Police say social media fitness influencer Brian Johnson, AKA ‘Liver King,’ threatened Joe Rogan in a series of Instagram videos challenging him to a fight, People reports.
According to the report by People, Brian Johnson, known for promoting a raw meat diet and a recent steroid scandal, was arrested after traveling to Rogan’s home city of Austin.
Brian Johnson was arrested on Tuesday and faces a misdemeanor charge of making a terroristic threat, per the Austin Police Department.
The raw meat-eating, self-styled fitness influencer known as “Liver King” has been arrested after allegedly challenging Joe Rogan to a fight in an unhinged Instagram rant police say constituted a terroristic threat.
Brian Johnson, 47, known as “Liver King” on social media, faces one charge of making a terroristic threat and was booked into Travis County Jail on Tuesday, according to the Austin Police Department and online jail records.
The influencer donned a wolf pelt and took to Instagram on Monday, where he challenged the Texas-based podcaster to an “honorable” fight.
“Joe Rogan, I’m calling you out, my name’s Liver King,” Johnson said. “Man to man, I’m picking a fight with you… I have no training in jiu-jitsu, you’re a black belt, you should dismantle me. But I’m picking a fight with you… I’ll come to you, whenever you’re ready.”
An Austin police spokesperson told PEOPLE that the department was notified of the threats — then found out that Johnson was traveling to Rogan’s home city of Austin.
“Detectives contacted Mr. Rogan, who stated he had never had any interaction with Johnson and considered the posts to be threatening,” the spokesperson wrote via email on Wednesday.
The spokesperson said that officers obtained an arrest warrant, located Johnson at the Four Seasons Hotel on San Jacinto Boulevard and took him into custody at approximately 5:59 p.m.
Footage posted to Johnson’s own Instagram profile on Tuesday shows the hulking, tactical vest-clad body builder being cuffed and placed in the back of a patrol car as his wife, Bozena “Barbara” Johnson, looks on.
Rogan has never hosted Johnson on his show, but has called out the influencer for his steroid use on the podcast.
Johnson built a fitness empire reportedly worth $100 million with claims that he achieved his impressive physique with an ‘ancestral’ diet — including animal organs, fertilized chicken eggs and even raw bull testicles — and an intense exercise regimen, with just a few supplements.
But personal emails leaked at the tail end of 2022 revealed that “Liver King” had been injecting steroids and human growth hormones to the tune of $11,000 per month, according to Time Magazine, Rolling Stone and Bloomberg.
Despite an apology video posted to his YouTube, Johnson and his company Ancestral Supplements LLC were hit with multiple class-action lawsuits, claiming that he used deceptive marketing and promoted harmful behavior to sell his products.