The new season of Rick and Morty premiered with new voice actors for the titular roles.
This change came after Justin Roiland, the show’s co-creator and former voice actor, faced several serious allegations, including domestic violence charges (later dropped), a sexual assault allegation, and reports of inappropriate online interactions with underage girls.
Justin Roiland was arrested and charged with felony domestic violence in 2020 in connection with an incident involving a woman he was dating. The arrest was not publicly known until a January 2023 report.
Roiland pleaded not guilty to the felony domestic violence charges, which were dismissed in March 2023 due to “insufficient evidence.”
Despite this, Adult Swim had announced in January 2023 that Roiland would depart Rick and Morty and be replaced by new voice actors for the titular roles.
A September investigation alleged that Justin Roiland sexually assaulted one woman after meeting her on Tinder and used his fame to pursue relationships with young fans, including some who were underage.
The report, based on interviews with 11 people and thousands of text messages from 2013 to 2022, indicated that nine of these sources said Roiland turned their exchanges sexual, often starting on dating apps or social media and sometimes involving in-person meetings.
Three of these individuals were 16 when they began talking to him, though it wasn’t specified if they met him in person.
Additionally, another woman claimed Roiland sexually assaulted her by forcing her to perform a sexual act after she had said “no,” and he later apologized via text.
Andrew Brettler, Roiland’s lawyer, stated that the allegations were “false and defamatory.”
Roiland and his lawyers have consistently denied the allegations and criticized the media and public for being “quick to judge without knowing the facts.” T. Edward Welbourn, Roiland’s lawyer, called the media coverage of Roiland’s domestic violence charges “inaccurate” and expressed confidence that the case would be dismissed.
After the charges were dropped in March 2023, Roiland posted a statement on social media expressing that he was “deeply shaken by the horrible lies” reported about him.
He claimed the case was “based solely on the word of an embittered ex” trying to have him “canceled.”
Roiland has not updated his X or Instagram accounts since his March statement, though his lawyers have denied the September 2023 investigation’s allegations on his behalf.
In a September interview, Rick and Morty co-creator Dan Harmon expressed that he was “frustrated, ashamed and heartbroken” over how the show’s work and passion were used to exploit and harm others.
An anonymous Rick and Morty employee described continuing to work on the show as “heartbreaking” and noted that everything associated with it will now have an “asterisk” due to the controversy.
While Rick and Morty had previously received high praise from critics, with five of the first six seasons earning Rotten Tomatoes scores above 90%, the seventh season has seen a notable decline, holding a 50% critics’ score.
Inverse’s Jake Kleinman criticized the season as indicative of the show having “run out of ideas,” although he noted that Roiland’s replacement did not negatively affect the show.
IndieWire’s Alison Foreman acknowledged the new voice actors as “strong sound-alikes” but felt the episodes were a “passable but uninspired effort.”
In contrast, The Daily Beast’s Allegra Frank praised the new season, calling it “one of the funniest shows on cable television.”
Justin Roiland is best known for co-creating Rick and Morty with Dan Harmon in 2013.
The series, which follows the adventures of the eccentric scientist Rick Sanchez and his nervous grandson Morty Smith, has been highly popular and won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program twice.
Roiland is credited as an executive producer for both wins. Rick and Morty was also the top comedy show on U.S. cable in 2017, 2019, and 2021.
Before Rick and Morty, Justin Roiland voiced characters on Disney Channel’s Fish Hooks and Gravity Falls, as well as Cartoon Network’s Adventure Time.
