Adult Swim said Tuesday that it has dropped Justin Roiland following news that the “Rick and Morty” co-creator was charged with felony domestic violence in Orange County.
“Adult Swim has ended its association with Justin Roiland,” a statement on the official “Rick and Morty” Twitter account read.
Marie Moore, senior vice president of communications at Warner Bros. Discovery, which owns Adult Swim, confirmed to NBC News that Roiland, who voices title-characters Rick and Morty, will be recast.
NBC reported earlier this month that Roiland, 42, was charged with one count of domestic battery with corporal injury and one count of false imprisonment by menace, violence, fraud or deceit in Orange County based on an alleged 2020 incident with an unnamed Jane Doe that Roiland was dating.
Adult Swim distributes “Rick and Morty,” the hit animated adult comedy that Roiland co-created and executive produced. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the cable channel isn’t even halfway through a 70-episode order for the show, which is one of the brand’s most popular titles.
While Roiland will always be credited as the show’s co-creator, fellow co-creator Dan Harmon will now be the sole showrunner, according to the Reporter.
Roiland has several ongoing projects with Hulu, including voicing a main character on the streaming platform’s “Solar Opposites,” which he co-created. According to the Reporter, the show was renewed for a fifth season in October. Roiland also does voice work and executive produces “Koala Man” on the platform, which premiered on Jan. 9.
Roiland has pled not guilty to the charges and was released on a $50,000 bond in 2020. He is due to return to court on April 27.
According to NBC, details of the case, including police body camera footage, police reports, abuse investigation reports, medical reports and recordings of interviews are being withheld from the public at this time under a protective order. The affidavit in the case is also sealed.
T. Edward Welbourn, Roiland’s attorney, said in a statement earlier this month that media coverage of the case has been “inaccurate.”
“To be clear, not only is Justin innocent but we also have every expectation that this matter is on course to be dismissed once the district attorney’s office has completed its methodical review of the evidence,” Welbourn added, according to the Reporter.
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