Joe Rogan told cops Liver King appears ‘unstable,' and heard influencer had a ‘significant drug issue'
Joe Rogan told police that he believed the 'Liver King' was 'significantly unstable' before he was arrested for his unhinged threats toward the podcaster on social media.
The Austin Police Department detectives said they were notified about the fitness influencer — whose real name is Brian Johnson — and his string of Instagram videos around 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, in which he repeatedly went on rants about wanting to fight Rogan, police told The Post.
Detectives then saw that Johnson, 47, traveled to Austin — the city Rogan has lived in since leaving California in 2020 — where he continued to make threatening posts against the UFC commentator.
5 Joe Rogan told police he believed the 'Liver King' was 'unstable' after they reached out to him about the fitness influencer's online threats.
Joe Rogan Experience/Youtube
Law enforcement then reached out to Rogan, who 'stated he had never had any interaction with Johnson and considered the posts to be threatening.'
Rogan, 57, told police that he was unaware that the influencer was 'targeting him' and had been told by other people that Johnson 'has a significant drug issue,' according to legal documents obtained by TMZ.
The former 'Fear Factor' host also said that Johnson 'appears to be significantly unstable and seems like he needs help.'
Cops then busted the 'Liver King' at around 6 p.m. on Tuesday after discovering he had checked into the Four Seasons Hotel in Austin, officials told The Post.
Johnson — who was forced to admit in 2022 that his ripped physique was really due to spending $11,000 a month on steroids — was then booked into the Travis County Jail and charged with Terroristic Threat, a Class B misdemeanor.
5 Detectives saw that Johnson, 47, traveled to Austin — the city Rogan has lived in since leaving California in 2020 — where he continued to make threatening posts against the UFC commentator.
Instagram/@liverking
5 Cops busted the 'Liver King' at around 6 p.m. on Tuesday after discovering he had checked into the Four Seasons Hotel in Austin.
Instagram/@liverking
The YouTuber had a disheveled appearance in his mugshot, staring dead into the camera with very little emotion behind his eyes, which were dragged down by hefty bags.
Johnson was released on a $20,000 bond and was ordered to have no contact with Rogan or his family, to take a mental health evaluation within a week of his release, and not be in possession of firearms, online records show.
'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.
The influencer started his unhinged, shirtless rants against Rogan on Monday, challenging him to an 'honorable' fight while wearing a fur headdress and holding what appears to be a gun in each hand.
'Joe Rogan, I'm calling you out, my name's Liver King. Man to man, I'm picking a fight with you,' he said, while sporting the wolf pelt.
'I have no training in jiu-jitsu, 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.'
5 Johnson had a disheveled appearance in his mugshot, staring dead into the camera with very little emotion behind his eyes, which were dragged down by hefty bags.
Austin Police Department
5 Rogan has not publicly commented on Johnson's arrest.
Getty Images
He again challenged the podcaster to fight him 'man to man' while proclaiming he has a 'family to fight for' in a video posted the same day.
'You never come across something like this, willing to die, hoping that you'll choke me out because that's a dream come true,' Johnson said in his rant.
Johnson, who has more than 10 million followers, continued rants in footage posted to his Instagram Tuesday til the moment he was seen being put in cuffs and taken away by police.
Following his release, Johnson addressed his arrest while only referring to Rogan as 'some guy,' but directly refers to the podcaster's comedy club, 'Mothership,' by name in a nonsensical video on Wednesday.
Rogan has not publicly commented on Johnson's arrest or incessant invites to fight.
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Buzz Feed
an hour ago
- Buzz Feed
Women Reveal How "Nice Guys" Became Dangerous
We recently covered this Reddit thread where women spoke up about their horrible and often frightening experiences with self-proclaimed "nice guys." Women from the BuzzFeed Community then chimed in with their own deeply disturbing and infuriating "nice guy" encounters. Here's what they shared: "I had a friend from work, and we would hang out and often book overtime together. I genuinely thought he was a friend until he asked me out. I politely declined, and he seemed to accept it, and we continued to hang out. One night while gaming at his, he borrowed my phone to order takeout as his phone had a low battery. Later, when I looked at my phone, I realized he'd gone into my private folder and sent dozens of my more 'intimate' photos to himself. He then tried to convince me I'd been hacked and then sent me a dick pic to try and show that he'd been hacked too. He finally admitted what he'd done. It made me physically sick. We are no longer friends." "A coworker I was friends with started jokingly asking me out constantly in front of other coworkers and tried to make the date a prize for a bet. I wasn't interested, so I told him so. He made a huge deal about it. The next day, I started getting creepy calls from strange men on my cellphone. He had posted numerous Craigslist ads with my phone number, saying I was giving out free massages for 'practice' and that I would 'provide the candles and wine.' I told everyone at work that someone had posted my info and put me in danger, and I never spoke to him again." "I was talking to a guy I met on an app. He'd been very sweet, but a little odd, in all our conversations. Our first date was planned, and he wanted to do a video call before. I'm so glad we did because the vibes were way off. I tried to be mostly honest and told him I didn't think we were compatible. He never responded to my message and removed me from Snapchat. Not 12 hours later, he messaged me on Instagram saying I ghosted him (I actually did the opposite), passive-aggressively thanked me for not wasting his time, and told me to 'have a nice life 👍.' Five hours after that (with no response from me), he messaged again saying, 'Don't think this gives you value,' 'You can go fuck yourself for rejecting me,' and 'People like you are why dating is so hard.' I kept all the screenshots because I thought his little tantrum was hilarious, but I dodged a major bullet." "I went on a date with a 'nice guy' from Tinder. He said he was looking for the same thing I was (biggest lie in the book). We got lunch, and I wanted to get to know him as one does on a date. He just shut me down. Then we went and sat in a park and talked for a little, and that was it. Not a great date. But, I got home and later got a text asking if I wanted to sleep with him and his friend (another guy). When I said no because I wasn't that kind of person and didn't think this was going to go anywhere, I was called a prude, and a bunch of other lovely things were said to me. Not to mention, he still tries to contact me occasionally to this day." "I hooked up with this guy in college after a fun night out, and we started texting. I added him on Facebook a few days later. He texted me, thanking me for the friend request. This was 2010, so I grabbed my computer to check out his profile. Two things stood out: the 'in a relationship' relationship status (with the girlfriend tagged, whose public profile pic included him in the picture, his did not) and his bio, which said, 'People say I'm a nice guy.'" "I used to say hi in passing to a guy in my dorm. He seemed nice enough and seemed to get along with others in our dorm. I also had a serious boyfriend. My college was in a small town in the countryside. I had realized my room wasn't how I left it more than a few times and complained to security, but it was little things, and they blew me off. Maybe I misremembered? One day, I discovered he had finagled a key to my room. He was taking people in there, lying on my bed, and moving my things. He told them he was my sidepiece. The boys who told me believed him and laughed at me, calling me names. Again, I had no proof, so security wouldn't act. I was moved to a different room. Then I got a sublet for the summer. He told folks he knew where I lived and which room in the house was mine. He also described the broken window latch and how someone could climb onto the porch roof and access my room. It was true." "Waaaaay back in the day when E-Harmony had just debuted online, no apps or anything like it, I started chatting with a guy via either email or through the site (can't remember which). We seemed to click and set up a date at a local restaurant. It was a pleasant date, but I didn't feel any spark or anything like that. We said goodnight, and I thanked him for the dinner. He didn't attempt to kiss me or anything. I messaged him the following day to thank him again and let him know that I wasn't really feeling it. I was polite and said something to the effect of wishing him well, and I hoped he would find someone. His response, and I remember it word for word because it was so shocking, was 'Fuck you. I knew you never loved me anyway.'" "My brother is, sadly, one of these 'nice guys'. He has spent well over $300 on a girl before for Christmas presents for her and her daughter, after the woman lost her job as a bartender. He will tip the bartenders really high and will generally act like a creep because he is one. And then he bemoans that he's still alone and can't win at love. Never mind that he doesn't bathe, looks like something dragged beneath a semi for 10 miles, and smells like he's been dipped in a vat of Axe and skunk spray. In his mind, he has money to burn, and if he's willing to spend on the ladies, they should be willing to put out for him." "I was hanging out with my brother's friend because we were both going through it, and each needed a friend. I've known this guy since I was 3 and he was 12. We're both sharers, and we eventually started sharing about sexual trauma. His response? 'We should have sex.' I am still so thrown because I always thought we had a sibling relationship." "A guy I met through a childhood friend mistook my politeness for interest. He was 10 years my senior, and I had zero interest in anything other than friendship. One day, he asked if I could come to his new place to help him unpack. He said a bunch of mutual friends would be there as well. When I arrived, no one else was there, and he was already unpacked. He guilted me into staying to watch a movie, and then tried to grab me inappropriately. I panicked and lied that I was gay (I'm bi, so not entirely untrue) so he'd let me leave. When I began dating my current boyfriend, he texted me and called me a misleading slut, then told me I'd have to 'regain his trust' if we were ever to be friends again. I blocked him immediately." "I used to work in a very customer-centric department of a grocery store, so my 'customer service' personality was always on. A coworker decided he liked me and asked me out. Foolishly, I agreed. Once he realized my customer service personality wasn't who I really was, he started making demands: dress more feminine, go to the gym with him, eat salads more often, stop getting piercings and tattoos, stop wearing certain colors, stop listening to the music I liked and watching my favorite type of shows and movies, stop talking to other guys (including my brothers and cousins for some reason???) and generally misguided batshit nonsense. He basically had this fantasy of who I was, and when I didn't match that fantasy, he tried to mold me into it." "In college, I noticed the quiet guy had a Star Wars journal, and I complimented him on it. I made friendly small talk with him throughout the semester and invited him to group hangouts (we were in the music program). One night, he did a favor and helped feed my cats while my boyfriend and I went to a show. When we returned home, he left a handwritten card, 'I love you' poetry, a Blu-ray of Moana, and the new Zelda game for my boyfriend. It was an odd gesture. When I saw him the following day to say thank you and politely hand back the gifts, he had this level of anger I'd never seen before. He called me a slut and vented that all pretty girls think they can treat others like shit. He also told me I wasted his time. Okay??" "I was in my late 20s, and he was my coworker in his late 60s. I saw him as a grandfatherly figure, gave him hugs, and practiced my Spanish with him. He'd bring me lunch sometimes and always found me at shift start to ask about my life and my family. Just kindness, right? Then he asked for my number one night, saying he wanted to practice his English outside of work. I agreed, so he'd text me in English, and I'd text him back in Spanish or English. After a month, he grabbed me from behind, provocatively scooping my waist. I addressed it and said it was uncomfortable, and I don't like being touched. His response was to ask whether I had a boyfriend or husband. I said I did not, so he told me we would be together because I was single. I told him no, I chose to be single and tried distancing myself." "We were in the same friend group in high school, but never dated. After he graduated two years before me, he would occasionally show up at my house because he was 'in the neighborhood.' He had always been nice to me, but had never made a move or suggested anything like that. When I graduated from high school, he showed up at my house with an engagement ring and asked me to marry him. I was completely shocked, considering we had never had any kind of romantic interaction. He was mad when I turned him down and told me that he had loved me for years, and we were meant to be together." "Not me, but my friend at uni. She started hanging out with this guy from one of our courses. He seemed like a 'nice' guy. It all was fine until he wanted to get serious, and she didn't. She made it clear to him from the beginning that she didn't want a boyfriend (they didn't even sleep together, they were pretty much just friends), but he already caught feelings and wanted more. So, she cut it off rather than leading him on further. Well, Mr. Nice Guy turned into something else. He would stalk her, blow up her phone with threats, and sit outside her house any chance he got (sometimes he would have a friend with him)." "Unfortunately, I ended up marrying 'the nice guy.' He didn't show his true colors until after the wedding. He was the 'self-martyr' who always helped others, volunteered in the community, talked about all his good deeds, etc. I now know this term is called a communal narcissist. Everyone else saw him as this amazing, empathetic, caring person, but he unleashed his abuse on me soon after we got married, and I soon learned it was all a facade. He only 'helped others' to boost his own fragile ego. Thank god I got out of there!!!" "I dated a self-proclaimed older 'nice guy' in his 30s. He had this sad past, which he would tell women to lure them in, and it worked on me. When we are naive, we want to rescue men with our love. He was sweet at first, but slowly he started calling me names and throwing things at me. Then things escalated with controlling and manipulating behaviors. He had me so off balance. He was trying to destroy my confidence and make me dependent on him. Eventually, he became violent, and after a terrible evening out (he started a fight at a restaurant, and the police were called), he came to my house angry because I didn't lie for him to the police. He punched out my windshield, kicked in my door, and stole my phone so he could call my mom and 'tell her what a whore I was.' Then it got physical, and I had to beg for him to leave. But before he left, he screamed at me, 'I fucked so many girls when I was with you that I hope I gave you HIV.'" "I was a senior supervisor in a role some years ago, and one of the junior supervisors and I sometimes had part of our rail commute together. I gave NO indication of wanting anything other than a working relationship, but I had countless DMs from him wanting more. I confided in my male boss; he couldn't have been more supportive. The supervisor was ultimately dismissed for gross misconduct due to the continued sexual harassment. Then he aired it all over Facebook, so that was nice." And: "I wasn't the girl he was attempting to hit on, but he tried to use me to be a creep/'nice guy' to get to my deaf female coworker. I worked as a grocery store cashier to raise some money during the summer before returning to college. I didn't know ASL, but I often wrote to communicate with this coworker in a small notebook. Due to that, management often paired us up to work certain sub-departments of cashiering (like the hot bar), since they were in various areas of the store where other cashiers often weren't. She was slightly younger than I, but we got along well. So, this guy, in his late-40s or early-50s, comes up and tries to say hi to my coworker and attempt a compliment, but she didn't hear him. I politely pointed out that she was deaf, so I could write what he wanted to say." Women, have you had a terrible encounter with a "nice guy"? Tell us what happened in the comments or share anonymously using this form. Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Dempsey on Pulisic, Pochettino and podcasts; River Plate's angry exit at Club World Cup
The Athletic FC ⚽ is The Athletic's daily football (or soccer, if you prefer) newsletter. Sign up to receive it directly to your inbox. Hello! Pulisic and Pochettino. Can we call it a beef? It's definitely causing beef in podcast land. On the way: 🗣️ Dempsey on Pulisic exclusive 🇩🇪 JD Vance's Dortmund date 😡 River Plate lose the plot 🚗 An unexpected licence plate In principle, Christian Pulisic has a point. The non-stop nature of the football calendar is absurd, and he cannot run himself into the ground. Complaints about scheduling would hit where they ought to hit hardest if, like him, other players began to tap out. But Mauricio Pochettino has a point, too. In representing the United States, it's not Pulisic's prerogative to pick and choose when he shows up. The occasional U.S. captain offering to appear in two warm-up friendlies this month but then miss the Gold Cup wasn't a particularly palatable compromise. Advertisement Pochettino's well-publicised decision was to omit him completely, leaving us in a situation where people are querying Pulisic, querying his relationship with Pochettino and querying why U.S. Soccer failed to get ahead of the saga. More to the point, how did the debate over Pulisic's absence end up playing out in the podcast world? Adam Crafton has interviewed one of those at the centre of the discourse, ex-USMNT forward Clint Dempsey, for The Athletic today. Two of Dempsey's old team-mates, Landon Donovan and Tim Howard, got the back-and-forth going by having a nibble at Pulisic on one podcast. Pulisic took them to task on another, and Dempsey then said his piece on a third. All this while Pulisic's father appeared to give Donovan a going-over, via an Instagram post which Pulisic himself later liked. It's a nuisance and a distraction for U.S. Soccer. With the World Cup looming, the last thing the governing body wants is a divide (or the perception of a divide) between their captain and their coach. Players don't dictate the plan, Pochettino said in response to questions about his top dog. Naturally, those listening picked up that quote and ran with it. Dempsey's latest views on the matter today are worth digesting, not least his thoughts on the handling of the PR: 🗣️ 'Why wasn't there a way we could have been more unified in the messaging that's going out to the public? You have one of the best players for the national team, and if it had been England, if Harry Kane was missing a tournament, there would be people asking questions.' 🗣️ 'Whether it was the Gold Cup, World Cup qualifying, the Confederations Cup, Copa America, the World Cup, I wanted to be there because, as a kid, I dreamed about representing my country.' 🗣️ 'I'm not trying to be a part of the drama. You're asking me my opinion and I'm giving you how I look at things. Everybody wants the same thing: to have the U.S. playing well.' Advertisement Pulisic has made more than 50 appearances in each of the past two seasons for club and country. Milan are laying the ground for more of the same in the 12 months ahead. He craved a rest, and the idea that it might do him good is not exactly far-fetched. The fresher the better for next year's World Cup. It's also true that his absence would be less worthy of comment if the USMNT were in better nick, but Pochettino has made a rough start and it could take victories against Costa Rica, Canada and Mexico to bag the Gold Cup. He badly needs that trophy to wipe the slate clean. The boys from Brazil are giving it laldy at the Club World Cup and sure enough, it's four from four for the Brazilian clubs in the round of 16 after Fluminense followed Flamengo, Botafogo and Palmeiras through. Not so the Argentinians, who have both fallen at the first hurdle despite the endeavours of their box-office supporters. Boca Juniors were squeezed out by Bayern Munich and Benfica on Tuesday and, last night, River Plate succumbed with all the dignity of Salt Bae at a World Cup final. Monterrey's 4-0 whipping of Urawa Red Diamonds — taking Mexico's sole hope into a last-16 game against Borussia Dortmund — meant River had to beat Inter. They came up short, losing 2-0 at the additional cost of two red cards (we've had a fair few in the States — 10 already, half of them for the Argentine sides). Left-back Marcos Acuna was so embittered that he tried to start a fight with Inter's Denzel Dumfries, resulting in Acuna being manhandled to the ground by a mob of people (above). Objects flew from the stands as Dumfries and others ran for the tunnel. Never let it be said that nobody cares about the Club World Cup. Once in a while, you see some statistics that make your eyes pop out. Chris Weatherspoon's study of geographical spending power is one of those moments. We already know how wealth is distributed in global football, but still: the Premier League accumulating a net spend of more than £4billion ($5.48bn) over the past three seasons while Germany's Bundesliga, for one example, basically broke even is extraordinary. The world's richest division has the clout to spend at will. Only Saudi Arabia's Pro League comes remotely close. The status quo was aptly demonstrated by Liverpool signing Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen for a £116m package and a club-record fee. Chris is right in pointing out that the knock-on effect of the Premier League being so loaded is that teams elsewhere are squeezing every last cent out of them. The English are buying — and you absolutely want to be selling to them. (Kick-offs ET/UK time. All Club World Cup matches are shown on DAZN in the U.S. and UK, as well as the other channels stated.) Club World Cup: Group G (both 3pm/8pm): Juventus vs Manchester City — TNT, Fubo (U.S. only); Wydad Casablanca vs Al Ain; Group H (both 9pm/2am): Al Hilal vs Pachuca; Red Bull Salzburg vs Real Madrid. International friendly: USWNT vs Republic of Ireland, 9pm/2am — TBS, Fubo, Peacock Premium (U.S. only). UEFA Under-19 Championship final: Spain vs Netherlands, 2pm/7pm — (UK only). There I was, driving to record a podcast yesterday, when I spotted this banner on the licence plate of a Mercedes in front of me: "FCSB is not Steaua Bucharest!". Hardly the message of protest I expected to read in the suburbs of northern England. It harks back to a story we brought you in January about FCSB, the club from Romania who tried to claim the history and honours of Steaua but were ordered by a domestic court to relinquish them. One of our readers, Andrei-Sava Ionescu, got in touch to inform us in no uncertain terms that the teams were entirely separate entities. The driver of the Mercedes, an ardent Steaua fan, pulled up next to me in a McDonald's car park. After a chat, he let me take a photo of his plate because he happened to be seething — about Steaua being denied promotion from Romania's second division due to their ownership structure, and a proposed vote on changes to the rules failing to take place this week. His license plate was a lone flag flying, 2,800 kilometres from home.
New York Post
2 hours ago
- New York Post
In-N-Out sues YouTube prankster for posing as worker making ‘lewd' and ‘racially insensitive' remarks to customers
Popular fast-food chain In-N-Out is taking legal action against a YouTube prankster who disguised himself as an employee and made 'lewd' and 'racially insensitive' remarks to unsuspecting customers. Bryan Arnett — who has more than 600K followers on YouTube and Instagram — posed as one of the fast food chain's employees at several of its Southern California restaurants on April 25, going as far as to don In-N-Out's iconic white T-shirt, red apron, and paper hat to fool customers, SFGate reported. The social media prankster pulled off the stunt on Easter, when the restaurants were closed, and was seen offering fake menus, making inappropriate comments, and asking uncomfortable personal questions to customers. Advertisement 3 YouTuber Bryan Arnett is being sued by In-N-Out for prank videos he filmed at its locations. United States District Court Central District of California The video, which has since been made private, shows Arnett making comments to unsuspecting diners such as, 'I like watching my wife sleeping with other men. Is that something you'd be interested in?' and that the restaurant is 'only serving gay people.' He also had one of his buddies pretend to be a customer and claim that a cockroach had been found in an order while speaking to a real customer. Later on in the video, he disgustingly pretended that a condom had fallen into a meal, according to SFGate. Advertisement On June 20, In-N-Out filed a lawsuit against Arnett with the United States District Court for falsely representing the company and defaming its brand. '[Arnett] visited multiple In-N-Out locations in Southern California … wearing a fake uniform bearing [In-N-Out] 's trademarks,' the lawsuit, obtained by SFGate, reads. '[Arnett] made lewd, derogatory, and profane remarks, such as stating that In-N-Out had cockroaches and condoms in its food, and that In-N-Out Associates put their feet in lettuce served to customers.' 3 The social media prankster pulled off the stunt on Easter, when the restaurants were closed, and was seen offering fake menus, making inappropriate comments, and asking uncomfortable personal questions to customers. @ Advertisement Arnett also asked customers if they wanted their meal 'doggy style' — a play on the chain's 'animal style' food order option, according to the lawsuit. The YouTuber also allegedly made racist remarks to one customer, asking them if they wanted a 'monkey burger' and telling them it came with a 'damn-near black bun.' The company has called Arnett's stunt and remarks 'defamatory, insulting, racially insensitive, bizarre, and lewd.' They emphasize that his comments were not merely jokes but rather portrayed the restaurant chain in a negative light, harming its well-deserved reputation. Advertisement Arnett has a history of run-ins with In-N-Out management before the chain filed its suit against him. 3 In-N-Out has called Arnett's stunt and remarks 'defamatory, insulting, racially insensitive, bizarre, and lewd.' jetcityimage – The prankster had been previously removed from locations in the past for trying to pay for strangers' orders with pennies and for posting fake 'employee of the month' plaques featuring his own photo in its restaurants. Following the lawsuit, Arnett posted a video on his YouTube channel in response to the legal action, but it has since been put on private. However, the influencer appears to be undeterred by the lawsuit, according to SFGate, which viewed the response video before it was made private. 'I wouldn't say I'm worried about the lawsuit,' Arnett said. 'Like yeah, sure, it'll probably be annoying or whatever, but whatever's gonna happen is gonna happen.' In-N-Out is taking a strong stand against Arnett by seeking a lifetime ban from 418 restaurants nationwide, along with any profits he may have made from his video and possible financial damages.
