Social media influencer Brian “The Liver King” Johnson has been reportedly arrested in Austin.
According to KXAN and records, Johnson was taken into custody by police on June 24 and charged with making a terroristic threat. Johnson also posted a video (below) that showed him being put into a police car.
Police did not say who Johnson threatened. But Johnson has posted multiple videos on Instagram over the last two days about wanting to fight podcast king Joe Rogan.
In one video (below), a dancing and shirtless Johnson said: “Joe Rogan, I’m picking a fight with you! … I’ll come to you, whenever you’re ready to go.”
In another rambling message (also below), Johnson said: “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 you’ve never come across something like this. [I’m] willing to die, hoping that you’ll choke me out.”
In a later video, Johnson continued to address Rogan: “Shame on you, I’m going to make you pay … I’m going to fight, and I’m not going to stop.” Then Johnson proceeded to chase a cockroach.
Johnson and Rogan have a history. Rogan has mocked Johnson on his podcast due to the influencer insisting that his bulked-out physique was achieved due to his “ancestral lifestyle” and that he did not use steroids. In 2022, Johnson was forced to admit he did, in fact, use steroids and human growth hormone after emails between himself and a doctor were leaked online that showed he was spending $11,000 per month on the substances. Their contentious history was chronicled in Netflix‘s recent documentary Untold: The Liver King, which depicted Johnson’s rise and fall. Johnson seems to partly blame Rogan for the scandal’s impact on his supplement empire.
Making matters even more wild, yet another famous Austin-based podcaster has weighed in on this: Alex Jones. The notorious conspiracy theorist contends that Johnson was arrested “for traveling to Austin to attack Joe Rogan.” Obviously, anything Jones says should be taken with a massive grain of salt, but Johnson’s videos heavily suggest Rogan was the person being threatened.
Austin Police Department did not return a request for confirmation.
This is a developing story.
