Maddie Kowalski’s Ordeal: Inside the Burnerverse’s Campaign of Nonconsensual Image Abuse

Content warning: This piece includes descriptions of nonconsensual sex and intimate image abuse.

On Sunday, November 2, 2025, University of Florida sophomore Maddie Kowalski’s life irrevocably changed. After a casual visit to "Fort," a house near campus associated with the Phi Delta Theta fraternity, she soon discovered a nude image of herself circulating online. This quickly escalated into a national nightmare, exposing the predatory "burnerverse"—a network of anonymous social media accounts that targets young women with nonconsensual intimate images (NCII) and relentless harassment.

Kowalski, then 19 and a member of the Delta Zeta sorority, was alerted by a friend that a nude image was spreading at FSU. Rapidly, the image became a video circulating on Snapchat and discussed on YikYak, with hundreds of messages about a "DZ girl." The situation intensified when an anonymous X (formerly Twitter) account, @SteveCumfull, posted the video, identifying her as "Maddie Kowalski, queen of Delta Zeta."

The viral video comprised three clips: one from "Fort" showing Kowalski naked and touching herself, flanked by men; and two from a separate encounter where she was penetrated by two men. Kowalski states she was heavily intoxicated during the latter and did not consent to filming or public sharing. The campus gossip exploded nationally. Despite X’s initial removal, @SteveCumfull reposted the video and used Kowalski’s name to promote a cryptocurrency token, appearing to profit from her distress.

The harassment was relentless. Anonymous individuals posted her old photos, her father’s LinkedIn, and his golf handicap. Her parents received incessant calls and texts, including false claims of sexual acts and HIV infection, and one man placed bets on X about her starting an OnlyFans or committing suicide. Overwhelmed, Kowalski’s best friend, Lexie Blake, described her as "sobbing, hysterical." A humiliated Kowalski attempted to jump from her fifth-floor apartment window. Within 24 hours, #Maddiekowalski trended nationwide on X, with over 1,200 posts and content featuring her viewed more than 8.5 million times.

Kowalski’s ordeal is characteristic of the "burnerverse" (or "beev"), a loosely connected network of anonymous X accounts, primarily run by college students and alumni. While initially focused on college sports, these accounts also aim to "destroy the lives of young women" through doxxing and sexual humiliation. WIRED has identified at least 10 such victims, mostly aged 18 to 21. The pattern involves gossip or explicit content moving from YikYak or Snapchat to public burner accounts on X, often amplified by aggregation sites like TheSportsGrail and Barstool Sports.

The SEC burnerverse, where Kowalski’s video gained traction, uses specific fraternity-related jargon and can feature racist, homophobic, and antisemitic content. Accounts gain clout by making content go viral, particularly by shaming attractive young women. This twisted objective is seen as essential for the community’s "health," with posts explicitly calling for new "exposures" to keep the "beev" alive.

Coordination is a hallmark of burnerverse campaigns. Attorney Adam Ludwin notes the rapid escalation is due to "some level of coordination," evident in X Spaces like "Kowalski Analysis," where over 220 anonymous users discussed her NCII. X’s limited moderation since Elon Musk’s acquisition, and its algorithm’s tendency to boost misogynistic content, create an ideal environment for such campaigns.

Other victims include Mary Kate Cornett, an Ole Miss student doxxed nine months prior over a false rumor amplified by Pat McAfee, which led to a SWAT team being dispatched to her mother’s house. Cornett continues to face daily harassment, highlighting the lasting impact and lack of accountability for perpetrators.

Maddie Kowalski, who sought to overcome a sheltered past through college Greek life, became deeply involved in the party scene, leading to heavy drinking and a temporary withdrawal from classes shortly before the incident. She reflected, "I was making bad decisions. And I trusted the wrong people."

In the aftermath, some Delta Zeta sisters blocked her, and the sorority reportedly focused on its reputation rather than her welfare. Campus police launched an investigation, which was then transferred to the Gainesville Police Department. UF administrators reportedly promised an investigation but stated they couldn’t act without police charges; a Title IX investigation was dropped, citing the video’s off-campus filming location. The Kowalski family incurred tens of thousands in legal and reputation management fees.

By December, Kowalski had withdrawn from UF, moved home, developed hair loss and rashes, and was diagnosed with PTSD, undergoing intensive therapy. Defying family concerns about renewed harassment, she publicly shared her story on Instagram on December 19. Her video, explaining the non-consensual nature of the content and the harassment, garnered tens of millions of views and widespread support, though also continued backlash from burners.

Kowalski and her attorney pursued identifying the burners. Gainesville police eventually filed legal requests for account information. Affidavits obtained by WIRED allegedly linked @SteveCumfull to Kamran Ahmed, a 19-year-old UF freshman and Theta Chi member. Another early sharer, @arnie_grape16, was linked to Brendan Pitfield, a UF freshman and fellow Theta Chi. Jacob Gomberg, a former UF Gators pitcher, was also identified. Kowalski had never met them.

Kowalski’s email to UF’s Office of Sorority and Fraternity Life regarding fraternity members’ alleged involvement was redirected to the Office of Student Conduct. Phi Delta Theta, whose "Fort" was featured in a video, cited confidentiality for not confirming member involvement, despite their suspension for hazing until 2030.

In early August, nine months post-incident, Gainesville police charged Gomberg, Ahmed, and Pitfield with sexual cyber-harassment, a first-degree misdemeanor. Ahmed also faces a third-degree felony for financial gain. The police complaint alleges Ahmed and Pitfield used university IP addresses, contradicting UF’s rationale for dropping the Title IX case. Kowalski has also filed civil lawsuits against all three men.

Ahmed and Pitfield were listed as UF students on LinkedIn as of September 3, though their profiles were altered after WIRED’s contact. Theta Chi CEO Michael Mayer stated they were on "interim suspension." Kowalski, now back in Gainesville, remains terrified of encountering them. She relies on TikTok Live for income after harassment led her to quit her previous job. Despite acting ambitions, she finds being known for this ordeal "not fun." Blake laments that the burners "stole her life" and "girlhood."

In March, after another student, Addison King, was doxxed by the burnerverse, Kowalski reached out to offer support. She later joined an X Space where burners plotted further harassment against King, hearing them encourage King to "hang from a tree." In a furious, unedited video, Kowalski condemned the network, garnering over 271,000 likes and thousands of supportive comments. This empathy from strangers, though unable to undo the damage, served as a powerful reminder that her fight, like the burnerverse’s continued existence, would go on.