Case against the 'Rick and Morty' creator was dismissed due to lack of evidence; artist expresses relief and frustration about the ‘Cancel Culture’ rush to judgment which led to Adult Swim and Hulu severing all creative and business partnerships.
Justin Roiland, co-creator of the popular animated series Rick and Morty and Solar Opposites and producer for Koala Man, has been cleared of domestic violence charges, which were dropped due to insufficient evidence, as confirmed by the Orange County District Attorney's office. Spokeswoman Kimberly Edds stated that the charges were dismissed, as they could not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
Roiland took to social media to express his gratitude for the dismissal, while also addressing the negative impact of the accusations on his life and career in a late afternoon press release. "I'm thankful the case has been dismissed," he said, adding, "I'm still deeply shaken by the horrible lies that were reported about me during this process."
justice pic.twitter.com/1q9M4GA6MV
— Justin Roiland (@JustinRoiland) March 22, 2023
Roiland was previously charged with one felony count of domestic battery with corporal injury and one felony count of false imprisonment by menace, violence, fraud, and/or deceit. He had pleaded not guilty to the charges in 2020; a second pre-trial hearing had been scheduled for April 27.
In his Twitter statement, Roiland expressed disappointment in those who were quick to judge him based on the allegations. “I have always known that these claims were false — and I never had any doubt that this day would come. I’m thankful that this case has been dismissed [...] Most of all, I’m disappointed that so many people were so quick to judge without knowing the facts, based solely on the word of an embittered ex trying to bypass due process and have me ‘canceled.'” He vowed to move forward, focusing on creative projects and restoring his good name.
Adult Swim, the network behind Rick and Morty, severed ties with Roiland in January due to the domestic violence charges. Roiland also resigned from Squanch Games, a video game developer company he co-founded in 2016. Additionally, Hulu ended its association with Roiland, removing him from the animated shows Solar Opposites and Koala Man, both of which will continue without his involvement.
A spokesperson for Adult Swim told AWN the network has no comment on this recent development, while Hulu did not reply to AWN when asked to comment. According to Roiland’s press release, both Adult Swim and Hulu declined to comment.
Cybersecurity specialist by day, investigative journalist by night.
