from the outcome of an alleged gang rape.

And while the “Cornell 7” market appears to have been removed in a win for Jane Doe and all survivors, the platform still offers hundreds of similar markets on the platform’s ‘Sexual Misconduct Predictions & Odds’ page. There is nothing stopping those involved in any sexual assault case—including potentially judges or jurors—from betting on its outcome. As a result, these gambling markets risk creating financial incentives that could influence verdicts and undermine the integrity of the justice system. More than just a slap in the face to survivors everywhere, this betting raises serious concerns about how these so-called ‘markets’ could actually obscure justice for sexual assault survivors, who already face an uphill battle within the criminal legal system.

Over the past year, Polymarket has undergone a multi-million dollar campaign to purchase the public backing of major celebrities like LeBron James, Emily Ratajkowski, Spike Lee, Sue Bird, Derek Jeter, Rick Rubin, Future, Peso Pluma, Alexandra Daddario, and several others. These celebrities lend Polymarket credibility and help insulate the company from public criticism and pressure campaigns such as UltraViolet’s over its many scandals; in response, they profit significantly. LeBron James reportedly has an $15 million-per-year endorsement deal.

That’s why UltraViolet launched a petition last week demanding that these brand ambassadors cut all ties with the harmful platform. Celebrities with large audiences of young, impressionable fans have a particular responsibility to consider the impact of their endorsements. The petition, which drew more than 10,000 signatures in just a few days, was spread by content creators and advocates who helped spark widespread public outrage across the internet.

“This is our warning to Polymarket’s celebrity ambassadors: You can no longer stick your heads in the sand and pretend that you are not a part of the problem. By agreeing to become the new face of these markets that allow betting on heinous events like sexual misconduct cases, you are turning your back on survivors everywhere, and you are turning your back on the legal system,” continued Sherman. “The only recourse now is to cut all ties with Polymarket. Women are watching, and we’ll remember who does the right thing.”

The petition and other efforts were launched by the We Are Jane Doe Coalition, a coalition of more than 30 organizations, led by Ultraviolet, that came together following news of a lawsuit detailing the horrific alleged gang rape of a former Cornell student, Jane Doe, by seven members of the Chi Phi fraternity in 2024. Together, the coalition coordinates campaign efforts to 1) close legal loopholes—such as New York’s “voluntary intoxication” loophole, which was cited as a reason Jane Doe was denied justice in her sexual assault case, 2) change university response to sexual violence, and 3) end the silencing of survivors. Our mission is to secure justice for Cornell’s Jane Doe and all student survivors while strengthening protections against sexual violence on campuses and beyond.

Follow our work on Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, and LinkedIn.

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weareultraviolet.org

UltraViolet Education Fund is a women-led gender justice 501c3 organization, with an online community of more than 1 million members nationwide. We combine organizing, technology, creative campaigning, and people power to win real-world changes for women and gender expansive people.