Adult Swim cuts ties with 'Rick and Morty' co-creator Justin Roiland before domestic violence trial
U.S. cable network Adult Swim says it has "ended its association" with Justin Roiland, co-creator of the animated series Rick and Morty, nearly two weeks after it emerged that he is facing charges of felony domestic violence against a former girlfriend.
In a post on the Twitter account for Rick and Morty on Tuesday, Adult Swim said the show would continue without Roiland, who voiced its two main characters. The network provided no details about recasting the characters, but said its crew was working on its seventh season.
NBC News first reported the charges against Roiland on Jan. 12, when he appeared in court for a pre-trial hearing.
Roiland has pleaded not guilty to felony charges of domestic battery with corporal injury and false imprisonment by menace, violence, fraud or deceit. He is set to return to court in April. A trial date has not been set.
The alleged incident occurred in January 2020, and Roiland was charged in May of that year, but the charges apparently went unnoticed by media outlets until NBC News reported them.
It was unclear when the charges came to the attention of Cartoon Network, which airs Rick and Morty as part of its Adult Swim nighttime programming block.
Roiland and Dan Harmon created the animated sci-fi sitcom about a mad scientist and his grandson, which premiered in 2013.
