Former VALORANT star and accused sexual abuser Jay "sinatraa" Won received a blend of support and anger when he announced he was back after being "forced" away from the pro scene following allegations from his ex-girlfriend.
While he explained he has grown since the initial accusations came out, his former partner Cleo has openly criticized sinatraa following his return. Still, some prominent players and figures from the esports scene have shown support for the talented player, leaving the esports community stunned.
As the criticism continued and more people called for sinatraa to be removed from the scene, the former Overwatch League pro decided to release a statement on April 14 that further explained his stance on the matter.
In the TwitLonger, sinatraa stated that he was a "shitty boyfriend," but never sexually assaulted Cleo. He also noted that there was never any charges against him and there was no evidence of a crime. sinatraa added that Riot Games confirmed to him "in writing" back in January that he is fully cleared to return.
Cleo responded to sinatraa's statement on her own Twitter, which is currently private. Cleo said that she was told "multiple times" that sinatraa lied during the investigation.
"It's not that nothing was found; it's that he actively wouldn't participate and lied so they couldn't have his side of the story because he wasn't a credible source," Cleo said.
Cleo also tweeted that she was going to email Riot about the situation, frustrated and "disgusted" that sinatraa was able to avoid the allegedly required training part of his punishment. Many already felt that sinatraa was receiving special treatment from Riot Games because he was "good at a few video games." The fact that he was also able to allegedly lie and skip training but was still allowed to compete again has shocked the esports community further.
On the other side of the situation, many have questioned why people "blindly" believe Cleo, claiming that she could be lying. sinatraa's supporters feel that she is being automatically viewed as credible despite not having enough proof to back up her accusations. Others countered back that there wasn't "any proof" or "any convictions" because sinatraa was proven to have lied during the investigation.
The situation with sinatraa has continued to be a very sensitive one for the esports community. Many have called for him to be canceled and are questioning friends who support him or follow him on social media. Even silence is being seen as a lack of support for women in the esports scene, who already often feel unwelcomed.
sinatraa is currently not signed with any pro VALORANT or Overwatch teams but has stated that he hopes to rejoin Sentinels if given the opportunity. Sentinels has not released any statements on the matter thus far.
