Brian “Liver King” Johnson, the primal-living influencer once known for his shredded physique and outrageous raw organ diet, has reignited controversy—this time from behind bars. Recently arrested in Texas for allegedly making terroristic threats against podcaster Joe Rogan, Johnson is now challenging Rogan to a $10 million fight, claiming it will “settle everything.”
THE LIE UNRAVELS: FROM “NATTY” TO NEEDLES
Brian Johnson rose to fame preaching the “ancestral lifestyle”—a regimen based on eating raw animal organs, sleeping on the ground, sun exposure, and heavy lifting. His shredded, larger-than-life physique was marketed as a product of nature, not science. Johnson vehemently denied ever taking performance-enhancing drugs, repeatedly stating he was natty(natural).
That lie collapsed in December 2022, when a set of leaked emails—published by Derek of the popular fitness YouTube channel More Plates More Dates—revealed that Johnson was spending over $11,000 a month on a cocktail of steroids, growth hormone (Omnitrope), testosterone, insulin, and other synthetic compounds.
He later confirmed the revelations in a public video titled “Liver King Confession… I Lied,” admitting that he had been on steroids for years and was working with medical professionals to manage his hormone regimen.
“I lied. I misled a lot of people… Yes, I’ve done steroids. And, yes, I am on steroids,”.
Brian Johnson
His carefully crafted primal brand crumbled overnight, with fans, critics, and media outlets blasting him for deception.
DOCUMENTARIES, LAWSUITS & REDEMPTION ATTEMPTS
In 2025, Netflix released a bombshell documentary titled “Untold: The Liver King,” which chronicled Johnson’s meteoric rise, steroid scandal, and attempts at damage control. The documentary revealed that Johnson’s supplement empire was raking in over $100 million annually, fueled by the very lies he had now confessed to.
Though he briefly claimed to go steroid-free for 55 days in early 2023, Johnson later resumed performance-enhancing drug use, arguing that his age and training required medical intervention.
He also faced a $25 million class-action lawsuit, accusing him of misleading consumers into purchasing supplements under false pretenses. The lawsuit was ultimately dropped, but his reputation never fully recovered.
Without website navigation, your visitors can’t figure out how to find your blog, your email signup page, your product listings, pricing, contact information, or help docs.
More Read
THE ROGAN FEUD EXPLODES INTO CHAOS
Despite—or perhaps because of—the ongoing scrutiny, Johnson has leaned into his most aggressive persona yet. On June 24, 2025, Johnson was arrested in Austin, Texas, after making a series of bizarre and aggressive social media posts in which he repeatedly challenged Joe Rogan—UFC commentator and host of The Joe Rogan Experience—to a physical fight.
According to police reports obtained from the Travis County Sheriff’s Office, Johnson was charged with making a terroristic threat, booked at the county’s correctional facility, and held on $20,000 bond.
In the arrest footage—since deleted but archived by various news outlets—Johnson is seen handcuffed behind his back, being escorted into a police SUV, while his wife, Bozena “Barbara” Johnson, anxiously converses with law enforcement off-camera.
10 MILLION DOLLARS AND IT CAN ALL GO AWAY
After his release, Johnson returned online with renewed fury. In a video posted to his account on July 2nd, he doubled down on his challenge to Rogan:
““Ten million dollars and it can all go away,” Johnson says, referring to a proposed pay-per-view bout between the two.
Brian Johnson
“I won’t say another word if anyone from your team contacts anyone from my team.”.
Though he never names Rogan directly, Johnson calls his unnamed target a “bully” and claims he wants a fair, honorable fight.
““Joe Rogan, I’m calling you out,” he says in another video. “Man to man, I’m picking a fight with you. Your rules. I’ll come to you. I’m willing to die. I’m hoping that you’ll choke me out—because that’s a dream come true”.
Brian Johnson
Police documents indicate that Rogan has never interacted with Johnson, and when contacted by detectives, described Johnson’s behavior as threatening and unstable. According to KXAN and The Daily Mail, Johnson has now been ordered to wear a GPS ankle monitor, surrender any firearms, and undergo a full mental health evaluation. He must avoid all contact—direct or indirect—with Rogan.
UNSTABLE, OR CALCULATED?
It remains unclear whether Johnson’s recent behavior is part of a calculated effort to stay in the spotlight—or a genuine mental health spiral. His rants, often filmed shirtless and red-faced, range from incoherent challenges to emotional pleas for redemption.
In one now-deleted video, he can be seen attempting to hide a utility knife in his pocket while talking about the police coming for him. Someone off-camera urges him not to bring it.
“Why not—just for fun—fight me?” he says in the video. “A physical fight. A real fight. Real tension.”
Brian Johnson
WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE LIVER KING?
Johnson’s fall from grace has transformed him from a fitness icon into a walking cautionary tale. His blend of masculinity, primal extremism, deception, and aggressive self-promotion has created a character that now seems to be unraveling.
Whether or not Joe Rogan responds—or whether Johnson ends up in the ring or back in court—remains to be seen.
But for now, the Liver King is no longer selling dreams of raw liver and ancestral power. He’s selling spectacle. And the world is watching.
