Adult Swim, the television channel that distributes the popular adult animation comedy series “Rick and Morty,” has ended its association with co-creator Justin Roiland in the wake of news that he was charged with felony domestic abuse in Orange County.
Adult Swim/Cartoon Network/Boomerang senior VP communications Marie Moore stated, “Adult Swim has ended its association with Justin Roiland.”
The channel is currently not even halfway through a massive 70-episode order for the show, which was commissioned in 2018. Despite this, sources say that “Rick and Morty” is set to continue, with Roiland’s voice roles to be recast. Fellow co-creator Dan Harmon will now serve as the lone showrunner, and the show is locked in through season 10.
Roiland still has several projects ongoing with streaming platform Hulu, including as the co-creator of the series “Solar Opposites,” on which he voices a main character. The show was renewed for a fifth season in October. Roiland is also an executive producer and does voicework for the series “Koala Man,” which premiered on January 9th. In addition, he still has an overall deal with 20th Television Animation, which produces “Solar Opposites” and “Koala Man.”
On January 12th, NBC News was the first to break the news that Roiland 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 individual that Roiland was dating.
Roiland has pleaded not guilty, and in 2020 was released on a $50,000 bond. Several pretrial hearings have already occurred, and Roiland is expected to return to court April 27th.
In a statement earlier this month, Roiland’s attorney T. Edward Welbourn said the media coverage of the case has been “inaccurate.” Welbourn added, “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.”
