On January 12, NBC News reported that Justin Roiland, best known as the co-creator of Adult Swim’s animated comedy Rick and Morty, had been charged with two counts of felony domestic violence in Orange County. Roiland was arrested in August 2020, released on a $50,000 bond, and pleaded not guilty in October 2020 to one felony count of domestic battery with corporal injury, and one felony count of false imprisonment by menace, violence, fraud, and/or deceit against an anonymous Jane Doe. The case has since gone through more than a dozen court hearings, including pretrial hearings. Below, a timeline of the companies and projects that have severed ties with Roiland in response to these charges, and how this will affect his various ongoing projects.
Squanch Games
Roiland tendered his resignation from Squanch Games, the video-game studio he co-founded in 2016 with Tanya Watson. The studio, known for games like Trover Saves the Universe and High on Life, confirmed Roiland’s departure through a statement posted to its official Twitter account on January 24: “On January 16, 2023, Squanch Games received Justin Roiland’s resignation. The passionate team at Squanch will keep developing games we know our fans will love while continuing to support and improve High on Life.â€
Rick and Morty
Adult Swim, home of Rick and Morty, announced that the network had “ended its association with Justin Roiland,†via a statement posted to the official Rick and Morty Twitter account on January 24. “Rick and Morty will continue,†it confirmed. The network also confirmed reports that Roiland, who voices both of the show’s protagonists, would be recast, and Dan Harmon would be credited as the series’ sole showrunner going forward. In 2018, Rick and Morty was given a 70-episode renewal, carrying it through season ten.
Solar Opposites
On January 25, Hulu, which airs Solar Opposites, the animated science fiction sitcom Roiland co-created with Mike McMahan, announced that it would be terminating its relationship with Roiland. “We have ended our association with Justin Roiland,†the streamer said in a statement to Variety. The series, which aired its third season in 2022 and has been renewed through season five, will continue without Roiland’s involvement.
Koala Man
Koala Man, the Hulu animated comedy developed by Michael Cusack, Dan Hernandez, and Benji Samit, and lists Roiland as an executive producer, will also continue despite the network ending its association with the latter. Koala Man’s first season debuted January 9.
This is a developing story.