Adult Swim announced Tuesday that it has cut ties with Justin Roiland, the star and co-creator of the animated comedy series “Rick and Morty,” as he faces domestic violence charges.
The cable channel retweeted a statement of the official “Rick and Morty” Twitter account that it plans to continue with the show’s seventh season, but that it has “terminated its partnership with Justin Roiland”. Adult Swim confirmed the news in an emailed statement.
Roiland, who plays the title characters Rick and Morty, will be recast, said Marie Moore, the senior vice president of communications at Warner Bros. Discovery, owner of Adult Swim.
NBC News broke the news that Roiland had been charged with misdemeanor domestic violence in Orange County, California, in connection with a 2020 incident.
Squanch Games, the video game company co-founded by Roiland, as well announced on Twitter on Tuesday that Roiland resigned.
“On January 16, 2023, Squanch Games received the resignation of Justin Roiland,” the company wrote. The company also sent the statement to NBC News in response to an investigation into his relationship with Roiland.
Roiland pleaded not guilty in 2020 and was in court on January 12 for a pre-trial hearing. In a statement, one of his lawyers wrote that Roiland is innocent and expects the case to be dismissed.
“We look forward to clearing Justin’s name and moving him forward as soon as possible,” attorney T. Edward Welbourn wrote.
Roiland, 42, was charged with a felony of domestic violence involving bodily harm and a felony of false imprisonment by threat, violence, fraud and/or deceit.
The indictment says the incident occurred on or about January 19, 2020, against a woman, identified as Jane Doe, who was in a relationship with Roiland at the time.
Details of the case, including police CCTV footage, police reports, abuse investigation reports, medical reports and taped interviews, are being withheld from the public under a precautionary order.
The affidavit supporting Roiland’s arrest has also been sealed. Roiland was ordered at the pretrial hearing this month to attend a hearing on April 27.
“Rick and Morty” debuted in December 2013 and quickly became one of the most popular adult-oriented cartoons, earning billions of dollars in media and merchandising franchise. The show’s sixth season premiered in September, and Cartoon Network ordered a seventh season as part of a long-term deal for 70 new episodes.
This is an evolving story. Check back later for updates.