Adult Swim cuts ties with 'Rick and Morty' co-creator Justin Roiland after domestic-abuse charges
By Mike Murphy
Adult Swim cut its ties with "Rick and Morty" co-creator Justin Roiland on Tuesday, following news that he was awaiting trial on felony domestic violence charges.
"Adult Swim has ended its association with Justin Roiland," the network said in a brief statement, adding that the animated series will continue.
Roiland, 42, was charged in Orange County, Calif., last May for an incident that allegedly occurred in January 2020, but the charges went unnoticed by the media until earlier this month. He faces counts of corporal injury and false imprisonment by menace, fraud, violence or deceit against an unidentified woman he was living with, according to the Associated Press.
"Rick and Morty" is among Adult Swim's most popular programs. It has aired for six seasons, but is not even halfway through a 70-episode deal announced in 2018. In addition to serving as executive producer, Roiland provides the voices of the main characters Rick and Morty on the show. The Hollywood Reporter said Tuesday that his voice roles will be re-cast, and that co-creator Dan Harmon will take creative control.
Roiland also had a deal with Disney's (DIS) Hulu, where he served as co-creator of the animated series "Solar Opposites," and as executive producer of the recent series "Koala Man." Hulu did not reply to a MarketWatch email Tuesday inquiring about Roiland's status.
UPDATE: On Wednesday, Hulu also cut ties with Roiland. "We have ended our association with Justin Roiland," Hulu and 20th TV Animation said in a statement.
Adult Swim is the adult-focused animated network that shares channel space with Cartoon Network. Both are units of Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. (WBD).
-Mike Murphy
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
January 25, 2023 16:02 ET (21:02 GMT)
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