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The animated comedy series Rick and Morty is facing uncertainty as co-creator and star voice actor Justin Roiland faces trial on domestic violence charges. The news broke on January 12, 2023, the same day that Roiland appeared in court for a pre-trial hearing.
In response, Adult Swim, the network where Rick and Morty airs, has announced that they have severed ties with Roiland and will be recasting his voice roles on the show.
A closer look at Rick and Morty's voice actor Justin Roiland's domestic violence case
According to a criminal complaint submitted by the Orange County District Attorney in May 2020, Roiland has been charged with one count of felony domestic violence with corporal harm and one count of false imprisonment originating from an event that happened in 2020 with an unnamed person he was dating. While the charges date back to January 2020, the story surfaced recently after NBC News first reported the case trial.
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He was arrested in August 2020 and discharged on a $50,000 bail. He pleaded not guilty to the charges in October 2020.. Additionally, a protective order that forbids Roiland from approaching the victim within 100 feet has been imposed.
Roiland has also been ordered to turn over any firearms he has in his possession. They will be held by the police until at least October 2023. He is scheduled to return to court April 27. If found guilty, he could face up to seven years in prison.
Speaking about the media coverage of the case, Edward Welbourn, an attorney for Roiland, called it “inaccurate.”
“It is hard to overstate how inaccurate the recent media coverage of this situation has been. 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.”
Although Roiland has not yet been found guilty of these allegations and is in the process of being tried, Adult Swim swiftly cut off ties with him. The network's senior vice president of communications, Marie Moore, announced the decision in a statement on Tuesday,
“Adult Swim has ended its association with Justin Roiland.”
Implications for the future: Recasting Roiland's voice roles and the impact on Rick and Morty
As a co-creator, executive producer, and star voice actor of Rick and Morty, Justin Roiland has played a significant role in the popular series. The show's sixth season, which garnered an average of 560,000 live viewers per episode, concluded in December 2022, and a seventh season is already in the works as part of a 70-episode deal commissioned by Adult Swim in 2018.
With Roiland's voice roles, including those of the titular characters, set to be recast, the series, which has been confirmed through season 10, will move forward with Roiland's fellow co-creator Dan Harmon as the sole showrunner. Adult Swim's decision to cut ties with Roiland comes amid a larger conversation in the entertainment industry about s*xual misconduct and abuse.
The future of Rick and Morty and the consequences of domestic violence
The domestic violence charges against Justin Roiland have cast a shadow over the future of Rick and Morty. While the series is set to continue, his absence as a co-creator, executive producer, and star voice actor will be felt.
Adult Swim's decision to recast his roles on the show demonstrates the gravity of the charges and the network's zero-tolerance policy towards domestic violence. As the trial unfolds, fans of the series will be closely watching to see how the charges against Roiland will affect the future of Rick and Morty.
The animated comedy series Solar Opposites, which was given a fifth season renewal in October, and the January 9 release of Koala Man are the two current projects that Roiland is presently working on with Hulu.
