The alleged group of African-American students and athletes who released the picture has denied that the controversial photo is three years old.

The group, in an email to the Pace Chronicle, said they received the picture in real time via Snapchat this past week, were very disturbed, and felt something should be done about it.

Meanwhile, Tyler Owens’ ex-girlfriend emphatically denied the reported rumor that she initially leaked the controversial photo to the media the past Sunday.

Ginger MacDougall, who dated Owens during the last spring semester, contacted the Pace Chronicle this past Monday afternoon claiming she has nothing to do with the entire situation after numerous football players had asked her if it was true that she released the photo.

“I would never do something like this to [Owens] or his team,” MacDougall said. “I would never sabotage anyone’s future or their team this way. I had nothing to do with it and from what the news is saying the picture was taken a couple of years ago, when I did not know Owens.”

The relationship between Owens and MacDougall was short and ended this summer, according to MacDougall. The 2015 Pace graduate had no idea the photo existed before or during their relationship. She said the nature of the break up was neither volatile nor malicious, and that they broke up solely on “mutual differences.”

“It was not a bad breakup, honestly,” MacDougall said. “There was no bad blood. I’m friends with multiple teammates [of Owens] and I do not have any bad blood with any of them.”

MacDougall declined to answer if Owens had displayed any racist or anti-Semitic tendencies during their relationship.

She did acknowledge she was surprised that Owens allowed the photo to reach social media and noted that Owens was someone who “joked around a lot.” However, MacDougall does not approve of what happened and said it is wrong.

“It does not matter who leaked it or how it got out there, the fact remains that [Owens] still wore that outfit, made that gesture, and took the picture,” MacDougall said. “I do not condone that kind of behavior whether I knew about it or not.”