In 2020, Chris Avellone, the writer behind Jedi: Fallen Order, was marred in controversy when two women took to social media and accused the games industry veteran of sexual misconduct. Three years later, the matter has now finally been been settled after he won a lawsuit against his accusers.
After the initial accusations came to light, developer Techland cut ties with Avellone, who at the time was a writer on Dying Light 2. Fast-forward to 2021 and it was revealed that Avellone was filing a lawsuit against his accusers - Karissa Barrows and Kelly Rae Bristol - for libel.
After years of legal machinations, he has now been found innocent of those accusation and even awarded a seven-figure settlement. A statement signed by Barrows and Bristol has also surfaced, claiming that their original statements had been interpreted incorrectly.
"Mr. Avellone never sexually abused either of us. We have no knowledge that he has ever sexually abused any women," the statement says. "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," the statement continues. "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.”
Even though all allegations should be taking seriously, Avellone's case shows just how slowly the wheels of justice turn and how it can affect people's lives while they do.
This comes not long after High On Life and Rick and Morty creator Justin Roiland was also acquitted of domestic abuse allegations levelled at him.