Joe Rogan was left stunned after controversial fitness influencer Brian Johnson, better known online as the “Liver King,” was arrested for making terroristic threats following an unhinged online rampage aimed directly at the podcast giant. The 48-year-old influencer, who was recently featured in Netflix’s Untold: The Liver King documented his own descent in a string of bizarre Instagram videos, including a cross-state trip from Willis to Austin, Texas, Rogan’s hometown, with the intent to “fight him.” In one chilling clip, Johnson ominously placed an axe atop a Joe Rogan podcast-branded box and declared, “We come bearing gifts, for those that deserve it.”
Despite the escalating threats and public spectacle, Joe Rogan told investigators he had no personal relationship with Johnson and was baffled as to why he had been “targeted.” According to new arrest documents obtained by TMZ, it has now been revealed that Rogan said he had never spoken to the influencer and only knew of him through the 2022 steroid scandal that exposed Johnson’s lies about achieving his muscular physique through a raw-meat diet. “I have no idea why he’s targeting me,” Rogan reportedly told police, per the new docs. “He appears to be significantly unstable and seems like he needs help.”
The disturbing saga reached its climax Tuesday, when Johnson was arrested and charged with making terroristic threats, a misdemeanor offense. His arrest, which he also filmed and shared online, showed him cooperating as officers placed him in handcuffs and led him to a patrol car. Johnson later posted bail set at $20,000.
‘Liver King’ Challenges Joe Rogan in Bizarre Shower Rant
Leading up to his arrest, the Liver King’s erratic behavior spiraled further. In videos viewed by millions, Johnson issued multiple “challenges” to Rogan, offered to fight him “man to man,” and even claimed he’d back off if given a formal invite to Rogan’s podcast. In one clip from his Austin hotel room, filmed in the shower, Johnson rambled, “I am going to. I’ve picked a fight. Who have I picked a fight with? Joe Rogan… Why? Out of principle. Family.” He continued, “I don’t want to kill you. Why would I want to kill you? You have a family. I wouldn’t want that to happen so I hope that none of this is perceived as a threat.”
That same day, he also filmed himself giving a “coffee enema,” spoke of being awake for 40 hours straight, and shared a confusing rant about police coming to his hotel. Social media users were quick to comment on the chaos, with one claiming Liver King, “Cooked his brain with all those chemicals,” and another joking, “Steroids, it’s what’s for dinner.” Others commented on Joe Rogan’s behavior and comments to police, claiming, “he probably has brain-eating parasites.” Though not everyone was critical. One person said they would “love to see the two of them in the Octagon” so “Rogan can beat his a–.”
Johnson initially rose to viral fame by claiming his jacked physique was the result of his extreme ancestral lifestyle, which involved eating raw liver and other organ meats. However, he was publicly exposed in 2022 for secretly using steroids, despite building a multimillion-dollar supplement empire around his natural claims. For now, Johnson faces legal consequences for his bizarre crusade, and Joe Rogan appears to be moving on, though fans and followers are still reeling from the wild ride that played out in real time across social media.
