Content warning for sexual content and offensive language
Last Thursday, Rick and Morty creator Justin Roiland was charged with domestic violence arising from an incident in 2020 involving an unnamed former partner. Roiland is pleading not guilty, with his attorney releasing a statement criticizing “inaccurate” media coverage and saying they “look forward to clearing Justin’s name”.
The trial is set for April 27, though beyond that legal action, several deeply disturbing DMs alleged to be from Roiland have emerged on social media. These are dated October 2015 and purport to be between Roiland and a 16-year-old fan, in which she complains about having class the next day, with Roiland subsequently suggesting she run away and “go into sex slavery”. Roiland also uses an assortment of foul language as well as racial slurs, before implying that he means the comments in jest. Further messages see him wanting to meet the minor in real life, repeatedly returning to themes of a sexual nature.
This has essentially killed any enjoyment of Rick and Morty for large portions of its fanbase, with the comments concluding that this is the end for the show:
I think that might be a fair assumption
— Chelsea (@ladyballsmcgee) January 15, 2023For many the show is now irrevocably tainted:
Na fuck Justin Roiland. I feel sick for ever watching Rick And Morty. This man is fucking vile. pic.twitter.com/9aOcKvCPkO
— ✨Sam✨ (@AGalaxyDivided) January 16, 2023Yeah, I think it’s safe to say I’m done with Rick and Morty. As much as I’ve enjoyed the show over the years, the reported actions by Roiland are utterly reprehensible, and I no longer feel comfortable supporting the series.
— WhovianAvenger (@WhovianAvenger) January 15, 2023It’s never been more over:
//sexual harrassment/assault tw, underage tw
im honestly struggling to believe these are real (its extremely easy to fake screenshots) cuz of how fucking stupid the shit hes saying is, but i guess it kinda tracks for him – fuck this guy. goodbye rick and morty x https://t.co/2YJdTU60Tw
— beloved Rhia 🌈 (@rhiacrazytime) January 16, 2023It’s difficult to imagine the show continuing:
I'm a (ex) Rick and Morty fan and I don't know how I haven't heard about ANY of these allegations before, but this was my last season of watching the show, past or present. I am absolutely disgusted at everything I'm finding out
— Laura Aliaga (@LauraAliaga2) January 16, 2023Stick a fork in it:
Damn I’m gonna miss Rick and Morty. https://t.co/wwgPbuoNE9
— RPA🐝🇵🇭 (@3thirdlostsoul) January 16, 2023There’s no coming back from this:
rick and morty is done for i wanna cry i love the show so much
— Technull (@aliissleepy) January 16, 2023Where Roiland goes from here is anyone’s guess. Even if his legal team is successful in getting the domestic violence charges dismissed, we doubt the show will ever fully recover. Despite all this, he still has a lot of supporters, many of whom are frantically hoping that these DMs are faked or that his accusers will be proven to have been lying.
Either way, it’s not a good time to be a Rick and Morty fan.
If you are experiencing domestic abuse, or if you believe someone you know is being abused, contact The National Domestic Violence Hotline. The hotline can be reached at 1-800-799-SAFE or spoken with online via the hotline’s website. Mobile phone owners can also text “START” to the number 88788.
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