Justin Roiland, co-creator of Rick And Morty, has been cleared of domestic violence charges after he was dropped from the show.
A spokeswoman for the Orange County district attorney’s office, Kimberly Edds, confirmed the charges had been dropped in a statement on Wednesday (March 22).
“We dismissed the charges today as a result of having insufficient evidence to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt,” the statement read (via Variety).
Following the verdict, Roiland shared a statement on social media, saying: “I have always known that these claims were false – and I never had any doubt that this day would come. I’m thankful that this case has been dismissed but, at the same time, I’m still deeply shaken by the horrible lies that were reported about me during this process.
“Most of all, I’m disappointed that so many people were so quick to judge without knowing the facts… That it may have succeeded, even partially, is shameful. However, now that the legal case has ended, I’m determined to move forward and focus both on my creative projects and restoring my good name.”
Roiland appeared in court in January for a pre-trial hearing after he was charged with one felony count of domestic battery with corporal injury and one felony count of false imprisonment by menace, violence, fraud and/or deceit. He pleaded not guilty to the charges in 2020.
Adult Swim “ended its association” with Roiland in January after the allegations came to light. Roiland voiced Rick And Morty’s two lead characters among others, with the show’s seventh season currently in development without his involvement.
He was also dropped by Hulu, where he worked on shows Solar Opposites and Koala Man.
Roiland resigned from Squanch Games, the game development studio he co-founded in 2016, on January 16. The studio released High On Life in December last year.
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