Co-creator of the hit adult animated series Rick and Morty is being charged with domestic violence. Justin Roiland could face upto seven years of jail, if found guilty. The charge is one felony count of domestic battery with corporal injury and one felony count of false imprisonment by menace, violence, fraud, and/or deceit.
According to records submitted in the Orange County District Attorney’s office, the incident took place in January 2020 as of a May 2020 complaint. The guidelines said that Justin Roiland would also pay a large amount of fine if proven responsible.
Rick And Morty’s Justin Roiland Pleads Not Guilty To Allegations Of Violence
The charges are related to an incident involving an unnamed woman who was dating Roiland in 2020. T. Edward Welbourn, Roiland’s attorney, told Deadline:
“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. We look forward to clearing Justin’s name and helping him move forward as swiftly as possible.”
Justin Roiland’s agency and representatives from Warner Bros. Discovery have not responded to the charges yet. The Orange County District Attorney’s office also did not release a statement regarding the recent hearing.
The voice actor was subjected to a protective order in August 2020 that required him to stay at least a hundred feet away from the unnamed person he allegedly abused. He will also avoid any contact with the woman. This order will last for three years and will expire in October of this year.
Another Rick And Morty Creator Faced Abuse Allegations In The Past
This is not the first time that a member of the Rick and Morty team faced allegations of abuse. Five years ago, co-creator Dan Harmon was also accused of harassing Megan Ganz, a Community writer.
Later that same year, a viral video of a 2009 doll rape skit resurfaced on the Internet, which caused a public outrage. Harmon said in his statement:
“In 2009, I made a ‘pilot’ which strove to parody the series Dexter and only succeeded in offending. I quickly realized the content was way too distasteful and took the video down immediately. Nobody should ever have to see what you saw, and for that, I sincerely apologize.”
Despite the allegations faced by Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon, their careers continue to progress. Roiland even won an Emmy for Rick and Morty in 2020, produced Hulu’s Koala Man series, and released two NFT collections which he sold for more than $1.6 million.
Rick and Morty is available to stream via HBO Max and Hulu.
Source: Deadline
