Adult Swim sacks Rick and Morty co-creator Justin Roiland after felony domestic abuse charge

Adult Swim has cut ties with Rick and Morty co-creator Justin Roiland after he was charged with felony domestic abuse in California.

"Adult Swim has ended its association with Justin Roiland," Adult Swim/Cartoon Network/Boomerang svp communications Mairie Moore said in a statement on Tuesday.

Roiland had recently appeared in court on domestic violence charges that stemmed from allegations made in 2020.

As per the May 2020 felony complaint, obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, Roiland was charged with one count of domestic battery with corporal injury and one count of false imprisonment by menace, violence, fraud or deceit.

The complaint also claims that he 'did wilfully and unlawfully inflict corporal injury resulting in a traumatic condition' upon a Jane Doe.

It is understood she was in 'a dating relationship with the defendant'.

The complaint further alleges that the Rick and Morty creator 'did unlawfully violate the personal liberty of [said] Jane Doe by violence, menace, fraud and deceit'.

Roiland’s lawyer, T. Edward Welbourn said in a statement earlier this month that coverage of the charges against Roiland has been 'inaccurate'.

"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," he said.

Adult Swim distributes his iconic TV show based on a multiverse-jumping megalomaniac called Rick (who is voiced by Roiland) and his nephew sidekick Morty.

As for Rick and Morty stans, there is no need to panic.

The much-loved cartoon will continue on without him and Adult Swim will recast characters voiced by Roiland.

Those characters being Rick and Morty, the show's lead characters, so a change may be jarring for fans as the next season airs.

As per The Hollywood Reporter, Adult Swim isn’t even halfway through its mammoth 70-episode order for the show.

So if you notice a voice change halfway through, you now know why.

Roiland will retain his credit as co-creator, with fellow co-creator Dan Harmon now the lone showrunner.

Rick and Morty is one of the brand's most popular titles and remains locked in at the network until season 10.

Featured Image Credit: dpa picture alliance / Alamy. Everett Collection Inc / Alamy.

Topics: Rick and Morty, TV and Film

Rachel Lang

Rachel Lang is a Digital Journalist at LADbible. During her career, she has interviewed Aussie PM Malcolm Turnbull in the lead up to the 2016 federal election, ran an editorial campaign on the war in Yemen, and reported on homelessness in the lead-up to Harry and Meghan’s wedding in Windsor. She also once wrote a yarn on the cheese and wine version of Fyre Festival.

@rlangjournalist