It was only a matter of time before the other half of Rick and Morty stepped into the spotlight. With season seven on the horizon, all eyes are on the Adult Swim comedy, and the pressure is on given the show’s recent drama. Earlier this year, co-creator Justin Roiland found himself disgraced after accusations of abuse and harassment overtook the Internet. Now, Dan Harmon is finally speaking out on the situation, and the Rick and Morty co-creator isn’t mincing their words.
The update comes from The Hollywood Reporter as the trade spoke with Harmon recently. The rare interview saw Harmon address everything from his legacy in Hollywood to his goals for retirement. When first asked about Rick and Morty’s recent ordeal with Roiland, Harmon was frank with his sadness.
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“It’s all just sad because the goal is for it to be indistinguishable,” he explained, “at the same time, it would be absurd to suddenly decide that the entire foundation of your creative project was, oh, coincidentally, unimportant.”
However, Harmon’s tone went on to change once the new report noted a recent expose about Roiland. Earlier this summer, an article surfaced accusing Roiland of using his power in Hollywood to engage with underage and/or vulnerable fans. Once this report surfaced, Harmon gave a longer address about the ordeal and made his absolute disapproval clear.
“The easiest thing for me to say about Justin has been nothing. Easy because he isolated so well and easy because I’m nobody’s first choice as a judge of anything or anyone. This is where I’d love to change the subject to myself, to what a piece of crap I’ve been my whole public life,” Harmon said.
“I would feel so safe and comfortable making this about me, but that trick is worthless here and dangerous to others. It’s other people’s safety and comfort that got damaged while I obsessed over a cartoon’s quality. Trust has now been violated between countless people and a show designed to please them. I’m frustrated, ashamed and heartbroken that a lot of hard work, joy and passion can be leveraged to exploit and harm strangers.”
For those out of touch with the situation, Roiland found himself embroiled in serious controversy earlier this year after reports surfaced of a 2020 arrest. According to legal proceedings, the Rick and Morty writer-actor was arrested on a few domestic abuse charges, and this revelation opened a floodgate within the industry. Droves of colleagues hit up social media to detail their own inappropriate encounters with Roiland, and this escalation prompted companies like Adult Swim to end their partnerships with Roiland. While his criminal case was eventually dismissed, the creator’s reputation has nosedived in light of further accusations.
With Roiland out of the picture, Adult Swim will mark a first with Rick and Morty season seven. The show will bring in two new actors to voice its leads, and of course, Roiland’s hand will not be in its script. Many netizens are eager to see how Rick and Morty fairs without the co-creator on staff. So if you want to see the changes firsthand, Rick and Morty season seven will go live this October.ย
What do you think about this latest update on Rick and Morty? Do you plan on tuning into season seven this fall? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!
