Joe Rogan's half-sister Bridget Rogan Carselda made headlines when she rebutted the UFC commentator's claims that their father was abusive and violent towards him and his mother.
Bridget is a government worker living in North Arlington, New Jersey. Her twin, Rosa Rogan Lunelli, is a professional hairstylist and makeup artist.
In a JRE episode, Joe Rogan made a reference to his father's toxic and violent behavior.
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Here's what the UFC color commentator said about his father:
"All my damaged s**t came from my real father before I was seven. My real father was crazy. He was like a psychotic person. He beat the f**k out of my mother, he beat the f**k out of my cousin."
In response to Joe Rogan's comments about their father, Bridget Rogan Carselda slammed the podcaster in an interview with Daily Mail UK. Carselda said that Rogan's claims about their father being abusive and violent were 'false'. Carselda's twin sister, Rosa Rogan Lunelli, backed her in refuting Joe Rogan's claims about their father's past.
Carselda said the following about her father:
"My father has never been violent ever, that is why Joe junior's claims are such a shock to us. My father has never even raised his voice to us. He is the epitome of a wonderful father."
Carselda said that she did not know about her older half-brother until she was 19. She tried to reach out to him through email only to be rebuffed by the podcaster. Here is what she said:
"I was 19 years old when my father told me about Joe Jr. He was not even famous yet, he was a comedian and did a show called NewsRadio. We looked him up on the computer and emailed him asking to meet, and explained that his father would also like to meet him. Joe did respond, but not kindly. He referred to my father as a sperm donor. So my sister and I backed off and never emailed him again."
Carselda made an Official Public Records Act (OPRA) request so that the police could go through Rogan Sr.'s files to prove that he never had a violent history.
Joe Rogan's run-ins with controversy
In April 2021, Joe Rogan came under scrutiny when he made comments regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. He claimed that young, healthy people didn't need vaccines to combat the virus. The statement was reputed by Anthony Fauci and White House correspondent Kate Bedingfield, along with several online and legacy media outlets.
In September 2021, after testing positive for the coronavirus, Rogan stated that he had begun self-treatment using monoclonal antibodies and ivermectin. Ivermectin is a drug that is used to treat parasitic infections in livestock and is not endorsed by the FDA to treat COVID-19.
His most controversial moment came in his interview with Robert W. Malone, who likened the pandemic policies to the Holocaust.