Joe Rogan has been making headlines after repeatedly and publicly expressing serious concern about his friend and fellow comedian Theo Von's use of antidepressants, telling podcast guests that the situation "freaks me out" and revealing he has been actively trying to convince Von to come off the medication entirely.
The comments, made across multiple recent episodes of The Joe Rogan Experience, one of the most listened-to podcasts in the world, have reignited a polarising public debate about SSRIs, mental health, and whether Rogan's very vocal campaign to "protect" his friend is actually helping anyone.
Speaking with a guest who mentioned wanting to stop taking his own antidepressants, Rogan brought Von up unprompted. "Theo Von's going through the exact same thing, and last time he was on the podcast, he was explaining it to me. It freaks me out," he said. The comments came on the back of a separate episode in April in which Rogan told Von directly: "We got to get you off those antidepressants, son. You're losing your f***ing marbles."
Rogan's concerns are not without context. Last year, Von was in the middle of recording a Netflix comedy special when he told the audience "I'm trying not to take my own life." The moment set off alarm bells publicly, though Von moved quickly to clarify on his own podcast that he was not suicidal. He explained that he had deliberately stopped taking his medication before filming because he wanted to "have more feelings during the show," and said the decision left him feeling "mildly manic." It was a candid and complicated account of his own relationship with medication, one that painted a far more nuanced picture than a single headline-grabbing line could capture.
For Rogan, however, the incident only deepened his worry. "I've known too many people that I didn't think were going to kill themselves and then did," he said, adding that Von "goes down these spirals where he starts talking about world events and freaking out." He also went further, questioning the science behind SSRIs altogether, saying the chemical imbalance theory underpinning their use is "not real," a claim that sits at odds with decades of clinical research and has drawn criticism from medical professionals and fans alike.
Von has been open about his history with depression and long-term antidepressant use for years, which is part of why Rogan's very public commentary has felt so jarring to many observers. The question being asked increasingly loudly is whether airing this kind of concern to millions of listeners, without the subject's full blessing, is friendship or something closer to overreach.
Von himself has made his position clear. Taking to social media to address the situation directly, he was brief, firm, and characteristically unfussy about the whole thing: "This is mostly false. Sad to see this kinda stuff. Im doing great. Im a human being which is a rocky ride. But im doing fine thanks."
Whatever Rogan's intentions, Von has spoken. The story, as far as he is concerned, is over.
If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available by calling or texting 988 in the US, or contacting Samaritans on 116 123 in the UK.
