The situation involving social media influencer Brian Johnson, known as “Liver King,” took a dramatic turn this week. Law enforcement recently intervened following concerns raised by UFC commentator Joe Rogan’s representatives. They complained about increasingly erratic behavior and threatening posts directed at the popular podcaster.
Johnson built his online empire around promoting an ‘ancestral lifestyle’ and raw meat consumption. He was arrested Tuesday at the Four Seasons Hotel Austin on charges of making t**roristic threats.
The 47-year-old influencer was released Wednesday after posting $20,000 bond. However, the judge imposed strict conditions, including a court-ordered mental health evaluation and a restraining order requiring him to maintain at least 200 yards distance from Rogan and his family.
According to court documents, Rogan had told police he considered Johnson’s social media posts about wanting to challenge him to be threatening in nature. The podcaster also expressed concerns about Johnson’s mental state, telling authorities, “he has been told that Brian Johnson has a significant d**g issue.” Rogan also believes Johnson is “significantly unstable and seems like he needs help.”
The transcript of Johnson’s recent videos reveals the intensity of his fixation on Rogan. In rambling monologues, Johnson repeatedly references a “$10 million” challenge and demands that Rogan appear on his podcast in Austin by July 4th.
“The name is Liver King i am picking a fight who’s it with it’s it’s with a bully,” Johnson declared in one video, positioning himself as someone standing up to what he perceives as unfair treatment.
Johnson’s grievances appear to stem from Rogan’s past criticism of his lifestyle brand and alleged PED use on ‘The Joe Rogan Experience’ podcast. The influencer has also expressed frustration with the Netflix documentary “Untold: The Liver King,” which exposed his use of PEDs despite promoting a supposedly natural lifestyle.
Despite the legal restrictions now in place, Johnson has continued posting content to his Instagram account, which boasts 3 million followers.
In videos posted after his release, he can be seen wearing an ankle monitor and references being subject to a curfew from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. His posts have included unsettling behavior such as crawling on all fours through the hotel hallway.
Austin Police Department detectives moved quickly once Rogan’s team brought their concerns to authorities. The fact that Rogan told police he had never had “any interaction” with Johnson shows the one-sided nature of this obsession and the potential dangers of parasocial relationships gone wrong.
