I distinctly remember the denial being issued sometime after this tweet went live:
https://twitter.com/BrianFargo/status/1047967566168174592
You'll note that he is explicitly referring to development as opposed to holding the rights to a particular game.
I understand more rumors had been circulating prior to Brian's bombshell. I'm not going to call anyone a liar for lack of immediate insight but I find the discrepancy in accounts of that time frame interesting.