Fitness influencer ‘Liver King’ detained in Texas over threats to Joe Rogan

Social media fitness guru Brian Johnson, better known as the “Liver King,” has landed himself in hot water with a serious arrest in Austin, Texas.

Johnson, a controversial figure with over 3 million Instagram followers, was apprehended on Tuesday by the Austin Police Department for allegedly posting threatening messages aimed at popular podcaster Joe Rogan and charged with terroristic threat, a class B misdemeanor, as NBC News reports.

Let’s break this down: a man who built his brand on chomping raw organs and preaching an “ancestral lifestyle” decided to pick a digital fight with a jiu-jitsu black belt. Talk about biting off more than you can chew. Turns out, actions have consequences, even for self-proclaimed kings of the wild.

Liver King’s threats spark police action

The saga began when Johnson took to Instagram with videos calling out Rogan in a manner that raised eyebrows — and alarms — at the Austin Police Department.

In one clip, Johnson declared, “Joe Rogan, I’m calling you out.” That’s not exactly the kind of challenge you expect from a guy who claims to live like a caveman, unless cavemen had Wi-Fi and a grudge.

Police got wind that Johnson was heading to Austin, where Rogan resides, while posting these unsettling videos, prompting swift action to ensure safety in a world where online bravado can cross real-world lines.

Direct challenges. bold claims

Johnson didn’t stop at a simple call-out; he escalated with, “I’m picking a fight with you.” For a man with no jiu-jitsu training, challenging a black belt seems less like courage and more like a publicity stunt gone wrong.

He even added, “Hoping that you’ll choke me out.” If that’s his dream, perhaps he should stick to nightmares about kale smoothies instead of tangling with someone who could actually oblige.

These statements, while perhaps meant as bravado, were taken seriously enough by authorities to warrant intervention, reminding us all that words on a screen aren’t just harmless pixels in today’s hyper-connected age.

Arrest occurs at luxury hotel

On Tuesday, police tracked Johnson down and apprehended him at the Four Seasons Hotel in Austin, a far cry from the rugged caves one might imagine a “Liver King” inhabiting.

A video of Johnson being handcuffed and placed into a police vehicle surfaced on his own Instagram account that same day, proving that even self-styled warriors aren’t above the law. Irony alert: the man who preaches primal strength couldn’t outmuscle a pair of cuffs.

Meanwhile, Rogan, who has never met or hosted Johnson on his massively popular podcast — which boasts over 8.7 million views for a 2023 episode discussing Johnson’s past steroid controversy—told police he found the posts genuinely threatening.

Background of controversy, criticism

Johnson’s online persona isn’t without baggage; his “ancestral lifestyle” of consuming raw meat and organs like liver has drawn sharp criticism from nutritionists who accuse him of peddling dangerous misinformation. In a culture obsessed with quick fixes, his ideas might appeal to some, but science begs to differ.

Add to that the steroid scandal Rogan discussed on his show, where Johnson initially denied usage before issuing an apology, and you’ve got a figure whose credibility is already on shaky ground. Representatives for both men stayed silent when asked for comment, leaving the public to piece together this bizarre feud.

As conservatives, we value personal responsibility, and Johnson’s arrest serves as a reminder that free speech doesn’t mean freedom from accountability, especially when threats enter the equation. While we might roll our eyes at the progressive obsession with policing language, there’s a line between tough talk and terroristic intent, and Johnson may have crossed it. Let’s hope this incident sparks a broader conversation about where bravado ends and danger begins in the digital wild west.