Famed video game writer Chris Avellone has resolved sexual misconduct cases and announced that the allegations have been retracted. Avellone’s reputation was tarnished when he was accused of sexual misconduct by two women in 2020. The accusers now state that “Mr. Avellone deserves a full return to the industry.”
The prominent game writer has a blog post on Medium, announcing that his accusers, Karissa Barrows and Kelly Bristol have issued a joint statement and retracted their accusations, which first came to light back in 2020. Following the allegations, several studios cut ties with acclaimed video game writer, including Dying Light developer Techland. EA also stopped working with Avellone on Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order due to the accusations made by Barrows and Bristol.
A year after those allegations, Avellone filed a libel lawsuit against both women and claimed that the attacks against him were made with malicious intentions, which is the reason why his efforts to “correct the record and dispel misconceptions” were rendered useless in the process.
The game writer then asked the Superior Court of California and filed another lawsuit against Bristol exclusively, which did not bring him a legal victory either. Finally, Avellone filed another lawsuit in November 2022 and asked the court to require the accusers to retract their allegations and false statements. Three years after the sexual misconduct allegations, Avellone has now resolved the cases and has shared the joint statement signed by the two women. He added that he has been awarded a seven-figure payment following the retraction.
The jointly-signed statement begins with Barrows and Bristol clarifying that they have never been sexually abused by Avellone, and they “have no knowledge that he has ever sexually abused any women.” It then goes on to elaborate on their intentions, saying that they are “passionate about the safety, security, and agency of women, LGBTQ+” and other communities in the gaming landscape. The statement concludes with the accusers accepting that Avellone also shares the same desires, which is why “he deserves a full return to the industry.”
In his statement, Avellone noted he has appreciated the willingness of Barrows and Bristol and has thanked “everyone that chose not to rush to judgment but instead were willing to listen and let the legal process take its course.”
