10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Cosmopolitan
Controversial influencer Liver King has been arrested over a shocking charge
Divisive influencer Brian Johnson, best known online as the Liver King, has been arrested in Austin, Texas, and has been charged with making a terroristic threat, according to Austin Police Department records.
Further details of the charge, which was booked at around 1am on the 25 June, are not publicly known.
Johnson was the subject of a recent Netflix documentary, Untold: The Liver King, which detailed how he shot to fame thanks to his online presence and muscular physique – that Johnson credited to his 'ancestral' diet of raw organs.
It later transpired that he had lied about using steroids, which put his supplements business in a somewhat shady light. Johnson later apologised for misleading the public and said he still stands by ancestral living, and would continue to promote a more 'natural' lifestyle to his followers.
Johnson's most recent Instagram post saw him call out popular podcast host Joe Rogan, a man often credited with encouraging men to vote for Donald Trump in the last US and having a significant impact on the results. It is not known whether his social post relates to the arrest.
"Joe Rogan, I'm calling you out, my name's Liver King. Man to man, I'm picking a fight with you," Johnson said to his 2.9 million followers. "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."
Following this video, another post was shared to Liver King's account showing his wife, Barbara (known as the Liver Queen), speaking to someone off-camera who says, "Take this with a grain of salt, but they assured me he's going to be in and out [...] We're talking 24 hours."
The unidentified person also said Liver King would appear before a judge, before footage shows a handcuffed Johnson standing outside a vehicle with armed officers.
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC's Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women's Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
