Chris Avellone accepts 'seven-figure payment' to settle libel suit with those who accused him of sexual misconduct

In June 2020 games writer Chris Avellone, best known for his work on Planescape Torment and the Fallout series, was accused of sexual misconduct on Twitter by two women (opens in new tab). At the time Avellone was silent beyond a few brief replies on Twitter (now deleted), but the accusations led to several studios publicly cutting ties with the writer. Around a year after the claims were first made, Avellone publicly denied them and launched a libel suit in California (opens in new tab) (later re-filed in Illinois), seeking damages for lost work, emotional distress, punitive damages, the costs of the suit, and an injunction against the accusers.

This suit has now been settled, and in a manner favourable to Avellone. His accusers, Karissa Barrows and Kelly Rae Bristol, have signed a joint statement retracting their claims. Ms. Barrows has requested her previous comments to the media be retracted. "Claims were dismissed with prejudice pursuant to a confidential settlement that provides for a seven-figure payment that includes the return of the attorney fee award entered against Mr. Avellone in California."

The settlement details are confidential, but there are public statements (opens in new tab) from both sides:

"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."

The above is from Karissa Barrows and Kelly Rae Bristol. 

"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," says Avellone's statement. "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."

This is quite the turnaround and vindication for Avellone, who became a pariah in the immediate aftermath of the accusations. He was fired from Dying Light 2, people demanded that companies with any association with Avellone publicly denounce him, and follow-up reporting added fuel to the raging fire (opens in new tab), with further accusations being made and Avellone described as "fucking disgusting" among many other things.

"I wanted to thank everyone on both sides who chose not to rush to judgment but instead were willing to listen and let the legal process take its course, let the facts come out on both sides, and come to a resolution," wrote Avellone on Twitter (opens in new tab) after posting the settlement statement.

Everyone knows that contemporary social media can ruin someone's career and reputation within hours. This settlement may be confidential, but the seven figure sum and the statements made by all parties show that, when it comes to these specific claims, Avellone was wronged. Whether he will manage that "full return to the industry" remains to be seen.