Dan Harmon has been facing backlash recently, after a parody video he made in 2009 resurfaced online over the weekend. Harmon is known for co-creating Rick and Morty. In the video, Harmon spoofs Dexter, but things go from weird to disgusting when he sneaks into an apartment and pretends to rape a baby doll. Harmon pulls down his pants and rubs his genitals on the baby doll in the clip, which is entitled Daryl.
Harmon deleted his Twitter on Monday after he began receiving backlash for the resurfaced video. Now, just a day later, Harmon has issued an apology. The animator gave a statement to The Wrap, which reads, "In 2009, I made a ‘pilot’ which strove to parody the series ‘Dexter’ and only succeeded in offending. I quickly realized the content was way too distasteful and took the video down immediately. Nobody should ever have to see what you saw and for that, I sincerely apologize."
Adult Swim, the network that airs Rick and Morty, also released a statement regarding Daryl. "At Adult Swim, we seek out and encourage creative freedom and look to push the envelope in many ways, particularly around comedy," stated the network. "The offensive content of Dan’s 2009 video that recently surfaced demonstrates poor judgment and does not reflect the type of content we seek out. Dan recognized his mistake at the time and has apologized. He understands there is no place for this type of content here at Adult Swim.”