The charges of domestic violence against Justin Roiland, who is also the co-creator of the science fiction series Rick and Morty and the voice of its two titular characters, led to his separation from Adult Swim. In Orange County, California, Roiland was charged with two felonies in 2020: one for false imprisonment by threat, assault, fraud, or deceit, and one for domestic battery with bodily injury.
A Strong Case
He entered a not guilty plea to these allegations, but in the summer of the same year, a protective order was filed against Roiland, requiring him to refrain from harassing, threatening, or surveilling the person named in the order. The order expires in October 2023, and in addition, he must surrender his firearms and keep a distance of 100 feet from the named individual. The Rick and Morty fans has been stunned by these developments, and Adult Swim has announced that co-creator Dan Harmon will serve as the only showrunner, while Roiland’s credits will still appear on the comedy, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Moving Forward
However, it is currently unknown what will happen to the remaining Roiland projects with Hulu and 20th Century Television. The roles of Rick and Morty will be recast. In a tweet from the official Rick and Morty Twitter account, it was said that “Adult Swim has ended its association with Justin Roiland. Rick and Morty will continue. The talented and dedicated crew are hard at work on Season 7.” It has also been said that there will be a total of 10 seasons for the iconic series.
“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.” Roiland was defended by Edward Welbourn in a statement from earlier this month. We of course, have to wait for a couple more announcements to find out what would happen to our beloved series moving forward. Here’s hoping for more awesome adventures with Rick and Morty!