Wellness Influencer ‘Liver King' Arrested After Posting A Series Of Videos Aimed At Joe Rogan
Wellness influencer Brian Johnson, 47, known to his millions of followers as the 'Liver King,' was arrested Tuesday and accused of making threats against popular podcaster and former MMA fighter Joe Rogan in a series of videos posted on his Instagram page.
'Joe Rogan, I'm calling you out, my name's Liver King. Man to man, I'm picking a fight with you,' Johnson said, holding two rifles in a video posted Monday. 'I have no training in jiujitsu; you're a black belt, you should dismantle me. But I'm picking a fight with you. Your rules, I'll come to you whenever you're ready.'
Much of Johnson's Liver King content revolves around advising fitness enthusiasts to build a body like his through questionable practices like eating raw animal testicles or, as the name alludes to, raw liver. In 2022, leaked emails revealed that he had been spending approximately $11,000 a month injecting himself with steroids and human growth hormone.
Johnson was highlighted in the Netflix documentary series 'Untold: The Liver King,' which came out this year.
He made other concerning videos leading up to his arrest, many of which show him rambling.
Austin police told HuffPost they were notified of Johnson's alleged threats Tuesday morning, and observed him traveling to Austin while continuing to challenge Rogan online.
It's unclear why Johnson posted a series of videos challenging Rogan. He told the podcaster in a follow-up video, 'I actually have something to fight for' and 'We'll see you soon. Real tension I have with you. Real fucking beef.'
Rogan has hosted well-known celebrities and figures on his podcast, 'The Joe Rogan Experience,' but has never had Johnson on his show. Austin police said Rogan told them that the two had never interacted, and that he considered the posts threatening.
The podcaster had criticized Johnson's steroid use and his general demeanor in an episode released two years ago with fitness influencer Derek, known for the brand 'More Plates, More Dates.'
'The guy calls himself the Liver King, and he's this guy who walks around everywhere with no shirt on. I've seen him in Vegas with no shirt on, big bushy beard, super jacked, and he was telling people that the way he gets that way is by sunning his balls,' Rogan said.
Austin police arrested Johnson on Tuesday at the Four Seasons Hotel and took him into custody without incident on a misdemeanor charge of terroristic threat. It's unclear if the wellness influencer has an attorney representing him.
Video posted on Johnson's account shows him wearing a burgundy sweatsuit promoting a fight between him and Rogan as he paces around a hotel room rambling with his wife, Bozena 'Barbara' Johnson aka the 'Liver Queen.' He was later seen being patted down by officers while in handcuffs.
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Haggard-looking ‘Liver King' seen in new mugshot after arrest for ‘terroristic threat' against Joe Rogan
Infamous influencer 'Liver King' appeared unkempt and haggard in a newly released mugshot following his bizarre arrest for allegedly making a terroristic threat against podcaster Joe Rogan. YouTuber Brian Johnson, 47, was busted in Austin, Texas on Tuesday when he suddenly appeared on Rogan's property talking about 'picking a fight' while packing what appears to be two golden firearms, according to footage he posted to social media. Johnson's disheveled appearance in his booking photo is a stark contrast to the polished image he curated for himself on YouTube as the buff 'CEO of ancestral life.' Advertisement He stares dead into the camera with very little emotion behind his eyes, which are dragged down by hefty bags. 4 Brian Johnson, better known as the 'Liver King', shocked in a mugshot released after his arrest. Austin Police Department Johnson gained fame on social media by attributing his ripped physique to a wild diet of animal testicles, liver and fertilized chicken eggs. Advertisement But in 2022 he admitted he blew through $11,000 a month for steroids to maintain his brawny body. The YouTuber hasn't appeared in a video on his channel in eight months but during that time, he's begun to post daily on his Instagram, often consisting of a confounding tirades that's sparked concern among his fans. 'The Joe Rogan Experience' doesn't feature an episode with Johnson as a guest, but he has come up multiple times before on the show when the discussion centers around bodybuilding and performance-enhancing drugs. 4 Johnson hasn't appeared in a video on his YouTube channel in eight months. Instagram/@liverking Advertisement On Wednesday, Johnson shared a nonsensical video promoting Blue Scorpion Venom, a pain and inflammation reliever that is often marketed to cancer patients but 'has not been scientifically proven to treat cancer in humans,' according to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. In the video, Johnson addresses his arrest while only referring to Rogan as 'some guy,' but directly refers to the podcaster's comedy club 'Mothership' by name. 'Some guy, he thought if you just put him in jail, put him in jail, have the violent crimes division, have them come arrest him for a terroristic threat and the whole time that terroristic threat you thought was a bomb or something, inside that box was actually a present back for you and your Mothership colleagues for having my wife and me in Mothership that I've held on to for awhile just looking for the right time to give it to you,' Johnson rambled. 4 Johnson and his wife, Barbara Johnson. Instagram/@liverking Advertisement Johnson has continued to allude to the fight he hopes to have with Rogan in a slew of posts on his social media. 'This is truly so disappointing. This is not the way. Too much testosterone and pride here. You're an influencer and people will say things. Just move on,' one fan wrote in response to Johnson's recent and erratic posts. 4 Johnson has posted increasingly confusing videos on his Instagram. Instagram/@liverking 'Bro clean yourself up and leave your kids with a great family name. You are destroying what you have grown acting weird af,' another user commented. Still, Johnson appears to be dead set on having his cage match with black belt Rogan. 'No laws will be broken, I assure you of that. No details will be discussed either,' Johnson said. Rogan has not commented on Johnson's arrest or incessant invites to fight. Johnson faces a class B misdemeanor charge for allegedly making a terroristic threat and was held at Travis County Jail in Austin on a bond of $20,000 before his release.
