The Rick and Morty co-creators Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon reportedly had a falling out long before the recent Roiland controversies. The two creators elected to work together in 2012 to produce a show that would follow two characters from a Back to the Future parody that Roiland worked on previously. With the project planned, the two collaborated to create the hit show Rick and Morty, an animated sci-fi series with raunchy humor and heavy themes, which has quickly become one of the most popular animated shows on TV.
While Rick and Morty became heavily successful, new reports about Roiland detail shocking behind-the-scenes issues. According to a report by The Hollywood Reporter, Roiland and Harmon fell out years before Roiland's controversies came to light. Despite numerous attempts to resolve their relationship, the two were unable and unwilling to budge, allegedly causing long-term resentment and major problems in the writing room that hamstrung the series.
Justin Roiland's Recent Controversies Explained
Roiland's fraught relationship with Harmon isn't the only controversy that he has been facing in the past month. On January 12, Roiland was reportedly charged with felony domestic violence and false imprisonment due to an incident that allegedly occurred in 2020. Shortly after the news broke and reached Adult Swim, it was announced that Roiland was fired from Rick and Morty alongside plans to recast his voice roles subsequently.
While Roiland was initially charged in 2020, the creator pleaded not guilty and was involved in several hearings since. The alleged victim was also granted a protective order against Roiland, forbidding him from coming within 100 feet of her at any point. Roiland's attorney has dismissed the reports of domestic abuse and imprisonment, indicating that they are inaccurate and that Roiland is innocent. Roiland intends to continue fighting the charges going forward.
Other incidents revolve around behind-the-scenes behavior during the development of Rick and Morty. Roiland sparked massive controversy across the media landscape after he reportedly discussed inappropriate topics at work, allegedly sexually harassed his coworkers, and sent disturbing messages through social media to regular viewers. Aside from his Rick and Morty firing, Roiland has been dropped from two more shows - Solar Opposites and Koala Man - which is a massive problem for a creative of his standing. While Rick and Morty intends to go on, there is no way to tell what the show will look like without Roiland's involvement and the recent developments regarding the recasting.
Source: THR