Joe Rogan says dozens of celebrities asked him for Covid advice after CNN media storm

Podcast giant Joe Rogan has revealed “dozens” of A-list celebrities have approached him after his Covid-19 controversy storm.

Podcast host Joe Rogan has opened up on the recent media storm over his views on the Covid-19 pandemic.

The 54-year-old has remained firm on his stance against mandatory vaccination, revealing in 2021 he had not received the jab and rather opted for his doctor’s advice to take monoclonal antibodies and ivermectin, among other drugs, to fight the infection.

Rogan’s Covid-19 diagnosis immediately sparked a firestorm in US media, with CNN accusing the comedian and UFC commentator of spreading dangerous misinformation in regards to early treatment of coronavirus.

Now rated as the highest-viewed media figure in the US, Rogan has endeavoured to offer platforms for doctors, researchers and commentators with opinions conflicting with mainstream media outlets and official health advice.

His recent interview with leading US cardiologist Dr Peter McCullough - who has criticised the US government for failing to act on approving existing medicines for early treatment - reportedly netted 40 million views in its first two weeks.

A later interview with Dr Robert Malone, one of the original contributors in the development of mRNA technology, generated similar controversy online. Dr Malone was banned from Twitter one day before the podcast aired, and has also been booted off LinkedIn and YouTube for allegedly generating vaccine hesitancy, having labelled the current jabs “experimental vaccinations” despite the extensive testing they’ve undergone.

Speaking to fellow comedian on his podcast The Tim Dillon Show, Rogan became the rare interviewee in the hot seat, opening up on what it’s been like becoming the unlikely poster boy for alternative treatments for the virus.

He admitted he has been approached by “dozens” of A-list celebrities asking for advice on treating the virus.

“It’s weird, I’ll get random messages from celebrities, mostly about Covid advice,” he said. “No bulls***, I’ve helped dozens of people - I’ve never brought their names up - like famous actors, musicians who have asked for Covid advice.”

NFL star Aaron Rodgers - who has come under fire from the public for his choice to remain unvaccinated - revealed he contacted Rogan for advice after contracting the virus.

“I’ve consulted with a now-good friend of mine, Joe Rogan, after he got Covid and I’ve been doing a lot of the stuff that he recommended in his podcasts and on the phone to me,” Rodgers said in November.

“This vaccine is revolutionary however we don't know a whole lot about it. For the media taking shots at me you now know my story so quit lying about me ... personal health decisions in my opinion should be private.”

Rodgers revealed he took “monoclonal antibodies, ivermectin, zinc, vitamin C and D, and HCQ” on Rogan’s advice to treat the infection.

Rogan went on to address media criticism he has copped worldwide during the pandemic. After growing his podcast from a lounge room setup to a $100 million deal with Spotify, the comedian’s uniquely unscripted, long-form style talk show has now become a focal point in American politics, whether he likes it or not.

Hosting topics ranging from comedy, science, AI technology, sport, health and culture, the podcast inevitably transitioned into a congregation zone for controversial voices on the pandemic, as the world media’s focus shifted almost entirely towards Covid-19 in 2020.

“The problem is, it’s mostly editorial opinion pieces by morons,” he said of criticism levelled against him online.

“These are really dull-minded folks.

“The reason they got there in the first place is not because they’re these courageous pioneering freethinkers who have compassionate, intelligent views of the world.

“No, they have followed narratives. They read teleprompters, and they say things that align with whatever ideology their network has.”

Despite offering advice to celebrities, Rogan regularly states he is not an expert and merely trusts the opinions of several virologists, vaccine developers and physicians he has interviewed on his show.

Rogan says he still has respect for those in the media and podcast sphere who strongly disagree with him, such as neuroscientist Sam Harris, but admits he has fallen out with friends over the contentious issues surrounding the current Covid-19 vaccines and early treatment.

“It’s controversial,” he said.

“But at this point, when I see the way the government is behaving, the suppression of monoclonal antibodies and the demonising of generic treatments that are available, whether its Hydroxychloroquine or ivermectin - that many, many doctors and countries are using.”

In Australia, the official health advice for early treatment for Covid-19 infection is to stock up on paracetamol and ibuprofen, and get some bed rest.

Rogan said despite his stance against mandatory vaccinations, he would never tell someone to not get vaccinated, only wishing data surrounding adverse effects and information on potential treatments would be made more clear to the public.

“I’m not saying you shouldn’t get vaccinated, and I’m not saying the vaccines don’t have a positive benefit for some people,” he said.

“But another fact is, there are treatments available that can stop it dead in its tracks. There are randomised controlled trials that show that they work.

“I don’t know if they work or not, I’m a moron. I’m not a doctor, epidemiologist or a virologist. But the ones I’ve talked to that are, who have treated thousands of people, they tell you time and time again that these are effective methods.”

Rogan pointed to advice from Dr Peter McCullough, who claimed there are “enough monoclonal antibodies to treat the entire US”.

Dr McCullough, who is the most published doctor in the world in the field of cardiology, claims to have successfully treated “thousands” of Covid patients since the beginning of the pandemic.

He also cited reports from Indian region Uttar Pradesh, which has relatively squashed its Covid-19 wave after the government sanctioned the statewide use of Ivermectin for all contacts.

“Uttar Pradesh was the first state in the country to introduce large-scale prophylactic and therapeutic use of Ivermectin. In May-June 2020, a team at Agra, led by Dr Anshul Pareek, administered Ivermectin to all RRT team members in the district on an experimental basis,” State Surveillance Officer Vikasendu Agrawal told The Indian Express.

“It was observed that none of them developed Covid-19 despite being in daily contact with patients who had tested positive for the virus.

“Despite being the state with the largest population base and a high population density, we have maintained a relatively low positivity rate and cases per million of population.”