Rick and Morty stands as one of animation’s most successful series in years, but even the most beloved shows aren’t immune from controversy. In the past few months, the animated hit has found itself overshadowed by co-creator Justin Roiland amid troubling legal revelations. Court documents confirmed the writer-actor is facing felony charges including domestic battery, and these charges recently forced Roiland to exit hit biggest shows. But according to insiders, it sounds like Roiland has not contributed to Rick and Morty much at all in the past few years.
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The update comes from The Hollywood Reporter as the trade published an in-depth look at Roiland’s recent downfall. A number of insiders and anonymous staffers shared their take on what happened for the piece, and multiple sources said Roiland has “not had any meaningful creative presence on any of the series that bear his name” aside from voice work.
In fact, the report goes on to suggest many of the man’s former colleagues haven’t heard from Roiland in “years” and any reunions were “unpleasant”. “They note, too, that he hasn’t been on speaking terms with his Rick and Morty co-creator, Dan Harmon, for multiple seasons, and a substantial number of staffers on that show as well as Solar Opposites and Koala Man have never actually met Roiland, even over Zoom,” The Hollywood Reporter writes.
The report goes on to detail a number of troubling encounters Roiland had at work with colleagues. From sexual harassment to no-shows and downright juvenile jokes, Roiland’s alleged workplace behavior is appalling at best. The Hollywood Reporter notes the co-creator began pulling away from Rick and Morty in season two, and his disinterest in writing became obvious in season three. However, Roiland continues to do voice work from home with “no direction” and insisted on taking roles in his other series Solar Opposites and Koala Man.
“In the years since, Roiland’s involvement on Rick and Morty has largely been relegated to voicing characters, for which he’d take no direction and record from his home. In fact, it has been years since anyone can remember him stepping foot in the show’s writers room, even when it’s been virtual. Recently, a similar situation has occurred on both Solar Opposites and Koala Man, according to multiple sources,” the report reads. “He believed securing key voice roles would safeguard him from being fired one day.”
Clearly, that belief did not hold up. Once news of Roiland’s legal troubles was made public, his empire tumbled. Adult Swim and Hulu have cut ties with the creator, and Roiland has been pushed out from roles at other companies since. Currently, the disgraced actor is awaiting his next court date while work continues on Rick and Morty without Roiland. But as The Hollywood Reporter notes, the situation’s impact on the show and its legacy is far from clear.
“It’s heartbreaking,” one source shared. “Now everything is going to have an asterisk on it.”
What do you make of this new Rick and Morty report? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.
