Social media influencer Brian Johnson, higher identified to thousands and thousands of fans as “Liver King,” was once arrested Tuesday night time at Austin’s 4 Seasons Resort after making threats towards podcast host Joe Rogan on social media.
The Austin Police Division took Johnson into custody round 6 p.m. after he posted a video difficult Rogan to a battle.
“Guy to guy, I am selecting a battle with you,” Johnson had declared in an Instagram video posted Monday.
In spite of having no martial arts coaching, Johnson challenged Rogan, a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, pronouncing he would battle “on every occasion you are prepared.”
Social media influencer Brian “Liver King” Johnson is observed on this undated police handout.
Austin Police Division
“Detectives reviewed the posts and seen that Johnson was once touring to Austin whilst proceeding to make threatening statements. Detectives contacted Mr. Rogan, who mentioned he had by no means had any interplay with Johnson and regarded as the posts to be threatening. In response to this knowledge, detectives acquired an arrest warrant for Johnson on a fee of Terroristic Risk,” Austin police stated in a observation.
A video posted to Johnson’s Instagram account presentations the moments ahead of his arrest. He’s observed pacing the room, discussing his imminent jail time and a battle with Rogan. An officer is observed patting him down whilst he’s handcuffed. Johnson is then taken to a police automotive.
Johnson, who won status for his muscular body and arguable uncooked meat nutrition, was once charged with making terroristic threats, a Magnificence B misdemeanor. He stays in Travis County Prison because the investigation continues. The Austin Police Division stated this stays an energetic investigation and declined to supply further main points.
The arrest marks some other dramatic flip for the influencer, who confronted main backlash in December 2022 after admitting he had lied to his fans about steroid use.
Johnson, 47, had constructed his logo round what he known as an “ancestral way of life,” claiming his spectacular muscle groups got here from following 9 particular tenets and consuming uncooked meat.
Influencer Brian “Liver King” Johnson attends the UFC 276 match at T-Cellular Area on July 02, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Getty Pictures
Clinical professionals have lengthy criticized Johnson’s practices. Dr. Harrison Pope, a Harvard Clinical Faculty psychiatry professor, warned in regards to the risks of utmost frame symbol problems and steroid use in 2023.
“Because of this, [a person] spends a large number of time lifting weights, is paying cautious consideration to his nutrition, testing what he looks as if within the reflect [and] warding off public eventualities the place he may well be observed along with his blouse off,” Pope instructed “Affect x Nightline”
Docs have additionally spoken out towards Johnson’s promotion of uncooked meat intake, mentioning critical dangers of bacterial an infection.
Johnson’s video confession about steroid use has been seen over 4 million occasions since December 2022, resulting in prison troubles and rising complaint from former fans.
