Dan Harmon Apologizes for ‘Distasteful’ Video: ‘Nobody Should Ever Have to See What You Saw’

By Erin Nyren

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – “Rick and Morty” creator Dan Harmon apologized Monday for a resurfaced video that involved the assault of children as part of a scheme to stop serial killers by traveling back in time.

“In 2009, I made a ‘pilot’ which strove to parody the series ‘Dexter’ and only succeeded in offending,” Harmon said in a statement obtained by Variety. “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.”

Harmon had deleted his Twitter account earlier Monday after the video resurfaced. In the 2009 “pilot,” Harmon is seen breaking into a house and simulating rape on an infant doll.

The “Community” showrunner has come under fire in the past, notably by “Community” writer Megan Ganz, who called him out on Twitter for his behavior towards her while they worked together . In a Twitter exchange between the two, Harmon wrote that he was “filled with regret and a lot of foggy memories about abusing my position, treating you like garbage. I would feel a lot of relief if you told me there was a way to fix it.”

Adult Swim, the network that airs “Rick and Morty,” also released a statement supporting Harmon’s apology and affirming that he “understands there is no place for this type of content here at Adult Swim.”

“At Adult Swim, we seek out and encourage creative freedom and look to push the envelope in many ways, particularly around comedy,” the statement reads. “The offensive content of Dan’s 2009 video that recently surfaced demonstrates poor judgement 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.”