If you’ve spent any time on the fitness side of the internet over the last few years, you know Brian Johnson—the bearded, shirtless guy better known as the Liver King. He built an empire on raw meat, "ancestral" living, and a physique that looked like it was carved out of granite. But things took a dark, surreal turn in June 2025.
Social media is used to his "Primal" yelling. We're used to the liver eating. We weren't, however, ready for the liver king threat video series that ended with a real-life arrest in Austin, Texas.
Basically, Johnson decided to pick a fight with the biggest name in podcasting: Joe Rogan. It wasn't just a digital call-out. It was a multi-day escalation that involved gold-plated firearms, erratic hotel room pacing, and a cross-state drive that felt more like a mental health crisis than a marketing stunt.
The Viral Escalation Against Joe Rogan
It all started on Instagram. Johnson posted a video that felt weird even by his standards. He was shirtless, wearing an animal-fur headdress, and brandishing what appeared to be two gold-plated, short-barrel AR-15-style rifles.
"Joe Rogan, I'm calling you out," he shouted. He admitted he had zero jiu-jitsu training while Rogan is a black belt. He basically begged to be dismantled.
Most people thought it was just Liver King being Liver King. Then he actually got in his car.
He drove to Austin, Rogan’s home turf. He kept posting. In one clip, he pulled up to a hotel and said, "Guess what, you’re dead." He followed this up by inviting Rogan to "tear each other apart" in front of his family. Honestly, it was uncomfortable to watch. Rogan, who has mocked Johnson’s steroid use in the past, told police he had never actually met the guy and found the videos genuinely threatening.
Handcuffs at the Four Seasons
The "Liver King threat video" saga reached its climax at the Four Seasons Hotel in downtown Austin. On June 24, 2025, the Austin Police Department moved in.
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Detectives had been tracking the posts. They saw the guns. They saw the "you're dead" comments. They didn't take it as a joke.
Johnson was arrested and charged with making a terroristic threat, which is a Class B misdemeanor in Texas. A video posted to his own account—likely by his wife or team—showed him in handcuffs being led to a patrol car. He looked significantly less "king-like" in that moment.
He was released on a $20,000 bond the next day, but the court didn't go easy on the conditions:
- Zero contact with Joe Rogan or his family.
- He has to stay at least 200 yards away from Rogan’s home and business.
- No firearms allowed.
- He had to wear an ankle monitor.
- A mandatory mental health evaluation within a week.
Why This Hit Different Than the Steroid Scandal
We all remember late 2022. That’s when the "More Plates More Dates" YouTube channel leaked emails showing Johnson was spending over $11,000 a month on performance-enhancing drugs. He had spent years claiming his body was 100% natural liver and "primal tenets."
That was a fraud. It was a business lie.
But the 2025 threat video was something else. It felt personal. It felt unstable. Even after his release, Johnson posted videos asking anyone named "Rogan" to stay away from him so he wouldn't break his bond. He tried to claim the "threat" was actually just a gift he was bringing—a box with the JRE logo on it—but the police and the courts weren't buying the "it's just a prank, bro" defense.
By late 2025, the legal heat cooled off a bit. Reports surfaced that the charges were quietly dropped or moved toward a diversion program, provided he kept his nose clean. But the damage to the "Liver King" brand might be permanent this time.
The "Untold" Reality
In 2025, Netflix released a documentary called Untold: The Liver King. It tried to peel back the layers of Brian Johnson. The film suggests a man who became a prisoner of his own character.
Director Joe Perlman captured the desperation of an influencer trying to stay relevant after his initial "natty" lie was exposed. When the raw meat stopped shocking people, he had to go bigger. He had to go crazier.
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The threat video wasn't just a random outburst. It was the logical conclusion of "outrage marketing" gone wrong.
Moving Past the Primal Persona
If you’re still following the Liver King saga, there are a few things to keep in mind regarding his current status and the lessons learned from the Joe Rogan incident.
1. Distinguish between Entertainment and Reality Johnson's content has always blurred the lines. The threat video proved that "playing a character" has real-world legal consequences. If you're consuming fitness content, look for creators who don't rely on shock value or aggressive call-outs to get views.
2. Mental Health in the Influencer Age The court-ordered mental health evaluation was the most telling part of this story. The pressure to maintain a 24/7 "alpha" persona can clearly break a person. It's a reminder that what we see on Instagram is often a mask for a much more complicated, and sometimes struggling, individual.
3. Legal Boundaries of Social Media Texas law is very specific about "imminent threats." While some argued his videos were just "pro-wrestling style" promos, the police viewed the combination of weapons and traveling to the victim's city as a crime. Don't assume the "it's just for the 'gram" excuse will hold up in a courtroom.
The Liver King is still around, still eating organs, and still trying to find his footing in a post-arrest world. Whether he can ever truly reclaim his "King" status after being seen in an ankle monitor is something only his follower count will decide. For now, he serves as a cautionary tale of what happens when the digital "Primal" meets the very real Department of Justice.
To stay informed on the actual science of fitness rather than the theatrics, you should prioritize creators who cite peer-reviewed studies—like Dr. Mike Israetel or the team at Barbell Medicine—rather than those who use gold-plated rifles to get your attention.