It was last month when we first learned that Rick and Morty co-creator Justin Roiland is facing two felony charges in Orange County stemming from an alleged 2020 domestic violence incident. Since then, multiple allegations have been made about the writer and actor, while troubling comments made on a 2011 podcast have likely killed any chance of an eventual comeback.
Now, The Hollywood Reporter (via Toonado.com) has shared new insights into his alleged misconduct, including a claim of sexual harassment during Rick and Morty's third season that was formally investigated by Adult Swim's parent company Cartoon Network.
When the show's other co-creator, Dan Harmon, enlisted the first female writers for Rick and Morty that year, Roiland didn't hesitate from drawing lewd pictures on whiteboards and talked openly about his penchant for threesomes. One insider explains those working on the show just tried to ignore him out of disgust, and it's during this time he's alleged to have sent a female employee a "really creepy" text, late at night, requesting she visits his home.
After having fun making Rick and Morty's first season, the show's massive success forced Harmon and Roiland to get serious heading into season 2. The latter didn't appreciate that and a divide was created. After becoming "surly, petulant, uncommunicative and grouchy, like he always wished he was doing something else," Roiland would frequently disrupt the writing team's work and created what sounds like an uncomfortable work environment.
However, by season 3, he basically stopped showing up and only made appearances in order to impress famous visitors like Kanye West, Impractical Jokers' cast of comedians...and adult film star Riley Reid.
In fact, multiple sources tell the trade that, outside of his voiceover work, Roiland has had little to no creative involvement in any of the TV shows that bear his name, including Rick and Morty, Solar Opposite, and Koala Man. He doesn't speak with Harmon and even after the network brought in a mediator, their relationship failed to improve despite that 70-episode order.
Up until his firing from these shows, Roiland would voice his characters from home and take no direction. It's been years, even virtually, since he stepped into the show's writers room and his importance to all of these projects is clearly minimal outside of lending his voice to the likes of Rick, Morty, and Korvo.
Now, his roles will be recast, and while we're sure he'll continue to benefit financially from all these shows, it's clear they no longer need him in any capacity and are unlikely to suffer, in terms of quality, now he's gone.
What do you guys think?