The controversial social media figure known as Liver King, whose real name is Brian Johnson, has been released from jail in Austin, Texas, following his arrest for allegedly making terroristic threats against podcast host Joe Rogan. The incident marks a dramatic escalation in a long standing public feud between the two prominent personalities.
Johnson was taken into custody on June 24, 2025, at the Four Seasons Hotel Austin. His arrest came after he posted a series of threatening videos on Instagram, directly challenging Joe Rogan to a physical confrontation. In one video, Johnson declared,
“Joe Rogan, I’m calling you out… I’m picking a fight with you. Your rules, I’ll come to you, whenever you’re ready.”
These Instagram threats, coupled with Johnson’s travel to Austin where Rogan resides, prompted the Austin Police Department to review the posts. Authorities contacted Rogan, who confirmed he felt threatened by the unsolicited challenges, leading to an arrest warrant being issued. Johnson was subsequently charged with a Class B misdemeanor for making a terroristic threat. A video of his arrest, showing him being handcuffed, quickly circulated on his Instagram account.
Following his booking into the Travis County Jail, Liver King was released after posting a $20,000 bond. His release came with strict conditions designed to ensure Rogan’s safety. Johnson is now required to stay at least 200 yards away from Joe Rogan and his family members, have no contact with them either in person, by phone, or via social media, and is prohibited from possessing any weapons. Furthermore, a crucial condition of his Liver King bond is the requirement to complete a mental health evaluation within one week of his release.
The bitter Joe Rogan feud with Brian Johnson dates back to November 2022, when Rogan first publicly questioned Liver King’s exceptionally muscular physique on his podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience. Rogan implied steroid use, a claim Johnson initially denied, attributing his build solely to his extreme “ancestral lifestyle” diet of raw meat and organs.
The situation intensified in December 2022 when leaked emails exposed Johnson’s significant expenditure on performance enhancing drugs, forcing him to admit to steroid use. Rogan subsequently refused Johnson’s repeated requests to appear on his podcast, openly labeling Johnson’s prior public persona as a “con game.” This public rejection and the perceived damage to his brand and supplement business are believed to have fueled Johnson’s resentment, culminating in the recent challenges.
Despite his Brian Johnson arrest and subsequent release conditions, Johnson has continued to post videos indirectly referencing the conflict. In these clips, he avoids naming Rogan directly, using phrases such as “somebody whose name rhymes with Rogan” or even “Seth Rogen,” while still alluding to his desire for a confrontation and mentioning Rogan’s Comedy Mothership club. This behavior suggests ongoing tension and a reluctance to fully de escalate the situation.
Brian Johnson, born in 1976 or 1977, rose to fame as Liver King by promoting a primal, ancestral lifestyle centered on consuming raw animal organs and adherence to nine specific tenets like heavy lifting and sun exposure. His online presence garnered millions of followers, but his career was significantly impacted by the steroid admission. His story, including his rapid rise and fall, was recently chronicled in the Netflix documentary Untold: The Liver King, released in May 2025. While details of his Austin Texas arrest and release are now public, information regarding Liver King’s legal representation remains unconfirmed.
