After His Domestic Abuse Charges Come To Light, Former Co-Workers Claim ‘Rick and Morty’ Creator Justin Roiland Had History Of Unprofessional Behavior
Spencer Baculi
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In light of the news that the Ricky and Morty co-creator is currently facing down a pair of felony domestic abuse charges coming to public attention, a number of Justin Roiland’s former co-workers have come forth and alleged that his supposed criminal actions are only the tip of his behavioral history.
Rick (Justin Roiland) and Morty (Justin Roiland) are brought before the President of the United States (Keith David) in Rick and Morty Season 3 Episode 10 “The Rickhurian Mortydate” (2017), Adult Swim
Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter after the above news became public, multiple anonymous sources from across a number of Roiland’s recent projects have claimed that the prolific creative was less a responsible adult and more of an immature child.
Chad Powers (Justin Roiland) saves his restaurant from a pair of criminals in Koala Man Season 1 Episode 3 (The Red Hot Rule) (2023), Hulu
According to some sources who were associated with Rick and Morty, Roiland’s supposed behavioral problems began in earnest during the production period for the popular Adult Swim series’ third season, whereupon he slowly started becoming “surly, petulant, uncommunicative and grouchy, like he always wished he was doing something else.”
To that end, another source recalled how Roiland and the show’s writers would make regular visits to a local Toys R Us store to purchase action figures, at which point he then “played with them the rest of the day and we couldn’t get any work done.”
Rick (Justin Roiland) abandons Morty (Justin Roiland) for life as an anime hero in Rick and Morty Season 5 Episode 10 “Rickmurai Jack” (2021), Adult Swim
Others made note of how his signature ad-libbed humor soon devolved to the point of being so childish and nonsensical that it became easier to get their jobs done if he wasn’t around.
Not only that, but some sources alleged that around this time, Roiland began openly boasting about his and a then-girlfriend’s (it is not known if this is the same woman who pressed the domestic abuse charges against him) love of threesomes.
“It was something we just ignored because it was disgusting,” said one anonymous individual. However, a purported source close to Roiland told THR that any discussion the series’ lead voice actor had about such an act was only in the context of storylines.
Jerry (Chris Parnell) and Beth (Sarah Chalke) prepare to take Mr. Nimbus (Dan Harmon) up on his offer in Rick and Morty Season 5 Episode 1 “Mort Dinner Rick Andre” (2021), Adult Swim
Multiple sources also purported that, around this time, Roiland also sent a female staff member a “really creepy” text message asking her to meet-up with him late at night.
“She didn’t want to run it up the flagpole,” said one such source, though they declined to individually name the employee who received the supposed text message. “And then it was just this really f–ked-up, awkward thing.”
Morty (Justin Roiland) and Summer (Spencer Grammer) receive a GIF of Taylor Swift from Rick (Justin Roiland) in Rick and Morty Season 4 Episode 4 “Claw and Hoarder: Special Ricktim’s Morty” (2019), Adult Swim
Sources also asserted that, eventually, Roiland just stopped showing up at Adult Swim’s Burbank offices all together – and if he did show up, he would actively dodge the writer’s room.
Further, when he did choose to interact with them, they said, he would do so either virtually or via a remote-controlled toy car with a microphone attached to it.
“You wouldn’t have seen him in weeks, and then you’d see the car come in, which was insane,” said one source.
Morty (Justin Roiland) and Summer (Spencer Grammer) attempt to take off in Rick and Morty Season 4 Episode 9 “Childrick of Mort” (2020), Adult Swim
Roiland’s penchant for making himself scarce was apparently not just an issue to his co-workers at Adult Swim, as it reportedly extended to and caused problems for both his series Solar Opposites and the recently launched Koala Man, an animated series produced in part through Roiland’s ‘Justin Roiland’s Solo Vanity Card Productions’ and in which he was cast as a guest voice actor.
His tardiness became such a problem for the latter that, after nearly missing their deadline waiting for him to record his brief lines, the show’s writers are said to have retaliated by killing his character off after just one appearance.
Korvo (Justin Roiland) is unamused with Terry (Thomas Middleditch) and The Pupa (Sagan McMahan) in Solar Opposites Season 2 Episode 2 “The Earth Erase” (2021), Hulu
“He knew the power of being the voices,” said one source, adding that Roiland believed that ingratiating himself into a given production by serving as one of its lead voice actors would serve as a shield against being fired in the future.
Perhaps most notable among these accusations was the claim, as put forth by multiple sources, that thanks to Roiland’s behavior, he and his Rick and Morty co-creator Dan Harmon are no longer on speaking terms – and haven’t been for a number of seasons.
Rick (Justin Roiland) mocks Morty’s (Justin Roiland) hard work in Rick and Morty Season 4 Episode 3 “One Crew over the Crewcoo’s Morty” (2019), Adult Swim
The situation between the two is said to have grown so bad that a mediator was eventually brought in – either by Adult Swim or Roiland depending on the source – to try and help the pair iron out their problems.
However, outside of ostensibly providing them with the tools to play nice just long enough to secure Rick and Morty’s 70-episode deal in 2018, this effort was largely unsuccessful.
Rick (Justin Roiland), Morty (Justin Roiland), Summer (Spencer Grammer), Jerry (Chris Parnell) and Beth (Sarah Chalke) form Gogotron in Rick and Morty Season 5 Episode 7 “Gotron Jerrysis Rickvangelion” (2021), Adult Swim
As of writing, neither Roiland, Harmon, nor any of their representatives have issued a comment on The Hollywood Reporter‘s piece.
Meanwhile, Roiland’s next court appearance in his ongoing domestic violence case is currently scheduled for April 27th in Orange Country, California.
Rick (Justin Roiland) and Morty (Justin Roiland) step outside their ship to perform repairs in Rick and Morty Season 4 Episode 6 (2020), Adult Swim
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