A social media influencer was arrested on Tuesday after reportedly threatening podcaster Joe Rogan and challenging him to a “fight.”
According to court documents obtained by TMZ, Brian Johnson, known as the social media influencer “Liver King,” was arrested on Tuesday evening by law enforcement officials and charged with making a terroristic threat after appearing to threaten Rogan and challenging him to a “fight” in multiple videos on social media. TMZ reported that Rogan told police officials that he viewed the videos as threats to his safety.
In a Monday video on Instagram, Johnson said, “Joe Rogan, I’m calling you out. My name’s Liver King. Man to man, I’m picking a fight with you. I have zero training in jiu-jitsu. You’re a black belt, you should dismantle me. But I’m picking a fight with you. Your rules.”
According to NBC News, Johnson also challenged Rogan to a “man to man” fight in another video, saying, “You never come across something like this, willing to die, hoping that you’ll choke me out because that’s a dream come true.”
TMZ reported that police records indicate that Rogan issued a statement to law enforcement officials following the public threats and challenges. Rogan reportedly told police that he had never been in contact with Johnson and did not know why he would “be targeting him.” The outlet noted that Rogan also accused the social media influencer of being “significantly unstable” and having “a significant drug issue.”
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According to the documents obtained by TMZ, Rogan told police officers that Johnson “appears to be significantly unstable and seems like he needs help” after watching the videos on social media.
According to TMZ, Johnson reportedly traveled from Willis, Texas, to Austin, Texas, which is where Rogan lives. The outlet noted that law enforcement officials arrested Johnson at a hotel on Tuesday night. A video shared on Instagram appears to show the social media influencer in police custody on Tuesday.
According to Fox News, Johnson was released from a Texas jail after his arrest on Tuesday night. The outlet noted that the social media influencer immediately returned to publishing videos on social media on Wednesday.
According to TMZ, Johnson became known as “Liver King” after building a major social media following as a fitness influencer. Fox News reported that Johnson is known for his animalistic diet.
A picture of Johnson was shared on X, formerly Twitter.
