The co-creator of Solar Opposites and Rick and Morty, Justin Roiland, is accused of domestic abuse in Orange County, California, stemming from an alleged incident in 2020.
Roiland has indeed been charged with a single charge of domestic abuse with corporal injury and one count of false confinement by threat, violence, fraud, or deceit, according to the May 2020 criminal complaint that The Hollywood Reporter has acquired. According to the complaint, Roiland intentionally and unlawfully injured someone whose name is not revealed who was dating the defendant, causing her to develop a traumatic condition.
According to the court docket, Roiland entered a not-guilty plea in 2020 and was freed on a $50,000 bond in August of that same year. Since then, hearings in the case have gone on, with the most recent taking place on Thursday.
Roiland’s lawyer T. Edward Welbourn issued a statement in which he said, “It is difficult to exaggerate how erroneous the current media coverage of this matter has been. To be clear, not only is Justin innocent, but we also fully anticipate that this case will be dropped after the district attorney’s office has finished its meticulous examination of the available evidence. We anticipate clearing Justin’s name and assisting him in getting back on track as soon as we can.
Rick and Morty’s distributor, Adult Swim, was unavailable for comment when contacted on Thursday. The Hollywood Reporter has also contacted Hulu, the company that sells Solar Opposites, for a response.
According to NBC News, Roiland is not allowed to harass, threaten, or monitor the person listed in the protection order, according to a protective order that was filed in October 2020 and recorded in the court minutes. The news source also indicated that Roiland’s lawyer said during Thursday’s pre-trial hearing that the show’s creator had received a plea offer; no other information about the plea offer was immediately available.
More Allegations Against Justin Roiland
All of the aforementioned is horrifying and horrible enough, especially in light of how long it usually takes for victims of abuse to see their abusers punished. Numerous people have come forward since the domestic violence accusations, this time with grooming claims.
He has a reputation for not only breaking couples but also for favoring younger ladies. Goddamn. This came after the Ren & Stimpy character. What is it with animation that can create both the coolest and the slimiest characters at the same time?
We do want to remind readers that it might take victims of harassment and exploitation a lot longer before they feel safe discussing (or reporting) their experiences, even though we’ve developed a fair amount of skepticism surrounding posts on social media over the past decade.
They frequently delay telling someone what happened, either because they are unsure of how to describe what happened or because they worry that no one will accept them or support them in a way that will be beneficial. Therefore, Twitter can become a very useful medium for a victim or survivors to finally communicate what they’ve gone through when court records like these are made public.
Justin Roiland Career
He joined the L.A. media collective Channel101, founded by Dan Harmon and Rob Schrab, where he produced and appeared in several film shorts, including 2 Girls One Cup: The Show, House of Cosbys, and a small role as percussionist Christopher Cross in the sequence Yacht Rock, as well as the VH1 television program Acceptable TV.
As Blonde Craig, he often came onto Comedy Central’s The Sarah Silverman Program. He co-hosted The Grandma’s Virginity Podcast from 2010 to 2016 with Ryan Ridley, who would later write for Rick and Morty, and Jackie Buscarino, who would later produce Steven Universe.
In addition to his work as a show creator, Roiland has voiced characters in a wide range of projects, including his own Rick and Morty as Rick Sanchez and Morty Smith and Solar Opposites (as Korvo), as well as additional appearances on shows like Robot Chicken, Adventure Time, and Mystery Science Theater 3000. Animated films Koala Man and the Rick and Morty spinoff The Vindicators both had him on the executive producing and acting teams.
In 2016, Roiland co-founded Squanchtendo, a video game studio that has since changed its name to Squanch Games and created titles like High on Life, Trover Saves the Universe, and Accounting+.
