Rick and Morty co-creator Justin Roiland faces domestic violence charges
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Rick and Morty co-creator Justin Roiland is facing domestic violence charges after a former girlfriend made the claims from an alleged incident said to have occurred in 2020.
The charging document, which contains details of the allegations, remains under seal. Details of this case were made public on Thursday (January 12), when Roiland appeared in court for a pre-trial hearing.
Roiland is facing charges of "domestic battery with corporal injury and false imprisonment by menace, violence, fraud, and/or deceit" (via BBC News).
Roiland has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The incident in question allegedly occurred in January 2020, according to documents obtained by NBC News (via BBC News).
The accuser remains anonymous, but police say the person "was in a dating relationship" with Roiland at the time of the alleged incident. Roiland was arrested and released on bond in August 2020. Two months later, he formally pleaded not guilty.
Roiland was then ordered to stay 100 feet away from the accuser at all times, and to hand over to police any firearms he may have possessed.
According to BBC News, at Thursday's pre-trial hearing, Roiland's lawyer told the case judge that a plea deal was available to Roiland. No further details on this matter have been provided.
The next hearing is scheduled for April 27, and Roiland will be required to attend.
Edward Welbourn, an attorney for Roiland, said in a statement that media coverage of this situation has been "inaccurate" (via BBC News).
"To be clear, not only is Justin innocent, but we also have every expectation that this matter is on course to be dismissed once the District Attorney's office has completed its methodical review of the evidence," Welbourn stated.
"We look forward to clearing Justin's name and helping him move forward as swiftly as possible."
Roiland is known for co-creating the Adult Swim animated show Rick and Morty, which recently released its sixth season.
If you've been affected by any of the issues raised in this story, organisations including Refuge (www.refuge.org.uk) and Women's Aid (www.womensaid.org.uk) can provide further support and information. The 24-hour, freephone National Domestic Abuse Helpline is 0808 2000 247. The US National Domestic Violence Hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), or text LOVEIS to 22522.
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