Domestic Violence Charges Against Justin Roiland Dismissed
Insufficient Evidence Leads to Dismissal
Felony domestic violence charges against “Rick and Morty” creator Justin Roiland have been dismissed, two months after Adult Swim dropped him from the show. Kimberly Edds, a spokesperson for the Orange County district attorney’s office, confirmed the development in a statement on Wednesday:
“We dismissed the charges today as a result of having insufficient evidence to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt.”
Roiland’s Statement on Social Media
Roiland, who also voiced Rick and Morty’s two titular characters before being dropped by Adult Swim, shared a statement on social media on Wednesday:
“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.”
He expressed disappointment over people’s quick judgment and determination to move forward and restore his good name.
Previous Charges and Legal Proceedings
In 2020, Roiland was charged with and 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 deceit. He attended a pretrial hearing in January, with a second one scheduled for April.
Roiland’s attorney, T. Edward Welbourn, commended the Orange County district attorney’s office for thoroughly reviewing the facts and expressed gratitude for the case dismissal.
Separation from Adult Swim and Hulu
Adult Swim announced they had “ended their association” when the domestic violence charges were widely reported in January. Hulu also dropped Roiland from his roles in the animated series “Solar Opposites” and “Koala Man,” stating they had “ended their association with Justin Roiland.” Both shows were set to continue without Roiland’s involvement.
Roiland resigned from Squanch Games, the video game studio he co-founded in 2016. Adult Swim and Hulu declined to comment on the charges being dismissed when approached by Variety on Wednesday.
