Sinatraa responds to Valorant community reactions ahead of VCT return

Valorant star Jay ‘sinatraa’ Won has responded to concerns from his intention to compete in VCT again after completing his suspension following an investigation into sexual abuse allegations.

The former Sentinels ace doubled-down on his plans of joining a Valorant lineup, likely in time for VCT Stage 2 next month. Riot Games confirmed his eligibility to join a roster now that his suspension is up and after completing a “conduct training” focusing on “cooperating with investigations.”

He directly addressed the situation between himself and former partner Cleo ‘cle0h’ Hernandez while reaffirming his innocence of the allegations.

“I was a sh**ty boyfriend,” he said. “I emotionally hurt Cleo, I never sexually assaulted her. There was an investigation that found no conclusive evidence that any crime was committed… I was never charged with any crime.”

Sinatraa responds to Valorant esports backlash

Riot deferred the investigation on sinatraa to local law enforcement once the publisher revealed it could not come to “a definitive conclusion” in Cleo’s case.

Despite the controversial saga in the player’s career, the 22-year-old former Overwatch League MVP is still expected to court multiple competitive offers.

Before his ban, which technically began on March 10 of last year, sinatraa was the star player for the meta-defining Sentinels team.

• Read more: Sinatraa’s potential return has shown esports is not ready for grown-up conversations

During his suspension, the org retained his contract. After his suspension was over in September 2021, he began to stream under its banner once again while Tyson ‘TenZ’ Ngo led the competitive team.

Sentinels remain sinatraa’s first choice when he comes back to competitive play but the org has yet to announce his return to the lineup.

• Read more: Dafran apologizes to sinatraa’s ex Cleo for calling her “a liar” over allegations

His statement comes on the heels of massive community backlash of his return to Riot’s high-profile league for Valorant esports.

To conclude his statement, he addressed his fans as it pertains to Cleo in light of online reactions that have renewed the spotlight on the situation: “If you are my fan, please don’t harass Cleo, please be supportive of her as well through this process.”