A
post on Medium by Chris Avellone announces a lawsuit he filed over sexual
predation allegations has been dismissed with prejudice. He says this has
resulted in his attorney's fees being refunded and a "seven-figure payout"
despite describing it as a "confidential settlement." The post shares what is
purported to be a joint statement from Kelly Bristol and Karissa Barrows, two
women who had accused the embattled developer of sexual misconduct. Avellone
filed a libel suit against Barrows, Bristol, and 100 Jane Does
in 2021 after
their
allegations he engaged in sexual predation. Avallone later filed
another suit against just
Barrows for defamation. The backlash immediately cost him work, including his
consultant roles on
Dying Light 2 and
Bloodlines 2. Chris goes on
to speak about real challenges the industry still needs to face. He also
expresses appreciation for "the willingness of Ms. Barrows and Ms. Bristol to
work with us in addressing issues within the game community," which seems odd.
He asks that everyone respect the privacy of Barrows and Bristol going forward.
Here is the included statement:
“After engaging with Mr. Avellone, we have
prepared the following statement:
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. 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 endeavors.”
- Karissa Barrows, Kelly Rae Bristol