On March 9, Cleo Hernandez posted a written statement on Twitter detailing instances of graphic sexual abuse by former partner and professionalValorantplayer Jay “Sinatraa” Won. There is also an imbedded audio clip in the document that Hernandez claims is a recording of Won repeatedly denying Hernandez' requests to stop during sexual intercourse. Shortly after these allegations were discovered,Valorantdeveloper Riot Games issued a statement through its official Valorant Champions Tour NA Twitter account stating thatRiot would be suspending Sinatraafrom participating in any competitive events barring an investigation into the allegations.
Following this, the Overwatch League issued a statement saying that it would refundOverwatchplayers for a Zarya skin that was inspired by Sinatraa’s MVP performance at theOverwatchChampionship in 2019. Sinatraa was initially anOverwatcheSports professional with the San Francisco Shock until he retired fromOverwatchand moved toValorant. Now, Sinatraa has come out with a statement of his own, claiming he did not abuse Hernandez and will fully cooperate with all investigations.
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Sinatraa released a statement on TwitLonger detailing his view on his relationship with Hernandez. Sinatraa claims that Hernandez “recalls our relationship differently than I do,” and agrees that the relationship between the two of them was “unhealthy for the both us.“Sinatraa also denies the sexual assault and abuse allegationsand will be fully cooperating with investigations into the matter by providing the full audio and video clips that Hernandez references in her initial statement.
Cleo Hernandez has since responded to Sinatraa’s statement by saying he has “never apologized to me ever,” and calling for him to send her a personal, private apology. She also has accused him of “gaslighting” by insisting that her memory of events is not correct. The assault/abuse allegations from Hernandez are currently under investigation and although there is no results yet as to the veracity of these claims, it seems that eSports organizations like theOverwatch Leagueand Sinatraa’s former team are distancing themselves from him.
These allegations will likely rekindle voices pushing for more awareness of sexual abuse and assault in the gaming community. Last year showed just how big sexual assault cases can get in the gaming world when severalSuper Smash Bros.community members were accused of sexual misconduct. The allegations from several different survivors quickly led to many well-knownSuper Smash Bros.players and commentators leaving the scene and admitting to wrongdoing. Whether Hernandez' statements will trigger more survivors to come forward with stories is unclear, but Sinatraa’s case has certainly thrust the topic of sexual misconduct in gaming into the limelight.
