‘Rick and Morty’ Co-Creator Dan Harmon Deletes Twitter After Controversial Video Resurfaces

Dan Harmon, creator of NBC's Community and co-creator of irreverent Adult Swim cartoon Rick and Morty, has deleted his Twitter account after coming under fire over a resurfaced 2009 pilot where he rapes a baby doll.

"Daryl," a five-minute comedy pilot, stars Harmon in a parodic spin on Showtime serial killer drama Dexter. In the scene, Harmon's character enters through a window, removes his pants, and while half-naked, rubs his genitals against a baby doll on a couch.

Harmon described the character as "a baby rapist with a heart of gold" and prefaced the video with a warning, dubbing its content "controversial."

"Originally made with Showtime, Dan Harmon presents a groundbreaking new show about the darker side of therapy," reads the video description on Channel 101, an alternative website co-founded by Harmon, where the skit was posted in 2009.

"Daryl" resurfaced during Harmon's time at San Diego Comic-Con over the weekend, which Harmon attended with Rick and Morty co-creator Justin Roiland. Harmon's video has since been called out on social media for its depiction of child rape.

After Harmon deleted his Twitter account in response to the controversy, emerging social media reactions are mixed: some Twitter users have condemned the comedy writer while others have taken to Harmon's defense, noting the Rick and Morty co-creator is well-known for his edgy and offensive humor.

The backlash comes just days after Guardians of the Galaxy franchise writer-director James Gunn was fired by Marvel Studios parent company Disney, when Gunn's own social media history — including multiple tweets about pedophilia, rape, and other abuses — resurfaced during Comic-Con weekend.