Non-RPG General News - Chris Avellone responds to Accusations in 2020

[HiddenX]

CRPG designer and writer Chris Avellone responds to accusations made by women named Karissa and Kelly on Twitter in 2020:

It's Come To This

I'm Chris Avellone. I'm a game writer. I've worked on Star Wars, Fallout, and Dying Light 2, among many other games.

In 2012, I met a woman named Karissa at a convention in Atlanta called "Dragon Con." We met at a bar after the convention. This gathering wasn't a sanctioned convention event. She looked my age. She had no idea who I was, acted that way, and has admitted as much. She didn't know who I was, but she did know I was buying rounds for everyone. Like many in this story, she wasn't a colleague, she wasn't my employee, I wasn't her boss, and she wasn't in the game industry.

[...]

Fast forward six years. In June 2020, to my surprise, Karissa went on Twitter late on a Friday night and delivered a long list of accusations based on our first encounter way back in 2012. I believed she was changing the narrative of every interaction she had had with me to put me in the worst possible light. Her motivation felt petty -- but the accusations were not, they were very serious.

[...]

CONSEQUENCES LOVE COMPAN(IES)

There were consequences to their accusations, of course. When Karissa and Kelly made their allegations, I was cut off from almost every studio I was working with.

None of these studios did any investigations I'm aware of. Some didn't have time (they only had the weekend, and rarely is everyone in a company working on a weekend), or they didn't take the time.

I say "didn't have time" because the accusations were made late on a Friday. I believe this may have been done deliberately, since Karissa herself admitted she had delayed her accusations, and furthermore, it's difficult for companies (especially HR or legal) to respond over a weekend. This allowed Karissa's and Kelly's accusations to spread and become viral. For companies overseas I was working for, like Techland (Dying Light 2) and Gato Salvaje (The Waylanders), her accusations effectively hit on a Saturday.

So when Monday morning hit, I received calls and emails, and in many of them, notably Techland and Gato Salvaje, separation agreements and statements had already been drafted before they communicated to me directly.

[...]

(Found by Yemeth)

More information.

 

[Philistine]

I completely believe him. I thought when all this came out it was bullshit, and I still do. Women can be bitches sometimes.

 

[HiddenX]

Accusations should be made in a court not on social media. If someone is proven guilty only then it should go public.

 

[notdart]

I'm mixed in this view. On the one hand in principal i agree; as we have seen in several cases in the US an accusation made through the court system frequently fails. It is through the use of social media that enough outrage and awareness is made that a case is successful. This was best known in the case of Harvey Weinstein where individual cases over the years did not progress with success.

Having said that there is the problem that a few individual can ruin someone's livelihood perhaps at times without merit.

Accusations should be made in a court not on social media. If someone is proven guilty only then it should go public.

 

[Silver]

I completely believe him. I thought when all this came out it was bullshit, and I still do. Women can be bitches sometimes.

I believe him too. Chris always seemed a real genuine guy.

 

[Nereida]

When you thought you saw it all, YellowpressWatch. Nice. Standards keep growing at the speed of light from some (not all) newsposters.

 

[Couchpotato]

Shame that anyone can label you or blame you on social media and not get punished when it's proven you did nothing wrong. It even destroys your entire life.

Seems most of society in the US has forgotten innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. I so enjoy the few who punish those for defamation and libel over this crap.

 

[JDR13]

I'm still trying to understand what it was that he allegedly did that was wrong.

 

[Couchpotato]

Acted stupid by having drinks, got a women drunk, brought her to a hotel, and just left. Women claimed awkward advances were not wanted, and he tried to molest her.

Oh and that he used his position as her boss can't forget that so abuse of power. Yet these claims never went to court/settled, and Chris was pardoned the term canceled.

Every developer dropped him and removed his name from their unfinished games.

 

[Silver]

One of the members of RPGCodex have gained access to the legal complaint and it weighs in at 94 pages. The complaint itself is 18 pages with the rest being the exhibits.
https://rpgcodex.net/forums/threads...ts-back-against-being-cancelled.139129/page-4

 

[Myrthos]

Well, I don't believe him.

 

[Redglyph]

Not sure displaying his personal life at length and posting his account of the story (that I can't be bothered to read) will help in any way. Those matters are better dealt with in private, and it was too late the instant they behaved publicly.

I must admit I was less likely to watch House of Cards (the 2nd, US version of the series) after Spacey's scandal, maybe because we see him on the screen and what he did was quite bad, so it's hard to put some distance. But here? I don't care one bit and I'm surprised anybody would make a fuss about that. Yet life isn't fair, someone did make a fuss and he ran out of luck, too bad.

 

[Couchpotato]

I'm glad he went after those women in the court of law not public opinion.

 

[Wisdom]

I'm glad he went after those three women in the court of law not public opinion.

He wouldn't have stood a chance in public opinion. Victims rule social media and the fake outraged would overpower anything real being said.

 

[Couchpotato]

He wouldn't have stood a chance in public opinion. Victims rule social media and the fake outraged would overpower anything real being said.

Sad thing even if he won his case the public will never believe him anyway.

You can't win.

Look at Chris Hardwick for one example of this. His ex accused him on Twitter he was cancelled fought back, got an apology, got his job back, and still gets accused online.

 

[JDR13]

I must admit I was less likely to watch House of Cards (the 2nd, US version of the series) after Spacey's scandal, maybe because we see him on the screen and what he did was quite bad, so it's hard to put some distance. But here? I don't care one bit and I'm surprised anybody would make a fuss about that. Yet life isn't fair, someone did make a fuss and he ran out of luck, too bad.

Yeah.. I'm not sure a dude going after under-age boys is really comparable.

 

[Alrik Fassbauer]

I assume that this can happen to anyone who becomes well known.

 

[Wisdom]

Not sure displaying his personal life at length and posting his account of the story (that I can't be bothered to read) will help in any way. Those matters are better dealt with in private, and it was too late the instant they behaved publicly.

Out of curiosity, why must this part be defended privately yet you were ok with the accusations and details of the 'victims' story be public?

Why must the defendant stay private while the 'victims' are glorified for 'speaking out'?

 

[Carnifex]

Making an accusation via social media pretty much ensures that I'll never read or hear about it, lol. Unless a judge or legal process is involved, no one should care. I mean, we used to rant in the high school yard about lots of things, yet no one took it very seriously. When the law gets involved, that can change.

 

[Wisdom]

Well, I don't believe him.

I feel like you gave a fair assessment after reading all three of the parties statements.