‘Rick and Morty’ Co-Creator Justin Roiland Charged With Domestic Violence

Justin Roiland, co-creator and star of Rick and Morty, is facing domestic violence charges from a 2020 incident with a former girlfriend.

Justin Roiland, co-creator of acclaimed Adult Swim animated series Rick and Morty, is awaiting trial on charges of felony domestic violence against a former girlfriend in 2020. Roiland, who also voices the two titular characters of Rick & Morty has pleaded not guilty to “one felony count of domestic battery with corporal injury and one felony count of false imprisonment by menace, violence, fraud and/or deceit,” per Variety. The animator, voice actor, producer and director, 42, was charged in Orange County, California.

The incident occurred in January of 2020, but Roiland was charged in May of that year. Roiland was later released on a $50,000 bond on August 13, 2020 before being arraigned on October 14, 2020. In 2020, Roiland pleaded not guilty, but appeared in court on January 12, 2023 for a pre-trial hearing. A trial date has not yet been set.

“It is hard to overstate how inaccurate the recent media coverage of this situation has been, Roiland’s lawyer, T. Edward Welbourn, said in a statement. 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. We look forward to clearing Justin’s name and helping him move forward as swiftly as possible.”

Rick and Morty has aired for six seasons on Adult Swim’s nighttime programming block and has been renewed for a seventh. Roiland also co-created Hulu’s Solar Opposites, where he voices the series’ main character, Korvo.