There’s always drama everywhere, especially on the internet. If you’re chronically online, you can pretty much count on witnessing at least one new drama a day. But in the latest round of internet chaos, things took a more serious turn. This time, it’s not just influencers arguing in comments or throwing shade on TikTok. The police actually got involved. At the center of it all is Texas-based social media personality Liver King, whose real name is Brian Johnson.
The Texas man is widely known for his raw meat-heavy diet, which he showcases on all his platforms. That’s where the nickname came from. On Tuesday, he was arrested and charged with making a terroristic threat. And no, he didn’t threaten to bomb a building or harm a crowd. The whole thing started after he posted a video on Instagram on June 23, where he challenged podcast host Joe Rogan to a fight.
In the video, the influencer claimed he wanted to fight Joe Rogan. He admitted he had no training in Jiu-jitsu and even expected to lose, but said he wanted the fight anyway. Joe Rogan took the post seriously and saw the challenge as a threat. He also told police he had never had any interaction with the Liver King before, which made it all the more unsettling for him.
It didn’t take long for police to locate the Texas influencer. He was found at the Four Seasons Hotel in downtown. TMZ later released a video of him being handcuffed and escorted into a police car. The case is still under investigation, and Liver King has not yet hired a lawyer to represent him.
Many internet users were both confused and amused by the entire situation between Liver King and Joe Rogan. Most didn’t view the challenge shouted at Rogan as a genuine threat and felt that the police response seemed a bit excessive. One TikTok user joked, “In Texas, if you threaten someone, it’s now a terrorist act?”
Others pointed out that, judging by Liver King’s physical condition, it was highly unlikely he would last long in an actual fight against Joe Rogan. One commenter said, “He would immediately regret stepping into the ring with Rogan.”
That made it even more confusing to some as to why Rogan felt threatened by the challenge in the first place. Another user questioned the arrest entirely, writing, “So just because he challenged Joe Rogan to a fight he gets locked up? There’s gotta be something else.”