Justin Roiland was charged in 2020 with two felony counts stemming from a January 2020 incident involving a woman he was dating, and both charges were dismissed on March 22, 2023, after the Orange County District Attorney’s Office concluded there was insufficient evidence to proceed. The Justin Roiland charges became public in January 2023, cost him his roles on Rick and Morty, Solar Opposites, Koala Man, and Squanch Games within days, and were followed months later by a broader NBC News investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct that he has denied. He has not returned to any of his former shows or studios.
The 2020 Felony Charges
The Orange County District Attorney’s Office filed a criminal complaint in May 2020 charging Roiland with one felony count of domestic battery with corporal injury and one felony count of false imprisonment by menace, violence, fraud, and/or deceit. The charges related to an incident on or about January 19, 2020, involving an unnamed woman identified in court filings as “Jane Doe.” The police complaint stated the incident resulted “in a traumatic condition” for the woman.1BBC News. Justin Roiland Domestic Violence Charges Dismissed
Roiland was arrested in August 2020 and released on a $50,000 bond. He was arraigned that October and pleaded not guilty to both counts.2GPB News. Rick and Morty Co-Creator Justin Roiland Faces Felony Domestic Violence Charges A protective order barred him from harassing, threatening, or surveilling the woman, required him to stay at least 100 feet away from her, and ordered him to surrender any firearms. Records in the case, including police reports and body camera footage, were sealed under a protective order.3NBC News. Justin Roiland Rick and Morty Allegations Domestic Violence Charges
The case was not publicly reported until January 2023, when NBC News disclosed it. That reporting triggered the professional consequences that followed within the same week.4The Hollywood Reporter. Justin Roiland Dismissed Domestic Violence Charges Orange County Case
Why the Charges Were Dropped
On March 22, 2023, prosecutors dismissed both felony charges. Kimberly Edds, a spokeswoman for the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, said the charges were dropped “as a result of having insufficient evidence to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt.” She added that “significant additional information came to light” in the lead-up to the dismissal.5NPR. Justin Roiland Rick and Morty Felony Domestic Violence Charges Dropped6NBC News. Justin Roiland Charges Dropped
Roiland responded on social media that he was “thankful” and “deeply shaken about the horrible lies that were reported about me during this process.” He accused an “embittered ex” of attempting to have him “canceled” and said he was “determined to move forward and focus both on my creative projects and restoring my good name.”7The A.V. Club. Justin Roiland Issues Justice Statement After Domestic Violence Charges Dropped
Allegations That Followed the Dismissal
In September 2023, six months after the criminal case ended, NBC News published an investigation into misconduct allegations from 11 women and nonbinary individuals who had communicated with Roiland between 2013 and 2022. Nine of them said Roiland steered their exchanges toward sexual topics. Three said they were 16 when he first contacted them, and the report found evidence that he had referred to at least two of them as “jailbait.” In one exchange, he told a 16-year-old girl who had expressed interest in livestreaming, “Then once you turn 18 you just start cam whoring.”8NBC News. Justin Roiland Rick and Morty Fame Pursue Young Fans9Variety. Justin Roiland Denies Report Alleged Sexual Assault Young Fans
The report also included two specific sexual assault allegations. A 20-year-old woman said that in March 2019, after meeting Roiland on Tinder, he pushed her head toward his crotch to perform oral sex after she had said no. She provided NBC News with a follow-up text exchange in which Roiland apologized, writing, “I literally didn’t get consent??” A second woman, 19 at the time, said she was pressured into group sexual acts while intoxicated during a 2017 visit to Roiland’s Los Angeles home.8NBC News. Justin Roiland Rick and Morty Fame Pursue Young Fans10Rolling Stone. Rick and Morty Co-Creator Justin Roiland Accused of Sexual Assault
Roiland’s attorney, Andrew Brettler, called the allegations “false and defamatory” in a letter to NBC News and said the 2017 encounter was consensual. No defamation lawsuit or other legal action against NBC News or the accusers has been reported.9Variety. Justin Roiland Denies Report Alleged Sexual Assault Young Fans None of these allegations resulted in criminal charges.
Separately, reporting by The Hollywood Reporter, IndieWire, and other outlets described alleged misconduct in Roiland’s professional settings. Colleagues said he paraded adult film actress Riley Reid through the Rick and Morty writers’ room and frequently discussed his sexual activities with co-workers.11The Hollywood Reporter. Justin Roiland Animation Empire Implosion Rick and Morty During the show’s third season, Roiland allegedly sent a female employee a late-night text inviting her to his home for an implied threesome.12IndieWire. Justin Roiland Rick and Morty Toxic Misconduct Cartoon Network conducted a formal investigation into his “inappropriate workplace conduct” in 2020.
What He Lost
Adult Swim announced on January 25, 2023, days after the domestic violence case became public, that it had “ended its association with Justin Roiland.” Co-creator Dan Harmon became sole showrunner of Rick and Morty, and the lead roles of Rick Sanchez and Morty Smith were recast. Roiland retained his co-creator credit but had no further involvement with the series.13Decider. Rick and Morty Co-Creator Justin Roiland Fired by Adult Swim14The A.V. Club. Adult Swim Justin Roiland Will Recast Rick and Morty After a six-month audition process, Ian Cardoni took over Rick and Harry Belden took over Morty, debuting in the Season 7 premiere on October 15, 2023.15Variety. Rick and Morty Ian Cardoni Harry Belden Replace Justin Roiland
The same day, 20th Television Animation and Hulu Originals issued a joint statement: “We have ended our association with Justin Roiland.” The decision affected Solar Opposites, which he co-created and on which he voiced the lead Korvo, and Koala Man, which he executive produced. Dan Stevens replaced him as Korvo starting in Season 4, with the change addressed through an in-universe explanation.16Variety. Justin Roiland Fired Solar Opposites Koala Man17Mashable. Solar Opposites Justin Roiland Dan Stevens Korvo Voice
Roiland also resigned as CEO of Squanch Games, the video game studio he co-founded. The company received his resignation on January 16, 2023, and continued without him, later releasing High on Life 2.18Games Industry. Justin Roiland Resigns as CEO of Squanch Games19Squanch Games. Squanch Games Official Site
Where Things Stand Now
Roiland has no known involvement with any of his former shows or studios. His name is absent from the High on Life animated series adaptation being developed by J.B. Smoove’s Alternate Side Productions in partnership with Squanch Games and Striker Entertainment.20Deadline. J.B. Smoove Produce Star Series High on Life Video Game Reporting by Cracked in 2026 noted that his reputation “hasn’t had the renaissance that he threatened it would.”21Cracked. Justin Roiland’s Last Project Pre-Implosion Could Become Another Animated Comedy Series