Liver King Arrested in Austin After Issuing Threats to Joe Rogan on Instagram
Liver King’s Online Threats Land Him in Trouble
Brian Johnson—better recognized as Liver King—is no stranger to grabbing attention online, usually for his extreme lifestyle and raw-meat eating videos. But this time, his headline-making turn wasn’t about nutrition. On June 25, 2025, Austin police arrested Johnson after he posted a string of Instagram videos directly threatening famous podcaster Joe Rogan. It all started when Johnson—muscles bulging and voice raised—challenged Rogan to a fight, saying, "I’m picking a fight with you. Your rules, I’ll come to you, whenever you’re ready." He didn’t just stop with words. He added travel footage, letting his half-million followers watch as he made his way to Austin, turning an online feud into something much riskier.
Johnson is famous for urging men back to 'ancient' roots—barefoot walks, cold plunges, and above all, eating raw liver. His social media is loud, sometimes aggressive, but until Monday, nobody had rung the Texas police over his content. When his travel updates began blending with aggressive and repeated calls to confront Rogan, followers started tagging Austin authorities.
Police Take No Chances After Viral Posts
The police didn’t take the situation lightly. Detectives in Austin began investigating as soon as the videos circulated widely. They reached out to Rogan, who lives locally and is no stranger to online attention. Rogan confirmed that he’d never met Johnson and he found the videos unsettling—enough to take them as a real threat. For law enforcement, that’s all it takes to move.
Late Monday evening, police traced Johnson to the Four Seasons on San Jacinto Boulevard. There was no dramatic standoff—just a quiet, orderly arrest without incident. Johnson, 47, was booked at the Travis County Jail and charged with a Class B misdemeanor: making a terroristic threat. That’s not a minor issue in Texas. His bond was set at $20,000, with officers noting that he remained in custody the next day.
The so-called Liver King’s reputation is rooted in brashness, but the law is clear: even celebrity influencers face consequences if online bluster crosses into dangerous territory. While he’s known for claiming to live ‘primitively,’ it’s his very modern love affair with social media that landed him in the middle of a criminal investigation. Police confirmed the probe is ongoing, and it remains to be seen whether Johnson will return to his old ways—or if the shock of a jail cell will finally make him trade barbs for something a little less primal.