Fitness influencer Brian “Liver King” Johnson threatened to physically assault Joe Rogan in several bizarre videos posted online, according to police in Texas.
The Austin Police Department received a report around 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday that a popular internet personality was allegedly making threats against Rogan on social media.
The Austin Police Department informed Blaze News: “Brian Johnson, known online as ‘Liver King,’ had made threats against Joe Rogan on his Instagram profile.”
Detectives with the APD determined that Johnson was “traveling to Austin while continuing to make threatening statements.” Rogan and his family live in Austin.
Detectives contacted Rogan regarding the online threats, to which the podcast star told authorities that he had “never had any interaction with Johnson.” Police said Rogan considered the posts to be “threatening.”
Based on Rogan’s input and the detectives’ investigation, police considered the threats to be legitimate, so they obtained an arrest warrant for Johnson.
Officers located Johnson at the Four Seasons Hotel in downtown Austin at approximately 5:59 p.m. on Tuesday. Police noted that they took the raw meat fitness influencer into custody without incident.
The Austin Police Department said the investigation remains ongoing.
According to jail records from the Travis County Sheriff’s Office, Johnson was charged with one count of making a terroristic threat causing fear of imminent serious bodily injury — a Class B misdemeanor.
Johnson was released on Wednesday from the Travis County Jail on a $20,000 bond, according to KSAT-TV.
RELATED: Spotify finally reveals how many listeners Joe Rogan has — his audience is gigantic
Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
The Liver King — who has nearly 3 million followers on Instagram — posted a video of him being arrested and taken into a police cruiser in handcuffs outside of the hotel.
Before his arrest, Johnson posted several strange videos on Instagram mentioning Rogan.
In one bizarre and lengthy Instagram video posted on Tuesday, Johnson is talking about Rogan while filing his nails because he doesn’t want to “scratch” the face of the UFC commentator if they fight, while new-age meditation music plays in the background.
Johnson is also seen telling his staff to deliver a box with Rogan’s face on it to his comedy club — Comedy Mothership. Johnson said the box contains DVDs from the “John Wick” movie franchise.
Johnson tells his two sons that he is about to “lose his man privileges.” He calls someone on his staff to “mobilize” everyone and to record his imminent arrest. As he is recording the video, police sirens can be heard from outside.
Johnson tells his family that he changed the Wi-Fi password to “F**k you Joe Rogan.”
Johnson is heard seemingly breaking down in tears as he leads his family in a prayer circle.
In a video shared on Monday, a shirtless Johnson armed with two gold firearms while dancing and wearing a wolf pelt and head said, “Joe Rogan, I’m calling you out. I’m picking a fight with you. I have zero training in jiujitsu. You are a black belt. You should dismantle me.”
Johnson said in a different video, “Joe Rogan, we don’t have to make videos to pretend anymore. All of this is happening. We’re coming to you. I’ve challenged you, man to man, to a fight. Honorable. … You can hold the hand of somebody that you love because you’re going to need to remember that feeling. You’re going to need something to fight for, because I have my family to fight for, and that I’ll die for. And you’re a black belt, [but] you’ve never come across something like this. [I’m] willing to die, hoping that you’ll choke me out.”
In another bizarre video recorded in a shower while administering a coffee enema to himself, the Liver King tells his viewers that he didn’t threaten to kill anyone.
In December 2022, the Liver King confessed to his millions of followers on social media that he uses steroids to help him get his enormously muscular physique. Previously, the Liver King credited an “ancestral lifestyle” and a diet of raw animal organs as his secret to building massive muscles naturally. Johnson regularly refuted accusations that he used steroids to gain his hulking mass.
Leaked emails from a doctor revealed that Johnson had been a heavy steroid user and had been injecting approximately $11,000 worth of steroids and human growth hormone every month.
In the same month, Rogan called out Johnson on an episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience” with guest Derek Munro — host of the “More Plates More Dates” podcast.
“There’s no way you can look like that in your 40s,” Rogan said of Johnson’s physique. “I mean, he’s preposterously jacked.”
“This is dumb, man. You ran a con game, and you got busted,” Rogan said to the Liver King. “It’s unfortunate that you feel terrible. I’m sorry you feel bad. But that’s just what happens when you get caught lying.”
Rogan also claimed that Johnson was “front row” at one of his comedy shows in Las Vegas and at a UFC fight.
“He was trying really hard to get on the podcast,” Rogan added. “And he’s been trying really hard now. He contacted a few friends of mine.”
In May 2025, Netflix released a documentary about Johnson titled “Untold: The Liver King.”
“With his signature bushy beard, hardcore workouts, and a diet that raised more than a few eyebrows (hello, testicles), Brian Johnson rose to internet stardom preaching the virtues of ‘ancestral living’ — a lifestyle built on core tenets that include eating whole foods, getting outside, and rejecting modern comforts,” according to Netflix. “Millions of people followed — but eventually, accusations of hypocrisy led to a public reckoning.”
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
