Justin Roiland dropped from Rick and Morty amid domestic abuse charges

US channel Adult Swim has ended its association with Rick and Morty co-creator Justin Roiland, as he awaits trial on charges of felony domestic violence against a former girlfriend.

A statement from Adult Swim said that the popular US cartoon would continue into season seven, despite the show co-creator's absence.

Roiland created the animated sci-fi sitcom along with Dan Harmon and provides the voices of the two title characters.

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 released by Adult Swim on Tuesday read: “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 7.”

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A criminal complaint previously obtained by The Associated Press, from prosecutors in Orange County, California, charged Roiland, 42, with corporal injury and false imprisonment by menace, fraud, violence or deceit against the woman, who he was living with at the time.

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

The incident occurred in January of 2020 and Roiland was charged in May of that year, but the charges apparently went unnoticed by media outlets until NBC News reported them on Thursday, when a pre-trial hearing was held in the case.

Roiland is set to return to court in April. A trial date has not been set.