The Truth Will Always Find You
Fake Claims Hurt Everyone… Especially Real Victims.
Click here to read my previous article, “Beyond Politics, Beliefs, or Life Choices — This is About Right and Wrong.”
If unfamiliar with the background of the false allegations against Chris Avellone, you can find a link to his summary of his account here and a longer accounting of what happened here.
On July 9th, 2021 I released an article entitled “Beyond Politics, Beliefs, or Life Choices — This is About Right and Wrong”. In this article I brought forward my firsthand knowledge about the interactions between Karissa Barrows and Chris Avellone. Ms. Barrows has claimed that Mr. Avellone “targeted her” to get her drunk (despite the Twitter exchanges from BioWare employees during the time of the incident disproving this) and then she claimed he assaulted her. Fortunately, I knew Ms. Barrows back in 2012, and had multiple discussions with her about Mr. Avellone. I knew the truth. And I knew Ms. Barrows’ claims were 100% false and fabricated against Mr. Avellone.
In a culture where people are finally feeling empowered to stand up to the bullies, the abusers, the assaulters, and the evil they’ve endured, you have a small group that feel that they can get revenge on people by making up false claims. Real victims need all the support we can offer them. The problem happens when someone makes up a story. This hurts the real victims. Liars get exposed. The more people who make false allegations, the harder it is for real victims to be believed. And that sucks. I will always stand with a real victim.
Let me be straightforward about this, if I had an ounce of proof that Mr. Avellone could have potentially taken part in an assault, I would have called Ms. Barrows instantly to voice my support and offer any evidence I had to assist. Real victims need to be supported. So when I see critics of Mr. Avellone online, I understand their heart. They want to protect the “victim”. I get it.
But here’s the problem, these well-meaning people have been deceived. It’s not their fault. But now is the time for everyone to look at what facts are out there. Look at everything objectively.
In my first article, I shared screen shots of DMs on Twitter between Ms. Barrows and I. You could clearly see that she wanted a relationship with Mr. Avellone. I also mentioned unreleased audio that supported Mr. Avellone’s position. Today I’d like to share a few clips from the over 2-hour long recording.
This recording takes place about 3 months after the alleged “assault”. You can form your own opinion about Ms. Barrows’ feelings towards Mr. Avellone.
What does it sound like to you?
Everyone should be upset.
To the Supporters of Ms. Barrows: She wasn’t honest with you. She used your goodwill for her own revenge. It’s not fair to you. There are many real victims in the world. I’ll join you in supporting them. But I think it’s time that you consider the fact that Ms. Barrows did not tell you the truth.
To the Real Victims of the world: I stand with you, and will help whenever I possibly can. We know that a few liars don’t represent you. Your story needs to be told.
To the Gaming Industry: You jumped the gun. In your haste to “do what’s right”, you never stopped to think “is it honest”. This is someone’s life, their livelihood, and you just took a claim at face value and “cancelled” someone with no investigation of the facts.
To the Media (with the exception of Erik Kain, Forbes, and a few brave others): You’re the biggest problem here. You took Ms. Barrows’ claim and ran with it as fact. Some of you went even further by embellishing Ms. Barrows’ claims to a ridiculous level. People trust you to report stories and facts. If the story is still playing out, stay neutral and honest. Report facts.
The many others who know the truth about Ms. Barrows: It’s ok to come forward. You don’t have to fear being cancelled for bringing facts. It will bring you respect in your industry. Supporters of Ms. Barrows will respect proven facts. If you have questions or concerns, feel free to contact me. I swear to respect the privacy for any who want to speak to me, I am here to listen, and I will give you the best advice I can — being silent on matters like this helps no one, and so many more are hurt by it. You can DM me on Twitter @JJDgraphics or email me at jeff.daniel@icloud.com
To Ms. Barrows: You know you’re not being honest. You know we’ve had MANY conversations about how you felt about Mr. Avellone. You also know I have more receipts ready to go. Finding more by the day. I’m not going to be the only one coming forward with receipts. Now’s the time to come forward and admit you lied. You owe an apology to Mr. Avellone, the media, the gaming industry, and to the people who have supported you online. They all deserve an apology.
Remember, the truth will always find you.
Thanks to all who have been willing to listen — and willing to hear the truth before passing judgment.
Click here to read my previous article, “Beyond Politics, Beliefs, or Life Choices — This is About Right and Wrong.”
If unfamiliar with the background of the false allegations against Chris Avellone, you can find a link to his summary of his account here and a longer accounting of what happened here.
And if you’d like to listen to the complete “official” Koobismo interview, you can check that out here.
