The voices of US comedy characters Rick and Morty will be recast, after the show’s co-creator Justin Roiland was dropped amid domestic violence allegations against him.

The 42-year-old – who co-created the Adult Swim animated series and voices the two title characters – has been charged over an incident involving an ex-girlfriend. He denies the allegations.

Rick and Morty has aired for six seasons on Cartoon Network as part of its Adult Swim night-time programming block, and has been renewed for a seventh.

A statement from Adult Swim said the popular US cartoon would continue despite the writer’s absence.

A statement released online by Adult Swim on Tuesday said: “Adult Swim has ended its association with Justin Roiland.

“Rick and Morty will continue. The talented and dedicated crew are hard at work on season seven.”

A criminal complaint filed by prosecutors in May 2020, and seen by NBC News, charged Roiland with corporal injury and false imprisonment by menace, fraud, and violence or deceit against the woman, who he was living with at the time.

The woman was not identified in court documents. Roiland has pleaded not guilty.

The charges concern an incident in January of 2020 and Roiland was charged in May of that year. However, the charges apparently went unnoticed by media outlets until NBC News reported them.

Further documents seen by NBC News show Roiland was arrested and released on a $50,000 (£41,000) bond in August 2020 before returning to court in October 2020.

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A protective order, put in place in October 2020 and remaining in place until October 2023, says he must not harass, threaten or surveil the person named in the protective order, and cannot go within 100 feet of the person. He was also ordered to turn in any firearms he owned or possessed.

Roiland’s lawyer has insisted he is innocent and said he is looking forward to clearing his name.

He is expected to return to court in April but a trial date has not yet been set.

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