Porn Stars, Sexual Harassment And Internal Investigations: Report States Justin Roiland Hasn’t Been Into the ‘Rick and Morty’ Office Since Season 3

We’re finally getting some answers about the fallout from Justin Roiland‘s exit from Rick and Morty. In a piece full of anonymous reports from various staffers, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Roiland hasn’t been in the Rick and Morty offices in any meaningful way since Season 3. And that’s just the tip of this particular threesome, toy, and sexual harassment-filled iceberg.

Reported by Lacey Rose and Katie Kilkenny, the article finally answers the question that’s bothered fans since Roiland’s felony domestic charges were first reported: Just how involved was Roiland in Rick and Morty? Based on these reports, it seems the answer is not very. As early as Season 2, there was a rift between Rick and Morty’s co-creators Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon, a chasm that would only get deeper as more time passed.

The article describes the partnership between Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon as an “ideal match” in Season 1. That changed around Season 2, an installment that Harmon was determined to make even better than the show’s debut. As Harmon recruited more of his Community writers, Roiland and his Channel 101 writers were pushed more to the sidelines. Roiland’s inappropriate jokes and off-color cartoons became more distracting than helpful. At one point during this season, Roiland was sitting so far from the writers room whiteboard that he read it with a pair of binoculars. That distance continued into Season 3.

At some point in Season 3, Roiland stopped regularly going into the office altogether, save for the occasional tour for famous fans. By the way, two of those fans were Kanye West and porn star Riley Reid. When he did show up, he would avoid the writers room, bring his dogs, and drive a remote-control toy car with an attached microphone through the office. When he didn’t come in, he’d record the voices for his shows from home and would take “no direction.” Basically, he sounds like your most annoying co-worker but way drunker and with a lot more toys.

Sources also noted that Roiland hasn’t been on speaking terms with Harmon for “multiple seasons.” Considering that reports of the pair feuding can be traced back to 2017, that’s not entirely unexpected. What IS shocking is that a “substantial number of staffers” on Roiland’s other shows — Solar Opposites and Koala Man — report never actually meeting Roiland. That includes Zoom meetings.

Then there are the sexual harassment allegations.

According to staffers, Roiland would regularly and openly discuss threesomes he had with his girlfriend and later fiancée. One late night, he sent a female employee a “really creepy” text asking her to come to his house. She declined to report it, but the incident was known around the office. Roiland’s behavior became so toxic, it prompted a formal investigation from Cartoon Network — the network in charge of Adult Swim — in 2020. It’s unknown what the results of that investigation were, but the fact that it existed says a lot.

This exposé paired with the charges against Roiland and the sexually explicit and racist direct messages he allegedly sent fans paints a chilling picture. If even a fraction of these accusations are true, it’s disturbing that someone could get away with this bad behavior for so long while being hailed as a genius. It should be noted that Warner Bros. Discovery — Adult Swim’s parent company — Hulu, 20th TV Animation, and Squanch Games have all severed tied with Roiland.

But on a more television-focused note, this article implies that all of the hand-wringing about Rick and Morty’s future has been for nothing. This has been a Dan Harmon joint for a while now. It seems as though Roiland has contributed little more to his projects other than voice acting for years. I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again — good riddance.

If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic abuse, help is available. Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 800-799-7233, or text START to 88788.