UFC commentator and podcaster Joe Rogan rarely holds himself back on the microphone. But this time, critics say he crossed the line. Last year, Rogan, alongside public figures such as Elon Musk and Kid Rock, drew backlash when he used the ‘R-word’ on the podcast. During the episode, Rogan called the resurgence of the controversial term “one of the great culture victories.” His remarks have now prompted sharp criticism from New Jersey state leaders.

Recently, Dr. Stephen Cha, commissioner of New Jersey DHS, and Kaylee McGuire of the Department of Aging and Disability Services addressed the issue in a guest column for NJ.com. They recalled how in 2010, New Jersey “acted decisively to remove outdated and demeaning terminology from New Jersey statutes and regulations and replace it with respectful, person‑first language.

“Today that progress faces a test. Prominent voices have openly embraced this regression. On a widely listened episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience,” the host used the slur within seconds of the program’s start, celebrating its return as a cultural win,” the column read.

“The pattern has repeated elsewhere: Musician Kid Rock publicly used the slur on television, and Kanye West used the word during an interview, among many other recent examples.”

Even so, people continue to use disability-related slurs in public discourse. Lawmakers removed the ‘R-word’ from New Jersey’s legal terminology in 2010 and replaced it with the term “intellectual disability.” Still, despite that change, the term has resurfaced in recent years.

Then, after Donald Trump began his second term in the White House, researchers at Montclair State University reported a significant spike in online usage of the ‘R-word’ following a Truth Social post in which Trump used the term publicly.

In fact, the study showed that usage rose by more than 200 percent. Disability advocacy organizations strongly condemned the resurgence and called it harmful and inhumane. Joe Rogan, for his part, has built his career on provocative commentary. He has faced criticism before for controversial remarks, and this incident adds to that record.

In the past, backlash over offensive language put his UFC role under scrutiny and ultimately led him to publicly apologize to fans.

Joe Rogan once issued an apology for previous racial remarks

With roots in stand-up comedy, Joe Rogan has long defended freedom of expression as central to his work. However, his podcast career has also sparked serious controversy. In 2022, a major backlash followed after a video compilation resurfaced online. The clip stitched together segments from various episodes of The Joe Rogan Experience and showed Rogan using the ‘N-word’ 24 times over the years.

The video then spread quickly across social media and, unsurprisingly, triggered widespread criticism, including from high-profile celebrities. Several artists even threatened to remove their music from Spotify in response. As public pressure intensified, Rogan eventually addressed the situation directly and issued a public apology.

“I’m making this video to talk about the most regretful and shameful thing that I’ve ever had to talk about publicly,” Rogan said on Instagram. “There’s a video that’s out that’s a compilation of me saying the ‘N-word.’ It’s a video that’s made of clips taken out of context of me of 12 years of conversations of me on my podcast, and it’s all smushed together, and it looks f—ing horrible, even to me.”

Now, Rogan’s past apology over the N-word has resurfaced, and his recent remarks involving the ‘R-word’ have, once again, sparked backlash. So, should he address the controversy again? Share your thoughts below.