Famed video game writer Chris Avellone has successfully resolved sexual misconduct cases and has announced that the allegations have been retracted. Avillon’s reputation was tarnished when two women accused him of sexual misconduct in 2020. “Mr. Avillon deserves a full return to the industry,” the accusers now state.
Notable game writer has Medium blog post, announcing that his accusers, Carissa Barrows and Kelly Bristol, had released a joint statement and withdrawn their charges, which first surfaced in 2020. Following the allegations, several studios severed ties with the popular video game writer, including developer Dying Light Techland. EA also stopped working with Avellone on Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order due to accusations made by Barrows and Bristol.
A year after the allegations, Avellone filed a defamation lawsuit against the two women and claimed that the attacks against him were carried out with malicious intent, which is why his efforts to “correct the record and dispel misconceptions” became futile in the process.
The game writer then applied to the California Supreme Court and filed another lawsuit exclusively against Bristol, which also brought him no legal victory. Finally, Avellone filed another lawsuit in November 2022 and asked the court to ask the defendants to withdraw their false claims and statements. After three years of sexual misconduct allegations, Avalon has now resolved the cases and shared the joint statement the two women signed. He added that he got a seven-figure boost after the backtracking.
The jointly signed statement begins with Barrows and Bristol explaining that they were never sexually abused by Avellone, and that they had “no knowledge that he had sexually assaulted any woman”. He then moves on to clarify their intentions, saying they are “passionate about the safety, security, and agency of women, LGBTQ+” and other communities in the gaming landscape. The statement ends with the defendants accepting that Avillon shares his same desires, and that is why he “deserves a full return to the industry.”
In his statement, Avellone noted that he appreciated the willingness of Barrows and Bristol and thanked “all those who chose not to rush to judgment but instead were willing to listen and let the legal process take its course”.
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