Highlights
- Dan Harmon opens up about his feelings on Justin Roiland's controversial behavior and toxic workplace complaints.
- Harmon takes accountability for his own past misconduct and expresses remorse, highlighting the importance of accountability in the #MeToo movement.
- Despite being emotionally hurt by Roiland, Harmon remains respectful to those who have been harmed and shows empathy, demonstrating personal growth and maturity.
Since the sexual and workplace harassment allegations against Justin Roiland came to light, Dan Harmon has not been very vocal about the matter. But after a lengthy exposé on the Rick and Morty co-creator, Harmon has opened up on the controversial topic.
Roiland and Harmon first came together to create one of Adult Swim's best cartoons of the 2010s over a decade ago. The Community creator has always maintained wanting to keep the main creativity in Roiland's hands. Roiland was the creator of the characters, who were parodies of Back to the Future's Doc Brown and Marty. Harmon later confessed that he didn’t foresee staying with the project longer than 6 episodes. That’s when things got out of control. A confluence of events kept Harmon with Rick and Morty in what he hoped would be a partnership. Roiland didn’t see it that way, and soon became embroiled in toxic workplace complaints and legal disputes.
For the first time, Harmon explained how he felt about that chaotic time to The Hollywood Reporter. “The easiest thing for me to say about Justin has been nothing. Easy because he isolated so well and easy because I’m nobody’s first choice as a judge of anything or anyone. This is where I’d love to change the subject to myself, to what a piece of crap I’ve been my whole public life,” the Rick and Morty co-creator said. “I would feel so safe and comfortable making this about me, but that trick is worthless here and dangerous to others. It’s other people’s safety and comfort that got damaged while I obsessed over a cartoon’s quality. Trust has now been violated between countless people and a show designed to please them. I’m frustrated, ashamed, and heartbroken that a lot of hard work, joy, and passion can be leveraged to exploit and harm strangers.”
As Harmon referenced, he had been the perpetrator of workplace complaints. During his time on Community, writer Megan Ganz was the subject of unwanted advances. This was not made public until 2018 when she came forward to reveal his vile treatment of her after she rejected him. This prompted a full apology, and he took full responsibility for his actions. Though it came long after the fact, Ganz accepted his apology and publicly forgave him. This reaction is the type of accountability that many parts of the #MeToo movement are looking for and none that seem to be present in the implosion of Roiland.
But still, to Harmon's credit, he has become a class act. He admits to being emotionally destroyed by news of Roiland's problematic behavior and how his former Rick and Morty partner severed ties with Harmon. The Community showrunner also shared with THR that the last form of communication between the two was a text that was so aggressive that it made Harmon tearful.
However, he remains respectful to those Roiland has hurt – including the writers of the Rick and Morty staff. Though Roiland has denied allegations, Harmon hesitates to say anything that would hurt anyone further. It demonstrated how, after learning from experience, Harmon has become more empathetic than ever.
Rick and Morty season 7 will premiere on Adult Swim on October 15, 2023.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter