Stars Who Can't Stand Joe Rogan

"Fear Factor" host, UFC commentator, comedian, podcaster, internet rabble-rouser — Joe Rogan wears many hats and juggles a plethora of careers, but a simple fact remains: He is one of the most polarizing celebrities around. Whether it be because of the controversial guests on his podcast, "The Joe Rogan Experience," or due to his provocative comments about sensitive topics, Rogan knows how to get people up in arms and clacking away at the keyboard to vent their vitriol about him.

It isn't only the everyday person who has an opinion about Rogan, though, as a number of stars across the board have called him out for various reasons. During the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, Rogan featured several guests and discussed topics related to vaccines and treatments on his podcast that had celebrities, such as Sharon Stone, accusing him of spreading misinformation about the virus. It reached the critical point that musicians like Neil Young asked for their music to be removed from Spotify in protest of the streaming service platforming Rogan's views.

This is only one of the huge scandals that hit the famous podcaster, as he has wrapped himself up in a blanket of controversy throughout the years and continues to be as outspoken and opinionated as ever. So, let's take a look at who said what and why about Joe Rogan.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought a lot of opinions out of the woodwork. Debate raged on about the effectiveness of vaccines, while others peddled the miracle work of other seemingly unrelated drugs like ivermectin. On his podcast, "The Joe Rogan Experience," Rogan platformed guests who spoke out against vaccines, while the host himself questioned if it's worth getting vaccinated or not and the lasting effects of lockdowns.

These conversations caught the attention of numerous public figures. While some supported Rogan's differing viewpoints, others lambasted him for spreading misinformation and trying to question science. It also drew widespread backlash for Spotify, as the streaming service had exclusive distribution rights for his podcast and musicians threatened to pull their music if Spotify continued to allow Rogan's controversial opinions to be broadcast. In January 2022, Rogan posted a video on Instagram where he committed to bringing more of a balance to the views on COVID-19, while Spotify added how it would add a disclaimer to his episodes as well.

Actor Sharon Stone didn't buy it, as she told TMZ that "he should put a disclaimer that he's an a**hole and that his behavior is dangerous and affecting people's lives and deaths." Stone held nothing back, as she explained there was nothing to debate here, adding: "Mr. Rogan is risking people's lives with his idiocy and his professing that his thoughts about COVID are opinions. Infectious diseases are science, and they are fact-based situations, so the pretense that these are opinions is dangerous."

In July 2020, actor and podcaster Alyssa Milano posted a long thread of messages on X (formerly known as Twitter) about all the issues on her mind, including the state of politics in the United States of America. Sandwiched in between her thoughts was the following post: "We live in a world WHERE JOE ROGAN's PODCAST HAS TRIPLE THE LISTENERS AS MINE!! Dear god."

How many people listen to Joe Rogan's podcast, though? In 2021, it was around 11 million people per episode, so judging by Milano's comments, this means she receives just under four million listeners for her podcast, "Sorry Not Sorry." While most people would sell a kidney for those numbers, Milano didn't seem too pleased that more people tuned in to hear Rogan talk than her, and she let her social media followers know about it.

For Rogan, he found the funny side of Milano's comments, addressing it in an episode of "The Joe Rogan Experience." Speaking with fellow comedian Tim Dillon, Rogan poked fun at how Milano experienced "the shift from actor to activist," suggesting that her jump to activism and speaking about politics and social issues is because her acting career floundered. He said that "as soon as the f***ing calls stop coming in, you're like, 'All right, I'm an activist.'"

During a discussion with comedian and actor Joe List on "The Joe Rogan Experience," Joe Rogan bemoaned the state of society by saying, "You can never be woke enough," and that people were barreling toward a path of no return. Rogan emphasized his point by adding: "It keeps going further and further and further down the line, and you get to the point where you capitulate where you agree to all these demands. It will eventually get to straight white men are not allowed to talk."

Much like always, Rogan's comments raised several eyebrows. On "Don Lemon Tonight" (via Yahoo), host Don Lemon questioned Rogan's take on "woke" culture. While he agreed that there's a discussion to be had about the effects of it on society as a whole and the extent of it, he stated that Rogan is far from being silenced or not having a voice. In fact, Lemon proclaimed that Rogan possesses a legion of followers who tune into him all the time to listen to his views, no matter how controversial or polarizing they are. 

"Joe Rogan is part of the conversation," Lemon said. "There's a lot I can go on about, especially about straight white men. You're aggrieved now? Okay. No one is stopping Joe Rogan or any other straight white man from expressing themselves, period."

Joe Rogan's COVID-19 comments resulted in him becoming a part of the news cycle for quite some time, as others slammed him for his scorching-hot takes. On "The Joe Rogan Experience," Rogan set the record straight and admitted that he isn't a medical expert, nor is he an anti-vaxxer; instead, he called himself "a f***ing moron."

Taking to his show "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver" in 2021, John Oliver decided to use Rogan's own words against him. The talk show host explored the topic of COVID-19 vaccines, attempting to dispel the myths and naysayers. In one part of the segment, Oliver fired shots at the likes of Rogan and others who chose which data to pick and focus on. "Stop listening to Joe Rogan," Oliver said. "He's a f***ing moron. And those are his words, not mine. That also goes for stories that you might see hyping up scary-sounding data from VAERS, the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System."

In 2022, Oliver spoke out again about the power that someone like Rogan has, citing how there's often no accountability for what he says. "If I was Joe Rogan, and I am not emotionally or physically, I would employ a research department if I want to confidently say things and not just sit with a laptop next to me f***ing googling stuff as it occurs to me," Oliver told New York Daily News. "I would be mortified if I passed on bad information."

Musician and recording engineer Steve Albini embodied the spirit of punk rock. From his work on Nirvana's "In Utero" to the Pixies' "Surfer Rosa," Albini shaped the sound of the counterculture for generations of fans. He also wasn't shy of voicing his opinions about all kinds of topics either.

In an interview with Eugene S. Robinson for Robinson's newsletter, "Look What You Made Me Do," the issue of controversial celebrities was brought up and whether there is a way to separate the art from the artist. Albini explained that while he had no issue with transgressive forms of art, he does have a problem when it's used as a cover for bad and inappropriate behavior. "[Joe] Rogan, Barstool, all the anti-woke comics, just f*** them all in the eye," he said. "It's trash garbage and I want it all to fail. What if all the stupid s*** your racist neighbor you can't stand said was typed up and put on a blog? Nope, still trash, still f*** it. I want them all out looking for work."

Albini died in May 2024. He was 61 years old.

Presidential debates make for blockbuster entertainment and endless conversation about who answered what and how. In a 2020 episode of "The Joe Rogan Experience," Joe Rogan offered to host the much-anticipated debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden, suggesting he would be able to provide an unbiased approach that no other media outlet could. Then-President Donald Trump accepted Rogan's offer on X. However, there were others who didn't get behind the podcaster's desire to moderate the event — namely Sunny Hostin of "The View."

Speaking on the morning talk show, the co-host stated she didn't believe Rogan to be the right person to partake in such an important political event, thinking it should be moderated by journalists. She added: "When you talk about a Joe Rogan, who has notably made misogynistic, racist, homophobic comments, that is someone who I have no interest in being given that kind of honor."

Speaking about Hostin on another episode, Rogan declared "The View" as "good entertainment," and offered a backhanded comment of Hostin. He said: "I think Sunny is very intelligent, but she's ideologically captured. I think there are a couple of the other ones — I don't have to name any names — who are just very dull-minded, but I think Sunny isn't one of them. I think she's smart but captured."

Why is Joe Rogan so important to Spotify? That might be a question that Neil Young has asked himself since 2022. The legendary musician didn't play games when Rogan's controversial COVID-19 takes did the rounds and rattled cages. Like many others, Young directed his ire at Spotify for platforming Rogan and not doing enough to moderate the views. However, Young took it a step further by posting a now-deleted letter on his website (via Rolling Stone). He didn't plead or attempt to negotiate with Spotify; instead, he stated his demands, clearly and upfront: "I want you to let Spotify know immediately TODAY that I want all my music off their platform. They can have Rogan or Young. Not both."

Young wrote that the streaming service had "a responsibility to mitigate the spread of misinformation on its platform," while pointing out the detrimental effect and irresponsibility of allowing Rogan to broadcast his views to his 11 million listeners. Spotify didn't capitulate to Young's demands, though, presenting a solution that it would add a content disclaimer to Rogan's episodes.

Ultimately, Young was able to get his music removed from the platform, thanks to assistance from his record labels. Posting a message on his website, Young explained his actions to his fans, stating that he stood "in the name of truth" while adding that "Spotify has become the home of life threatening misinformation. Lies being sold for money."

The Joe Rogan-COVID-19-Spotify controversy wasn't the only scandal the podcaster had to deal with in early 2022. Musician India.Arie used her Instagram Stories to showcase why she had an issue with Rogan even beyond his COVID-19 commentary, highlighting a compilation video where he used racist words and language on his show.

India.Arie's post blew up, so Rogan issued a public apology on his Instagram account for his previous behavior, but also claimed a lot of it was taken out of context. On "The Daily Show," then-host Trevor Noah unpacked both the compilation video and Rogan's apology. Noah said: "[F]or the most part, as a white person, you never need to use the N-word." He also challenged Rogan's denial of equating Black people to apes in one of the videos, stating: "You did say it, which is racist. And it's not just racist. Let's be honest — that's like OG racism. That's like the original, old-school racism. Like that's on the Mount Rushmore of racism."

Noah also poked holes in Rogan's claim that he wasn't being racist, only "entertaining." He said: "No, Joe, I think you were using racism to be entertaining. You understand what I'm saying? I'm not saying you were trying to offend Black people, by the way, but you knew that offending Black people would get a laugh out of those white friends who you were with."

In terms of the most influential female athletes of the past century, Ronda Rousey remains one of the biggest names in MMA and UFC history. As a commentator in the UFC, Joe Rogan received the opportunity to watch Rousey's success and dominance from the best seat in the house. Chatting on an episode of "The Joe Rogan Experience," Rogan said he saw how great she was and that's why he "pumped her up" as a major fighter.

Appearing on "The Chris Cuomo Project" in 2024, Rousey stated that the MMA media and Rogan all turned their backs on her after her career in the octagon came to an end following two losses. "It was really disappointing to see how happily everybody turned on me," she said, "and how people like Joe Rogan, who were crying in the ring out the honor of being able to call my fights, people I considered friends in the media, so quickly turned on me."

She added how no one from the MMA media, including Rogan, called her after she revealed she hadn't gone into her final fights in the best possible condition. "I'm not waiting for [a call]," she said. "And I get that they're a bunch of a**holes."

A former Olympic powerlifter and world champion in WWE, Mark Henry isn't the type of person anyone would want to upset. Yet, Joe Rogan managed to catch his attention for the wrong reasons. In a 2014 episode of "The Joe Rogan Experience," Rogan insulted pro wrestling by stating that while MMA was real, wrestling was nothing more than "some weird, f*****g jerk-off thing that strange guys do when they sit in front of the TV and pretend that they don't know it's fake."

This wasn't the only time in which Rogan would insult the pro wrestling business, as a 2018 episode of "The Joe Rogan Experience" featured him discussing the "most ridiculous aspects" of it. In one part of the conversation, Rogan mentioned how he liked Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka, but thought his finishing move, the top-rope splash, was "ridiculous."

Henry responded to Rogan on the "Busted Open" podcast. He wasn't pleased with Rogan's comments, saying he insulted the pro wrestling industry and its fans, while also adding it was "disrespectful" of him to discuss Snuka, who had passed away. "Who the hell is he?" Henry said. "Who the hell is he to come out and say, 'Oh, well, technically, that hold would never work.'" Henry elaborated on how Rogan wasn't qualified to comment on pro wrestling since he had never done it. He also challenged Rogan — not to a fight but a debate. Good thing, too, because Rogan would not want to find out how strong Mark Henry is.

In 2015, during an episode of "The Joe Rogan Experience," featuring UFC President Dana White and comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, jokes were made about fighter Cris "Cyborg" Justino's gender. Cyborg didn't appreciate what was said, responding to Rogan's podcast link on X and writing: "[Y]our jokes are mean and hurtful not comedy. Who would want [to] work for a team that's so disrespectful."

Speaking to Bloody Elbow, Rogan apologized for his comments about Cyborg, saying, "It's my fault and I take full responsibility." In a later episode of "The Joe Rogan Experience," Rogan claimed that he apologized to Cyborg in person after the incident. He said they squashed any beef and even took a picture together that he posted on his Instagram account.

However, in 2021, Cyborg posted a message on X, stating that all might not be well between them after all. She wrote: "After listening to [Rogan] make jokes that I would be the first [UFC] fighter to cut off their penis to make a weight category I never felt comfortable with him as a commentator for my fights and knowing he was working an event of mine always added stress as an athlete." When a user asked her why she took it so personally, she replied that her child was bullied at school by other kids because of Rogan's comments.

Want to read more about arguably the world's most famous podcaster? Check out the surprising way Joe Rogan got through so many seasons of "Fear Factor."