It started with a raw bison liver and ended in a set of handcuffs outside a Four Seasons hotel. If you’ve been following the bizarre saga of Brian Johnson—the bearded, shirtless "Liver King"—you know his "ancestral" lifestyle was always a bit of a circus. But the beef with Joe Rogan? That took things from internet theater to a genuine legal nightmare.
Most people think this was just a typical social media spat. It wasn't. It was a slow-motion train wreck involving leaked emails, $11,000-a-month steroid cycles, and a very real arrest in Austin, Texas.
The "Natty" Lie That Started It All
For years, Liver King pushed one message: you can look like a Greek god if you eat raw organs and sleep on the floor. He called people "sub-primals" for using modern technology. Meanwhile, Joe Rogan—the undisputed king of the fitness-adjacent podcast world—wasn't buying it.
Rogan spent months on The Joe Rogan Experience (JRE) calling the Liver King’s physique "preposterous." He didn't just doubt the raw liver diet; he practically bet his career that Johnson was "full of sh-t." Rogan's skepticism wasn't just haterade. It was based on decades of watching bodybuilders.
Then, in late 2022, the floor fell out.
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Derek from the YouTube channel More Plates More Dates dropped a nuclear bomb of a video. He leaked private emails where Johnson detailed his massive steroid use. We're talking 16 vials of performance-enhancing drugs a month, including IGF-1 and various testosterone esters.
The "Liver King Joe Rogan beef" became a reality because Rogan was proven right in the most public way possible. Johnson had to film a 14-minute apology sitting on a wooden throne, admitting he’d been lying to his "Primals" the whole time.
Things Get Dangerous in Austin
Fast forward to June 2024. Most people thought the drama was over, but Johnson apparently wasn't done with Rogan. In a series of increasingly erratic Instagram posts, Johnson began calling out Rogan for a fight.
"Joe Rogan, I’m calling you out... man to man, I’m picking a fight with you," he told his millions of followers.
He didn't stop at videos. Johnson actually flew to Austin, Texas—Rogan's backyard. He posted a video of himself pacing a hotel room saying, "Guess what, you're dead... you're dead."
Rogan, who usually ignores internet trolls, didn't ignore this. He contacted the Austin Police Department, reportedly describing Johnson as "significantly unstable." According to court documents, Rogan had never actually met the guy. This wasn't a "bro-disagreement." It was a stranger making credible threats.
On June 24, 2025, the Austin PD arrested Brian Johnson at the Four Seasons. He was charged with making a terroristic threat, a Class B misdemeanor.
The Aftermath: Restraining Orders and "Seth Rogen"
The legal fallout was immediate. A Travis County judge set his bond at $20,000 and issued a strict "no contact" order.
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- Johnson had to stay at least 200 yards away from Rogan and his family.
- He was ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation.
- GPS monitoring was reportedly part of his release conditions.
In true Liver King fashion, he didn't exactly go quiet. After getting out of jail, he started posting videos referencing "some guy whose name rhymes with Blow Rogan" or even calling him "Seth Rogen" to dodge the legal heat. It was a weird, desperate attempt to keep the "Liver King Joe Rogan beef" alive without going back to jail.
Why This Beef Actually Matters
Honestly, this whole situation is a cautionary tale about the "attention economy." Johnson built a $100 million supplement empire on a lie. When the lie was exposed, his brand cratered. The pivot to attacking Rogan felt like a last-ditch effort to stay relevant by latching onto the biggest name in media.
But it backfired. Instead of a high-profile MMA match or a JRE appearance, he got a mugshot.
The Reality Check:
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- The Steroid Myth: You cannot achieve a 0.1% physique purely through raw meat. Rogan’s intuition was backed by biological reality.
- Mental Health: The court-mandated evaluation suggests there was more going on than just a marketing stunt.
- The JRE Effect: Rogan’s platform is so large that his criticism can effectively dismantle a fraudulent brand.
Actionable Takeaways for the "Primals"
If you followed the Liver King for fitness advice, it’s time to pivot. Real health doesn't require $11k in pharma or threatening podcasters.
- Prioritize Evidence: If a "natty" influencer looks like a comic book character, be skeptical. Look for creators who share blood work and don't sell "secret" ancestral hacks.
- Understand the Grift: The Liver King saga proves that the "natural" label is often used as a marketing shield for supplement sales.
- Follow Legitimate Sources: Instead of Liver King, check out experts like Dr. Mike Israetel or Derek from More Plates More Dates for science-based hypertrophy and hormone talk.
The era of the Liver King is basically over. What’s left is a guy with a restraining order and a lesson for the rest of the internet: don't confuse a marketing character with a real person. Especially when that real person is making threats in a hotel lobby.
Next Steps for Your Fitness Journey
You don't need to eat raw organs to be healthy. Start with the basics that even Rogan and Johnson (partially) agree on: high-quality protein, consistent resistance training, and getting 7–9 hours of sleep. If you're looking for supplements, stick to the ones with decades of research, like creatine monohydrate and whey protein, rather than expensive "ancestral" blends that claim to replace a balanced diet.