Adult Swim Cuts Ties With Justin Roiland, Rick and Morty Will Continue

The Adult Swim television network has announced that it has cut ties with Rick and Morty co-creator Justin Roiland. Allegations of domestic violence against Roiland surfaced earlier this month. Despite Roiland's departure, Rick and Morty will continue, Adult Swim says.

"Adult Swim has ended its association with Justin Roiland," the network said in a tweet from the official Rick and Morty Twitter account. "Rick and Morty will continue. The talented and dedicated crew are hard at work on Season 7."

Adult Swim's hit sci-fi comedy received a 70-episode order back in 2018, and signed new deals with creators Roiland and Dan Harmon. Organizations involved with Roiland's other current and recent projects have not chimed in. This includes Hulu, which hosts the Roiland-co-created Solar Opposites, and Squanch Games, which was co-founded by Roiland and recently released High On Life, in which Roiland plays several characters. Prior to this, Roiland also provided the voices for both of the leads on Rick and Morty, among others, and currently voices Korvo and other various characters on Solar Opposites. Roiland was also a showrunner and executive producer on both shows.

First reported by NBC News, Roiland was charged on Jan 12 with felony domestic violence in Orange County, Calif. Roiland pleaded not guilty to the incident, which includes one felony count of domestic battery with corporal injury and one felony count of false imprisonment by menace, violence, fraud, and/or deceit, in 2020. He was arrested and released on a $50,000 bond in August 2020 and arraigned in October 2020, with a protective order filed in October 2020. Roiland appeared in court on Jan 12 for a pre-trial hearing; the court will reconvene on April 27.

Rick and Morty will continue with Dan Harmon as showrunner, and voices are expected to be recast. The 70-episode order takes the show up through Season 10. Season 6 aired on the Adult Swim network this past fall, and Season 7 is currently in production.