Rick and Morty's Justin Roiland charged with domestic violence

Justin Roiland, the star and co-creator of the hit Adult Swim series Rick and Morty, is facing felony domestic violence charges in connection with a 2020 incident in Orange County, Calif.

According to a criminal complaint filed in May 2020 and obtained by EW, Roiland, 42, has been charged with one felony count of domestic battery with corporal injury and one felony count of false imprisonment by menace, violence, fraud and/or deceit. According to the complaint, the incident occurred on or about Jan. 19, 2020, with an anonymous woman identified as Jane Doe, and resulted in a "traumatic condition" for the woman, who was "in a dating relationship" with Roiland at the time.

Roiland pleaded not guilty to the charges in October 2020 and appeared in court Thursday for a pretrial hearing. A trial date has not yet been set, and another pretrial hearing is set for April 27.

Roiland's attorney T. Edward Welbourn said Thursday in a statement to EW, "It is hard to overstate how inaccurate the recent media coverage of this situation has been. 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. We look forward to clearing Justin's name and helping him move forward as swiftly as possible."

According to documents obtained by NBC News, which first reported on the charges, Roiland was arrested and released on a $50,000 bond in August 2020. He was arraigned that October, and a protective order was filed stating that he is not to harass, threaten, or surveil the Jane Doe and cannot go within 100 feet of her until October of this year. Other details of the case are being kept sealed.

Roiland is best known for creating the animated sci-fi comedy Rick and Morty with Dan Harmon, and also for voicing the two titular characters. Season 6 finished airing in December, and season 7 was previously ordered by Adult Swim as part of a long-term 70-episode deal in 2018.

While the domestic violence case against Roiland has been ongoing, his career has progressed. He won an Emmy for Rick and Morty in 2020, co-created and voiced the main character in Hulu's Solar Opposites (recently renewed for a fifth season), produced Hulu's Koala Man series, released two NFT collections (one of which sold for more than $1.6 million), sold his first painting via Sotheby's auction, and released the top-selling video game High on Life.

This article has been updated with a statement from Roiland's attorney.

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