Justin Roiland, co-creator and former star of Adult Swim series Rick And Morty, has issued his first statement on social media in weeks today, in response to news that the domestic violence charges against him have now been dropped by the Orange County District Attorney’s office. Per Variety, a spokesperson for the office said the charges against Roiland—which were brought against him back in 2020, and which have never been revealed in any significant detail to the public—were dismissed “as a result of having insufficient evidence to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt.”
Roiland issued his statement on Twitter today, heading it with “justice,” and expressing that he’s both “thankful” to have the charges dropped, and “deeply shaken about the horrible lies that were reported about me during this process.” Roiland is, presumably, referring not just to the charges themselves (which he accuses of being the machinations of an “embittered ex”) but also the large number of other people who came forward against him once the charges became public knowledge in January of 2023. Among others, that includes several people who posted direct messages purporting to show Roiland having sexually charged conversations with Rick And Morty fans, as well as allegations of unprofessional and difficult behavior in his various workplaces—most notably at the production offices of Rick And Morty itself.
It’s not clear what this will mean for the various Roiland-touched projects still kicking around the pop culture ecosystem. Adult Swim and Hulu (which plays host to both Solar Opposites and Koala Man, both executive produced by Roiland) have both cut ties with him, including firing him from the cast of Rick And Morty. He also resigned from his games company Squanch Games, with various employees at the company issuing statements minimizing his role in their work.
Roiland ended his statement today by noting that, now that the legal case has ended, he’s “determined to move forward and focus both on my creative projects and restoring my good name.”