Social media influencer Brian “Liver King” Johnson made headlines this week not for his controversial raw meat diet, but for his latest legal troubles involving podcast host Joe Rogan. Johnson found himself behind bars in Austin on Tuesday, facing terrorism charges that have left his followers scratching their heads.
The fitness personality was arrested by Austin Police Department officers and charged with Terroristic Threat, a Class B Misdemeanor. Travis County Jail records confirmed the arrest, with sources verifying that this was indeed the same Brian Johnson known for his primal lifestyle advocacy and muscular physique.
The legal drama began with a series of increasingly erratic Instagram videos where Johnson issued what authorities deemed threatening statements directed at Rogan. In one particularly concerning video posted on June 23, Johnson delivered an unhinged challenge that caught law enforcement’s attention.
“Joe Rogan, I’m calling you out, my name’s Liver King. Man to man, I’m picking a fight with you,” Johnson declared in the video, his demeanor visibly agitated. “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.”
The situation escalated beyond typical social media bravado as Johnson made disturbing declarations about his willingness to sustain injury, stating “I’m hoping that you, Joe Rogan, are thinking, I’m gonna choke that motherf**ker out, lights out” and “I hope that you won’t feel me tap — that’s never happening. Tapping.”
Johnson also showed off a briefcase filled with cash and a gun prior to the arrest.
Exercise scientist Dr. Mike Israetel recently analyzed Johnson’s behavior patterns, identifying concerning signs. “I believe in diagnosing mania this is called tangential speech where it just goes off into nothing becomes completely chaotic,” Dr. Mike observed when examining Johnson’s increasingly erratic public statements.
Johnson himself documented his arrest by posting footage on Instagram around 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, showing what appears to be him wearing a burgundy hoodie and pants, handcuffed and being placed into a police vehicle by officers.
But perhaps most startling was Johnson’s subsequent video where he openly displayed his ankle monitor, treating it as some sort of badge of honor. Speaking in his characteristic rambling style, Johnson referenced his new restrictions with unsettling casualness.
“That’s an ankle bracelet. It’s a little bit of added weight that makes my legs stronger. It’s a unilateral load that adds to coordination that I otherwise wouldn’t have asked for that gift, but that’s the new gift that one is,” Johnson said in the video, attempting to spin his legal troubles as a positive development.
The ankle monitor comes with strict conditions that Johnson detailed in his posts. He revealed having a 9 p.m. curfew, stating “At 9 o’clock, I have a curfew. I have to be tucked away” and “I’m not allowed out of that space until 6 a.m. That’s my new curfew with this.”
During his rambling monologue, Johnson made concerning references to the Texas Capitol, mentioning “if anybody’s last name is Rogan and you’re in the capital of Austin, Texas, like Capitol Hill stuff place where they make laws like Rogan vs. Liver King” and discussing restraining orders, saying “200 yards, restrain myself I must do.”
This legal trouble comes at a particularly challenging time for Johnson, who is already facing scrutiny over his business practices. Recent investigations have exposed significant problems with his supplement empire, which has generated nearly $800 million in sales. Internal documents revealed that his flagship protein powder “Whole Feast” contains ingredients that company employees described as products that “should not even be recommended for human consumption.”
The supplement scandal uncovered that despite marketing claims about premium ingredients, the products actually contained materials from “tens of thousands of cows” that were “not grass-finished and in some cases not even grass-fed” with animals “possibly given antibiotics.” Internal assessments described the products as having “a suboptimal and very inflammatory omega-6 ratio.”
Johnson’s credibility had already been damaged by previous revelations about his fitness regime. He was exposed for ster*id use while publicly claiming to maintain his physique through natural methods and his extreme ancestral diet.
Meanwhile, Joe Rogan has remained notably silent about Johnson’s provocations. The podcast host had previously expressed irritation at Johnson’s attempts to appear on his show and had discussed with Derek from More Plates More Dates about exposing Johnson’s PED regimen.
Police investigators have not yet confirmed specific details about the alleged threats or released additional information about the circumstances leading to the arrest. The Austin Police Department has been contacted for further comment on the developing situation, though attorney information for Johnson is not currently available through jail records.
