Without question, Adult Swim sitcom Rick and Morty has easily become one of the most popular comedy animation series of all time, notably etching its spot next to The Simpsons and Family Guy. However, all of that success soon came crashing down once it was publicly revealed that co-creator Justin Roiland had been charged with allegations of sexual assault and misconduct. And yet, animosity between Roiland and co-creator Dan Harmon had apparently been boiling over long before allegations were even brought to light.
As per The Hollywood Reporter, Roiland’s creative power and freedom over the shows that he’s been involved with has ceased to exist. The only exception, of course, is his voice work — which has become a major audience attraction in regards to series like Rick and Morty, Koala Man, and Solar Opposites. As a result, Roiland and Harmon have not actually been on speaking terms for several seasons of the show, despite meeting at a non-profit and creating the series together back in 2013.
Truthfully, this news hardly comes as a surprise, seeing as many entertainment channels — such as Adult Swim and Hulu — have chosen to separate themselves entirely from Roiland in the aftermath of the assault allegations. Unsurprisingly, this move would include Harmon, who likely kept his distance from Roiland for a while now due to strange behavior in the office and uncomfortable situations that Roiland was apparently creating in their work environment.
Still, the ugliness of the entire ordeal has led Rick and Morty stans to wonder if Harmon should also be booted from the show — especially considering the controversy surrounding Harmon’s own actions of the past. Not only that, but if Harmon was aware of Roiland’s behavior, then one has to wonder why he didn’t speak about it all sooner. Either way, it’s probably best that the duo continue to keep their distance.