Rick and Mortyco-creatorJustin Roilandhas officially been cleared of the domestic violence charges levied against him earlier this year. Roiland had been facing one felony count of domestic battery with corporal injury and one felony count of false imprisonment by menace, violence, fraud, and/or deceit after an incident involving a Jane Doe he was dating back in 2020. Following the news, Roiland took to Twitter to claim justice and fire back for the “lies” reported about his behavior.
“We dismissed the charges today as a result of having insufficient evidence to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt,” saidKimberly Edds, spokeswoman for the Orange County District Attorney’s office. He was originally slated for a second pre-trial hearing on April 27. Although he’s cleared legally, Roiland is still without a job after Warner Bros. Discoverysevered all tieswith theRick and Mortycreative. 20th Century, too,removed himfrom its hit Hulu seriesSolar OppositesandKoala Mandespite his overall deal with the company and he stepped down as the head of his gaming company Squanch Games.
Roiland used his statement to take jabs at the media, his ex, and more, echoing the same sentiments of his lawyer when the case first came to light. “I have always known that these claims were false – and I never had any doubt that this day would come,” he wrote in the post. “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.'”
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Roiland’s Behavior Has Been Questionable Beyond the Legal Case
The chances of Roiland returning to any of his old endeavors are slim to nil in part because there are lingering questions about him beyond the domestic violence case. In a massiveThe Hollywood Reporterexposé, his colleagues alleged the creative had become known for his frat boy behavior while working on his shows, including openly discussing sexual topics, bringing a prominent porn star into the office, and reportedly sexually harassing an employee duringRick and Morty’s third season. It was enough thatCartoon Network, the parent of Adult Swim, conducted its own internal investigation into his conduct in 2020. That’s without mentioning the claims of his inappropriate behavior in private messages, including particularly gross messages toMadmagazine editorAllie Goertzand to minors.
Beyond those disturbing allegations, he’s been described as aloof when it comes to his shows. He reportedly hasn’t been on speaking terms with hisRick and MortypartnerDan Harmonfor years and his involvement beyond voice acting has been minimal. Those within the writers' room on his shows have described him as grouchy, crass, and easily distractible with some even claiming they’d never interacted with him.
With all the smoke surrounding Roiland, it’s hard to see where he goes next. Although there wasn’t enough evidence to prove his domestic violence case, there’s still a mountain of disturbing allegations that can’t be easily hand-waved away.Rick and Morty, meanwhile, will stillmove forward with its full orderfor70 episodesandSolar OppositesandKoalaman will likely follow suit.
Read Roiland’s full statement below.
“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.”
