Posted in: Adult Swim, Rick and Morty, TV | Tagged: Adult Swim, dan harmon, Justin Roiland, rick and morty

Rick and Morty: Justin Roiland Charges Dismissed; Posts Statement

Domestic violence charges against Justin Roiland have been dismissed, with the Rick and Morty co-creator posting an official statement.

It's been nearly two months since Adult Swim, Squanch Games, Disney & 20th TV Animation had effectively cut ties with Rick and Morty co-creator Justin Roiland (Opposites, Koala Man), the result of Roiland being charged with one felony count of domestic battery with corporal injury & one felony count of false imprisonment by menace, violence, fraud, and/or deceit (full details here). Earlier today, we learned that the domestic violence case against Roiland was dismissed Wednesday morning in Orange County due to a representative from the DA's officer stated was insufficient evidence to move forward with a case beyond a reasonable doubt. In a statement on social media, Roiland wrote, "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 but, at the same time, I'm still deeply shaken by the horrible lies that were reported about me during this process. 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." That it may have succeeded, even partially, is shameful. However, now that the legal case has ended, I'm determined to move forward and focus both on my creative projects and restoring my good name."

Issuing a statement to TMZ, Roiland's attorney T. Edward Welbourn, stated, "I commend the Orange County District Attorney's Office for conducting a thorough review of the facts and deciding to dismiss the case against Justin. I'm thankful justice has prevailed." Here's a look at Roiland's statement:

And here's a look at Roiland's Instagram post sharing a text image of his statement:

Looking Back at THR's Justin Roiland/Rick and Morty Report

Here's a look back at just a few of the big takeaways from THR's feature article from last month:

Roiland Began Distancing Himself from "Rick and Morty" with Season 3: As the Adult Swim series brought Community writers and female writers on board between its first and third seasons, sources say that Roiland began distancing himself more and more in the writers' room and, eventually, "stopped showing up." Apparently, writers would only know that Roiland was at the Burbank offices by the sound of his dogs or his remote-control toy car. One source added, "You wouldn't have seen him in weeks, and then you'd see the car come in, which was insane." Sources also shared with THR that Roiland would occasionally bring famous names through the office, including Kanye West (who Roiland and series co-creator Dan Harmon had discussed working with in the past on an episode), members of truTV's Impractical Jokers, and porn star Riley Reid. Since the third season, sources say that Roiland's current involvement in the Emmy Award-winning animated series is now at voicing characters from his home with very little recording/production direction from the main office.

Roiland & Harmon's Relationship Soured Over Time: With sources claiming that the change in the writers' room over the course of the first three seasons contributed to Roiland distancing himself, the report claims that Roiland & Harmon's relationship "had grown so acrimonious" that a mediator was brought in to smooth things over ahead of the duo eventually signing that headline-grabbing 70-episode renewal deal.

"Rick and Morty" Staffers Demand Statement on Roiland: According to sources in the THR report, an "emotional" production meeting was held on January 17th to address the matter, after which time several staff members ("with the blessing of a broad swath of personnel") penned a letter to both Adult Swim and Warner Bros. Discovery that demanded a statement be released clarifying Roiland's position on the show for the sake of everyone else involved with the production. Reports are that there were discussions among the staffers to potentially leak the letter, but the decision was made to first see how things played out. A week later, Adult Swim would announce that it had severed ties with Roiland as more companies followed suit.

As noted by THR, Roiland, Harmon, Adult Swim, and Warner Bros. Discovery declined to comment for the report.

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