A Cardiologist in Newport Beach, California is accusing UFC commentator and popular podcast host Joe Rogan of using his platform to spread medical misinformation.
In an April 2 Instagram post, doctor Danielle Belardo compared Joe Rogan to actress Gwyneth Paltrow’s controversial product line ‘Goop,’ which has been criticized in the past for its wellness claims.
According to Belardo, Joe Rogan is ‘Goop’ only marketed to men. A claim that she has reportedly made many times in the past.
“I love you guys so much, and I appreciate that you trust my scientific knowledge and you send me endless videos to debunk,” she said in a message to her followers.
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“I can just save us all a lot of time and remind y’all that almost everything that comes out of Joe Rogan and Goop is wildly inaccurate, sometimes benign pseudoscience at best, dangerous disinformation at worst.”
The doctor went on to instruct her audience to close any Joe Rogan or Gwyneth Paltrow/Goop videos whenever they see them on their feed.
She continued to claim that Rogan is misusing his podcast by providing a platform for “antivaxxers, heart disease and cholesterol deniers” just to name a few.
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“He reaches millions of people with his disinformation,” she further blasted. “He’s a harm to public health.”
Her post also featured an image of both her and the former Fear Factor host with the words “Joe Rogan is Goop for men” written all over it.
Many of Joe Rogan’s supporters spoke out against the post. Some sided with Rogan for having a wide variety of guests on and not getting stuck in his own echo chamber. Others brought up how he has many medical experts on his show.
OMG!! Massive Instagram memer @quentquarantino asked me if he could turn my meme into merch & I said yes, as long as the proceeds are given to pediatric leukemia support at the @BePositiveFdn —and he agreed!!!! Get your hilarious Rogan/Goop meme merch now & support my fave org!! https://t.co/62zxKiErYl
— Danielle Belardo, MD (@DBelardoMD) April 2, 2021
For her part, however, Belardo didn’t take too kindly to the criticism. “I didn’t realize how many fragile Joe Rogan fans follow me on Instagram until I posted this meme,” she said on Twitter following the backlash.
The meme used in Belardo’s post is now even being used for merchandise. On Twitter, the doctor explained how she had been approached to turn her meme into a t-shirt with proceeds going to pediatric leukemia support.
So far, Rogan hasn’t commented on Belardo’s accusations.