Roiland’s former fans and dates described disturbing interactions with the animator, with many playing out over texts. One woman said the ‘Rick and Morty’ creator sexually assaulted her, another said she was left ‘traumatized.’ (Warning: This article contains explicit language.)

In the years following the 2013 debut of Adult Swim’s cartoon phenomenon “Rick and Morty,” its star and co-creator Justin Roiland became a titan of the animation and video game industry and a rock star of youth counterculture. His artistic style and caricatures became ubiquitous in cannabis culture, and his career expanded into producing other animated series, creating NFTs and leading a virtual reality gaming studio. In 2017, a “Rick and Morty” collaboration with McDonald’s led to such a viral frenzy that police had to be called to at least two locations.

But as he 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. To corroborate their stories, the 11 women and nonbinary people also shared pictures, videos, social media posts, emails, and plane ticket and Uber receipts with NBC News.

Warning: Lengthy and graphic details

    • WhipTheLlama@lemmy.world
      48·
      1 year ago

      You called him a pedo, but he doesn’t appear to be one. Correcting your mistake doesn’t mean anyone is defending him.

        • treefrog@lemm.ee
          9·
          1 year ago

          He is a pedo he’s just smart enough to wait until they’re 18 to assault them.

          Unfortunately making a pass at a minor isn’t in itself illegal anyplace I’m aware of.

          Touching one definitely and if he tried to meet up with them in person it would show intent.

          Soliciting child porn though? Rape, I mean, he fotced oral sex. That’s rape.

          The guy should be in prison and I suspect with NBC handing thr cops all of this evidence, someone will charge him with something soon.

          • frogfruit@discuss.online
            2·
            1 year ago

            Sexting minors (under 18) is illegal in most places, including California, even if they’re above the age of consent.

    • TheBERFA@lemmy.world
      17·
      1 year ago

      …yes? He’s waiting till they’re 18. Besides the fact that, as someone referenced above, in many states the age of consent is 16, so, if he was really scummy, he wouldn’t have even waited at all.

      • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
        5·
        1 year ago

        Again, I find it very hard to believe that adults can sext teenagers legally. I’d like some evidence for that claim.

        • DarkGamer@kbin.social
          11·
          1 year ago

          Again, I find it very hard to believe that adults can sext teenagers legally. I’d like some evidence for that claim.

          They make lists of illegal acts in the law books, they don’t generally list the legal ones. I’m curious if this is a crime as well, so please share with the rest of us if you find the answer to this question.

          • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
            5·
            1 year ago

            You’re curious if this was a crime, but above you’re saying it isn’t a big deal because he waited until they were 18 to act. Which is it?

            • RickRussell_CA@lemmy.worldEnglish
              15·
              1 year ago

              you’re saying it isn’t a big deal

              Literally nobody said that. Nobody is trying to defend this guy. Suggesting that Roiland was “operating within the law” is a claim of the facts of the case, not a defense of the morality of his actions.

            • DarkGamer@kbin.social
              11·
              1 year ago

              you’re saying it isn’t a big deal because he waited until they were 18 to act.

              Where did I say that? Please cite the text.

              You appear to be projecting a lot of positions onto my comments that I do not hold. All I’ve said is that he does not seem to have broken the law based on the article and my own legal knowledge, I never said anything about what was or was not, “a big deal.” Having sex with 18-year-olds is not an example of pedophilia, legally speaking.

              • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
                2·
                1 year ago

                Your response to me calling him a pedo, not a legal claim mind you, was:

                According to the article he would text underage women but would refuse to meet them until they were 18. Seems like he was operating within the law.

                That sure sounds like you’re saying it isn’t a big deal to me.

                • DarkGamer@kbin.social
                  10·
                  1 year ago

                  That sure sounds like you’re saying it isn’t a big deal to me.

                  Does it? I suggest you work on your reading comprehension then, because I neither wrote nor implied any such thing. I made a legal claim in the text you quoted, not a moral one.

    • Solivine@sopuli.xyz
      5·
      1 year ago

      I don’t think they are defending him, but if they’re right he’s adhering to the letter of the law, not necessarily the spirit of it.