Written by Brian Johnson — better known as his online personality “The Liver King” — ended up in jail and charged with making a terroristic threat against Joe Rogan after the podcast and UFC color commentator’s security team alerted police to a series of unhinged videos on social media.
On Monday, MMA Fighting received a copy of the criminal complaint filed against Johnson after an investigation led police to believe he was making legitimate threats to go after Rogan, which included numerous social media posts challenging him to a fight and then actually driving to Austin, Texas where the 57-year-old comedian resides.
Police were initially contacted by a member of Rogan’s security team after he was made aware of several social media posts made by Johnson. The videos escalated from “numerous threats” to actually posting videos “documenting that [he] had traveled to Austin and was currently in town to fight Joe Rogan.”
Rogan’s security team asked police to intervene over the escalating nature in Johnson’s behavior before he could potentially cause “any harm to Joe Rogan or his family.”
Police stated in the criminal complaint that after viewing a number of Johnson’s videos, authorities believed that his behavior exhibited signs of “some sort of mental health episode, indicating that Brian Johnson could be a danger to himself or others.”
In one particular video identified by police, Johnson is seen standing shirtless wearing a “fox headdress on his head while holding two firearms that appeared to be gold plated AR-15 short barrel rifles.” In the video, Johnson — while holding onto the guns — stated “Joe Rogan, I’m calling you out, man to man, I’m picking a fight with you.”
After viewing several more videos from Johnson including those that showed he took a three-hour trip from his home in Willis, Texas to Austin, Texas where he continued making threats against Rogan.
Police eventually got in contact with Rogan himself, who told authorities that he was initially made aware of Johnson’s threats by his security team, and he interpreted the actions and statements “as threatening,” which resulted in him filing a police report.
Rogan told police he never had any contact with Johnson so he was unaware why the social media influencer was suddenly targeting him.
The veteran UFC color commentator then told police that “he has been told that Brian Johnson has a significant drug issue” and based on the numerous Instagram posts made about him, he believes Johnson is “significantly unstable and seems like he needs help.”
As a result, police “found that Brian Johnson committed the act of terroristic threat towards Joe Rogan” and charges were filed against him. Johnson was arrested and later released on $20,000 bond along with a restraining order that he must stay at least 200 yards away from Rogan and his family as well as his home and places of business.
Johnson was also ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation within seven days of his release.
Johnson’s next court hearing is scheduled on July 16.