Prosecutors have dropped felony domestic violence charges filed in May 2020 against “Rick and Morty” co-creator Justin Roiland, authorities announced Tuesday.
“We reject the charges due to a lack of evidence to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt,” Kimberly Edds, a spokeswoman for the Orange County district attorney’s office, told the Times by phone.
Edds cited “additional information that has come to light” as a factor, but declined to comment further.
The writer-producer shared his thoughts on the dropped charges with a one-word tweet, “justice,” and a screenshot of a statement calling the allegations false.
“I am grateful that this case was dismissed but, at the same time, I am still deeply shocked by the horrifying lies that were reported about me during this process.” Roilandia wrote. “Most of all, I’m disappointed that so many people judged so quickly without knowing the facts, based solely on the word of an embittered ex who was trying to skirt due process and get me ‘canceled.'”
He added that he is now shifting focus to his “creative projects and restoring” his name.
Roiland had faced one count of domestic battery with bodily harm and one count of false imprisonment for threat, violence, fraud and deception. He pleaded not guilty to both felonies in October 2020, court records showed.
The charges against Roiland stemmed from an alleged incident that occurred on or about January 19, 2020 in Anaheim. It involved an unnamed Jane Doe who was dating Roiland at the time, according to the complaint, which was obtained by The Times.
As news of the charges against Roiland began to circulate earlier this year with the publication of a NBC report from January 12media companies began to cut ties with him.
The first to end their relationship was Adult Swim, Cartoon Network’s mature audience counterpart, which aired six seasons of the Emmy-winning “Rick and Morty.” Roiland co-created the show with Dan Harmon and voiced the main characters, mad scientist Rick Sanchez and his grandson Morty Smith.
The show was renewed through season 10 as part of Adult Swim’s Collection of 70 episodes in 2018.
A day later, Hulu also stopped working with Roiland. He was attached to two animated series on Hulu, co-creating and starring in “Solar Opposites.” and executive produced “Koala Man,” which also featured his guest voice. Both shows continued without Roiland’s involvement.
Around the same time, video game studio Squanch Games, which developed Roiland’s game “High on Life,” announced that Roiland had resigned from the company.
Throughout the legal process, Roiland maintained his innocence, commenting through his lawyers in a statement to The Times that he hoped “this matter will be on track to be dismissed once the district attorney’s office has completed its methodical review.” of the evidence”.
