During a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience featuring professional pool player Fedor Gorst, host Joe Rogan briefly addressed his ongoing controversy with social media personality Brian Johnson, better known as the “Liver King.”
The topic arose naturally during their wide-ranging conversation about fame, criticism, and dealing with online hate. When Gorst mentioned receiving negative comments from fans, Rogan used it as an opportunity to reflect on his own experience with controversial figures.
“What was that crazy guy that was trying to fight you or something?” Gorst asked, prompting Rogan to discuss the Liver King situation directly.
“Oh, the liver king. Yeah, the poor unfortunate guy,” Rogan responded, showing a mix of frustration and sympathy. “I don’t know, man. He just got it in his head somehow or another that I was responsible for what was wrong with him, that I was a bully to him, which is crazy because all I did was point out what was super obvious, like you’re lying about being on st**oids.”
Rogan emphasized that his criticism was straightforward and justified: “Like, hey, don’t lie about being on st**oids. Don’t be a public person and no one will say that. It’s that simple. You got to take personal accountability for errors that you made.”
The podcast host suggested that Johnson’s erratic behavior might be influenced by substances, stating, “I think there’s some substances involved, if I had to guess, that led him down a bad road, unfortunately.”
Rogan used the Liver King controversy to illustrate broader points about fame and honesty in the fitness industry. He explained that Johnson’s physique in his 40s was clearly not achievable naturally, noting, “That physique is not achievable in your 40s without some help. It’s just not.” He stressed that there’s nothing inherently wrong with using performance-enhancing substances, but lying about it while selling supplements and promoting a lifestyle is problematic.
“There’s nothing wrong with being on something,” Rogan explained. “There’s guys who have huge followings who are clearly on anabolic st**oids. They just don’t lie about it. That’s all it is.”
Rogan’s issue was never with Johnson’s use of st**oids, but with the deception involved in marketing supplements and lifestyle advice based on false claims about being natural.
Rogan also touched on how fame affected Johnson, suggesting that the social media personality wasn’t prepared for the scrutiny that comes with public attention. “Fame is not what people think it’s going to be,” Rogan observed, noting that Johnson likely suffered additional consequences from a Netflix documentary that portrayed him unfavorably.
