If you’ve spent any time on the fitness side of the internet over the last few years, you know Brian Johnson. He’s the bearded, shirtless guy better known as the Liver King who built an empire on eating raw bovine testicles and preaching "ancestral living." But lately, the headlines haven't been about his diet. People are asking: what did Liver King get arrested for?
Honestly, the answer is way more bizarre than just a steroid scandal.
The Austin Incident: Why Liver King Was Taken in Handcuffs
On June 24, 2025, the Liver King’s "ancestral" journey took a hard left turn into a Texas jail cell. He was arrested at the Four Seasons Hotel in downtown Austin. The charge? Terroristic Threat, which is a Class B misdemeanor in the state of Texas.
This wasn't about his supplements or his past lies regarding performance-enhancing drugs. This was specifically about a series of aggressive, increasingly strange videos he directed toward podcaster Joe Rogan.
In the days leading up to the arrest, Johnson posted several clips to his Instagram—where he has millions of followers—challenging Rogan to a fight. He didn't just ask for a sparring match, though. He posted videos while traveling toward Austin, Rogan’s home base, making comments like, "Joe Rogan, I'm calling you out... I'm picking a fight with you."
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Things got darker in a video where he appeared to be exiting a vehicle at an Austin hotel, shouting, "You’re dead."
The Joe Rogan Connection
Why was he so fixated on Rogan? It's kind of a long-standing beef. Rogan had been one of the most vocal critics of the Liver King long before the 2022 steroid leak. Rogan famously called "BS" on the idea that Johnson’s physique was achieved through eating liver alone, famously stating, "that guy is full of s***."
Even after Johnson admitted to spending over $11,000 a month on steroids, the tension didn't simmer down. It boiled over in the summer of 2025.
According to police records, detectives reached out to Rogan during their investigation. Rogan told them he had never actually met or interacted with Johnson in person and that he found the social media posts genuinely threatening. That was enough for the Austin Police Department to secure a warrant.
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The Aftermath: Bail and Restraining Orders
Johnson didn't stay behind bars for long. He was released on a $20,000 bond the day after his arrest. But the court didn't just let him walk away with a slap on the wrist. His release came with some pretty strict strings attached:
- A Restraining Order: He was ordered to stay at least 200 yards away from Joe Rogan and his family.
- Mental Health Evaluation: The court mandated a psych evaluation within a week of his release, plus ongoing monthly check-ins.
- No Firearms: He had to surrender any weapons.
- Ankle Monitor: For a period, he was required to wear a GPS tracking device.
After getting out, Johnson was back on Instagram almost immediately. He tried to spin the arrest as a "gift," though he did start dodging Rogan’s name in videos, jokingly referring to someone whose name "rhymes with Blow."
The $25 Million Fraud Lawsuit: Different Legal Trouble
It’s easy to confuse the 2025 arrest with his other legal headaches. Back in late 2022 and early 2023, the Liver King was hit with a $25 million class-action lawsuit.
That case was filed by customers who felt cheated. They argued that Johnson had built a "cult-like" brand by claiming his muscles came from the "9 Ancestral Tenets" and his own supplements, when in reality, they were fueled by a massive pharmacy-grade cocktail of HGH and testosterone.
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Interestingly, that specific lawsuit didn't end in a conviction or a massive public payout. It was actually dismissed with prejudice in March 2023. Legal experts suggest there was likely a private settlement involved, but because of confidentiality clauses, we'll probably never know how much money changed hands to make that "kaput."
What This Means for the Liver King Brand
The arrest for terroristic threats marked a shift from "eccentric fitness guru" to "potential legal liability." While he’s still active on social media—even appearing in a 2025 Netflix documentary called Untold: The Liver King—the aura of the "Primal" leader has definitely faded.
In the documentary, he actually gets pretty emotional, admitting he felt like a "runt" as a kid and used the persona to mask deep-seated insecurities. He’s even started eating vegetables again, admitting that his extreme carnivore approach was "starving" him.
Actionable Takeaways: What You Should Do
If you’ve been following the Liver King’s advice or buying his products, here is the grounded reality of where things stand:
- Audit Your Influencers: Use this as a case study. If someone’s results look biologically impossible without "pharmacological intervention," they probably are.
- Check the Science: While liver is nutrient-dense, the "raw meat" lifestyle carries significant risks for bacteria like E. coli and Salmonella. Stick to cooked organ meats if you want the nutrients without the hospital visit.
- Ignore the Drama: The beef between influencers is almost always a marketing tactic or a personal meltdown. Don't let their "wars" dictate your fitness choices.
- Verify Supplement Claims: If a supplement company relies on a single "king" figurehead rather than independent lab testing and peer-reviewed data, keep your wallet closed.
The Liver King’s arrest wasn't just a random event; it was the climax of a brand built on transparency issues and extreme behavior. Whether he can actually "rebrand" as a humble, vegetable-eating rancher remains to be seen, but for now, the court-ordered distance from Joe Rogan is the reality he's living in.