Games writer and designer, Chris Avellone, has reportedly settled a lawsuit after two women accused him of sexual misconduct.
The settlement dismisses the claims levied against him “with prejudice”, “pursuant to a confidential settlement”. Avellone claims the settlement includes a “seven-figure payment”, which includes “the return” of his legal fees.
After “engaging with Mr. Avellone”, Karissa Barrows and Kelly Rae Bristol issued a joint statement, which was published on Avellone’s personal blog earlier today:
“Mr. Avellone never sexually abused either of us. We have no knowledge that he has ever sexually abused any women. We have no knowledge that Mr. Avellone has ever misused corporate funds,” the statement says.
“Anything we have previously said or written about Mr. Avellone to the contrary was not our intent. We wanted to support women in the industry. In so doing, our words have been misinterpreted to suggest specific allegations of misconduct that were neither expressed nor intended. We are passionate about the safety, security and agency of women, minorities, LGBTQIA+ persons, and every other community that has seen persecution in the video game industry. We believe Mr. Avellone shares a desire to protect and uplift those communities. We believe that he deserves a full return to the industry and support him in those endeavours.”
Similarly, Avellone issued his own statement:
“I appreciate the willingness of Ms. Barrows and Ms. Bristol to work with us in addressing issues within the game community, and their advocacy is to be commended and supported.
There are still many very real challenges that we face but am confident we can face them together.
“In the spirit of these goals, I would ask everyone to respect the privacy of Ms. Barrows and Ms. Bristol and use this opportunity as a means to listen to all voices in improving our culture and our communities.”
Following allegations of sexual harassment posted on social media in 2020, studios working with Chris Avellone issued statements distancing themselves from him.
