Social media influencer Brian Johnson, better known to millions of followers as “Liver King,” was arrested Tuesday evening at Austin’s Four Seasons Hotel after making threats against podcast host Joe Rogan on social media.
The Austin Police Department took Johnson into custody around 6 p.m. after he posted a video challenging Rogan to a fight.
“Man to man, I’m picking a fight with you,” Johnson had declared in an Instagram video posted Monday.
Despite having no martial arts training, Johnson challenged Rogan, a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, saying he would fight “whenever you’re ready.”
Social media influencer Brian “Liver King” Johnson is seen in this undated police handout.
Austin Police Department
“Detectives reviewed the posts and observed that Johnson was traveling to Austin while continuing to make threatening statements. Detectives contacted Mr. Rogan, who stated he had never had any interaction with Johnson and considered the posts to be threatening. Based on this information, detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Johnson on a charge of Terroristic Threat,” Austin police said in a statement.
A video posted to Johnson’s Instagram account shows the moments before his arrest. He is seen pacing the room, discussing his impending prison time and a fight with Rogan. An officer is seen patting him down while he is handcuffed. Johnson is then taken to a police car.
Johnson, who gained fame for his muscular physique and controversial raw meat diet, was charged with making terroristic threats, a Class B misdemeanor. He remains in Travis County Jail as the investigation continues. The Austin Police Department said this remains an active investigation and declined to provide additional details.
The arrest marks another dramatic turn for the influencer, who faced major backlash in December 2022 after admitting he had lied to his followers about steroid use.
Johnson, 47, had built his brand around what he called an “ancestral lifestyle,” claiming his impressive muscles came from following nine special tenets and eating raw meat.
Influencer Brian “Liver King” Johnson attends the UFC 276 event at T-Mobile Arena on July 02, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Getty Images
Medical experts have long criticized Johnson’s practices. Dr. Harrison Pope, a Harvard Medical School psychiatry professor, warned about the dangers of extreme body image issues and steroid use in 2023.
“As a result, [a person] spends a lot of time lifting weights, is paying careful attention to his diet, checking out what he looks like in the mirror [and] avoiding public situations where he might be seen with his shirt off,” Pope told “Impact x Nightline”
Doctors have also spoken out against Johnson’s promotion of raw meat consumption, citing serious risks of bacterial infection.
Johnson’s video confession about steroid use has been viewed over 4 million times since December 2022, leading to legal troubles and growing criticism from former followers.
