It was an influencer meltdown.
Fitness influencer Brian Johnson, widely known as the “Liver King,” was arrested in Austin, Texas, on Tuesday after allegedly posting a series of online threats aimed at podcaster Joe Rogan. According to a statement from the Austin Police Department, Johnson traveled to the city where Rogan resides and shared videos on Instagram in which he appeared to issue direct challenges and threats.
In one of the videos posted Monday, Johnson said, “Joe Rogan, I’m calling you out… I’m picking a fight with you,” referencing Rogan’s black belt in jiu-jitsu and acknowledging his own lack of training. He continued with similar rhetoric in another video, framing the potential encounter as a personal showdown and saying he was “willing to die” in a fight with Rogan.
Authorities made contact with Rogan on Tuesday, who stated he had never interacted with Johnson and perceived the videos as threatening. Police then located Johnson at the Four Seasons Hotel in Austin, where he was arrested and charged with making a terroristic threat — a class B misdemeanor under Texas law.
Johnson, known for promoting what he calls an “ancestral lifestyle” involving the consumption of raw meat and organ meats, has built a large following online. His extreme dietary practices have been heavily criticized by health experts, and his name drew additional scrutiny in 2023 after Rogan discussed allegations of steroid use on his podcast. Johnson initially denied the accusations but later admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs.
Following his arrest, footage of Johnson being taken into custody and placed into a police vehicle was uploaded to his Instagram account, which has more than 3 million followers. Neither Rogan nor Johnson has issued a public comment on the incident as of yet.
