Justin Roiland, co-creator and star of animated comedy Rick and Morty and the sport Excessive on Life, is going through felony home violence costs associated to an incident in January 2020. NBC Information reported the arrest and costs on Thursday, citing a prison grievance filed in Might 2020 in Orange County, California, by the county’s district lawyer. Roiland was in courtroom Thursday for a pretrial listening to.
Roiland has been charged with two felonies: one rely of “home battery with corporal damage” and one rely of “false imprisonment by menace, violence, fraud, and/or deceit,” in line with courtroom information. If convicted, Roiland might face a number of years in jail. The Rick and Morty co-creator was arrested in August 2020 and launched on a $50,000 bond. Roiland pleaded not responsible to each costs at his Oct. 14, 2020, arraignment. Particulars of the case stay restricted; NBC Information mentioned that some paperwork are sealed, holding sure data inaccessible by the general public and media.
Since his arraignment, Roiland has appeared in courtroom for a wide range of pretrial conferences, the following of which is scheduled for April 27. The courtroom has not but set a trial date.
T. Edward Welbourn, lawyer for Justin Roiland, mentioned in an announcement to Polygon, “It’s arduous to overstate how inaccurate the current media protection of this example has been. To be clear, not solely is Justin harmless however we even have each expectation that this matter is on target to be dismissed as soon as the District Lawyer’s workplace has accomplished its methodical overview of the proof. We stay up for clearing Justin’s title and serving to him transfer ahead as swiftly as doable.”
NBC Information additionally reported {that a} protecting order was filed in opposition to Roiland in October 2020, nevertheless it’s not instantly clear who filed the order. The order prohibits Roiland from being inside 100 ft of the individual in query; he’s additionally been ordered to not “harass, threaten or surveil” that individual, and to show over any firearms he might have owned, in line with NBC Information.
Roiland is greatest identified for having co-created Rick and Morty in 2012 with Dan Harmon. Roiland voices each of the titular characters, Rick Sanchez and his grandson Morty Smith. Rick and Morty has been certainly one of Grownup Swim’s hottest reveals over its six seasons. In 2018, Grownup Swim ordered 70 new episodes of the present, which might prolong the present to roughly 10 seasons. Reached for remark, an Grownup Swim consultant had no touch upon the costs in opposition to Roiland.
Roiland additionally fashioned a recreation studio, Squanch Video games (previously often called Squanchtendo), in 2016. The corporate has launched 4 video games: Accounting, Dr. Splorchy Presents: House Heroes, Trover Saves the Universe, and Excessive on Life. Excessive on Life debuted in December 2022 and rapidly grew to become an enormous success — it was the greatest Sport Move launch of the 12 months. Squanch Video games has not responded to Polygon’s request for remark.
Replace (Jan. 24): Grownup Swim is now not working with Rick and Morty co-creator Justin Roiland weeks after the information of his felony home violence costs was reported. Grownup Swim issued an announcement Tuesday, saying solely that “Grownup Swim has ended its affiliation with Justin Roiland.”
Grownup Swim is locked in to 10 seasons of Rick and Morty, per an settlement from 2018. The present will proceed, and the workers is at present engaged on season 7, in line with a tweet from the Rick and Morty Twitter account.
The Hollywood Reporter mentioned the present will proceed with new voices for Roiland’s roles — the titular characters.
Replace 2 (Jan. 24): Justin Roiland resigned from Squanch Video games on Jan. 16, days after NBC Information revealed the information of his felony costs, the sport developer introduced on Twitter. “The passionate crew at Squanch will hold creating video games we all know our followers will love whereas persevering with to help and enhance Excessive On Life,” Squanch Video games tweeted.
Squanch Video games launched its fourth recreation, Excessive On Life, to large success late final 12 months.
