Justin Roiland cleared of felony domestic violence charges

Rick and Morty co-creator and star Justin Roiland has been cleared of felony domestic violence charges related to an alleged 2020 incident involving an ex-girlfriend.

A spokeswoman for the Orange County District Attorney’s office, Kimberly Edds, confirmed to Variety that the charges were dismissed ‘for insufficient evidence to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt’.

Roiland, 42, responded to the news in a statement posted to Twitter on Wednesday, criticizing “cancel culture” and the “horrible lies” being made about him.

It comes nearly two months after Adult Swim, the late-night programming block that airs Rick and Morty, cut ties with Roiland in the wake of the allegations.

He was later fired from the animated shows Solar Opposites and Koala Man.

“I always knew these claims were false, and never had any doubt that this day would come,” Roiland tweeted on Wednesday.

“I am grateful that this case was dismissed but, at the same time, I am still deeply shocked by the horrifying lies that were reported about me during this process.”

The star continued: “Most of all, I’m disappointed that so many people so quickly judged without knowing the facts, based solely on the word of an embittered ex who was trying to skirt due process and get me ‘canceled’.

‘That it has succeeded, even partially, is shameful. However, now that the legal case is over, I am determined to move on and focus on both my creative endeavors and restoring my good name.”

He also tweeted “justice” along with his statement.

Roiland’s attorney, Edward Welbourn, praised the Orange County District Attorney’s Office for “conducting a thorough review of the facts and deciding to dismiss the case against Justin,” in a statement sent to Varietyadding: “I am grateful that justice has prevailed.”

News of Roiland’s domestic abuse charges broke in early January when NBC News reported on the case, citing a copy of the criminal complaint, which DailyMail.com later confirmed after a review of court records.

He appeared in an Orange County, California court on Thursday, January 12 in connection with the case, after pleading not guilty to felony domestic battery with bodily injury and false imprisonment.

The criminal charges, first filed in May 2020, had not been previously reported.

According to the complaint, the charges stem from an incident around January 19, 2020, when a woman Roiland was dating, identified only as Jane Doe, made the allegations against him.

Many of the documents in the case remain sealed, including the police affidavit supporting Roiland’s arrest, as well as police body camera footage and investigative reports.

Roiland was apparently arrested in August 2020 and released on $50,000 bail.

He was charged with felony domestic battery with bodily harm and felony false imprisonment by threat, violence, fraud and/or deception.

He pleaded not guilty to both charges at an October 2020 arraignment, and the case proceeded through the court system without attracting public attention.

Under a protection order filed in October 2020, Roiland was ordered not to harass, threaten, or monitor the person named in the protection order, whose name does not appear in public court documents.

Roiland was also prohibited from coming within 100 feet of the person named in the order, and was required to surrender any weapons he may have owned or possessed. The protective order runs until October 2023.

At the January court hearing, Roiland’s attorney revealed that his client was offered a plea deal, but did not provide further details, according to NBC News.

His lawyer, Welbourn, told DailyMail.com he was confident the charges would be dropped.

“It’s hard to overstate how inaccurate recent media coverage of this situation has been,” Welbourn said.

“To be clear, Not only is Justin innocent, but we also expect this matter to be on track for dismissal once the district attorney’s office has completed its methodical review of the evidence.

“We look forward to clearing Justin’s name and helping him move forward as quickly as possible.”

Less than two weeks later, Adult Swim announced on Twitter that they had “ended their association” with Roiland but that Rick And Morty would “continue” despite his absence.

THR also reported at the time that Roiland, who voices the show’s main characters, would have their voice roles recast.

In addition to co-creating the hit series with Dan Harmon, Roiland voiced its main characters: mad scientist Rick Sanchez and his accomplice/grandson Morty Smith.

Although Harmon is now sole showrunner, Roiland will continue to be credited as co-creator.

The network’s Twitter statement also noted that the “talented and dedicated cast and crew are hard at work on season seven,” which was expected to premiere sometime this year.

It is unknown if Roiland’s sudden dismissal will cause delays.

The series is locked up through season 10 as part of a 70-episode order placed by Adult Swim in 2018.

Rick and Morty originated from a Back to the Future parody short film that Roiland and Harmon created for the Los Angeles channel101 media collective.

The series debuted on Adult Swim in 2013, quickly garnering a devoted following and expanding into a franchise worth billions.

Rick and Morty’s sixth season recently wrapped up, and a seventh season was previously confirmed as part of a long-term deal with Cartoon Network that ordered 70 new episodes.

Little is known of Roiland’s personal life, and he has not publicly confirmed any long-term romantic relationships since he rose to stardom.