When Adult Swim announced plans to produce an additional 70 episodes of Rick and Morty, it became clear the series would be here for the long haul. However, the show found itself embroiled in controversy this past January, prompting fans to wonder whether it could reach a premature end.
As we're sure you'll recall, co-creator and lead voice star Justin Roiland found himself facing charges of domestic violence. While the case was later dismissed, the damage had already been done both to him and, to a lesser extent, the series itself.
Between revealing exposés about his conduct behind the scenes and the fact a series of very offensive comments from the past resurfaced, it was clear Adult Swim wasn't going to ever consider bringing Roiland back into the fold after firing him. The legal case against him was dropped, but Rick and Morty suddenly had, well, no Rick and Morty.
Those are just two of the many characters voiced by Roiland in the show, though we've since heard soundalikes will be used to replace him for season 7 and beyond. Now, making it clear a career comeback is likely off the table for the actor is a series of damaging allegations published in a new NBC News exposé.
The site claims that "as [Roiland] partied with Los Angeles’ superstars and traveled the country for conventions, he also found he could use his fame to strike up conversations and develop relationships with young fans, including some who were underage."
"This is according to interviews with 11 women and nonbinary people who shared thousands of messages with Roiland from 2013 to 2022 — with nine of the people saying he turned the exchanges sexual. Of those nine people, three said they were 16 when they started talking to Roiland."
Evidence showing text message exchanges was reportedly provided to support many of these accusations, and the report even recounts the story of one young woman who says she was forced into performing oral sex on Roiland after saying "no."
"Roiland usually asked people how old they were, if they were single, and if they were 'into girls,'" the article explains. "In three cases, when the person said they were under 18, Roiland would message them again months or years later. Those three conversations started with people who said they were 16 at the time, and continued for years, until they were 18 and older."
"Two started talking to Roiland when they were 16 and shared messages that showed Roiland calling each of them 'jailbait,' a derogatory term used to describe underage girls who men find attractive."
As far as we're aware, no legal or civil action is being taken against the Rick and Morty co-creator but it's hard to imagine him ever being able to work in Hollywood again given how serious and damaging reports like this one are.
Roiland's lawyer has responded to these and other allegations by saying they are "false and defamatory."
Rick and Morty season 7 premieres on Adult Swim on October 15.