Bridget Rogan Carselda, 43, says she had a 'great father' and was 'shocked' to hear the claims made by her step-brother Joe Rogan

Joe Rogan’s half-sister has slammed the famous podcast star, saying that he’s made ‘false claims about their father being violent and abusive.’

Bridget Rogan Carselda, 43, a government worker living in North Arlington, New Jersey, remembers the generosity and love her father gave her and her twin sister Rosa while growing up, calling Joe Rogan senior ‘the epitome of a wonderful father.’

Rogan – who has amassed over 15 million followers on his wildly popular podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience – lashed out at his father publicly claiming that he is abusive, violent and taught him toxic traits growing up.  The comedian and mixed martial arts commentator often describes his childhood as dark and his relationship with his father as barely-existent. 

Rogan Sr., 80, has not seen or spoken to his son for nearly 50 years – and only recently spoke out after his son characterized him as the ‘big bad wolf.’ 

Carselda, Joe Rogan’s half-sister and 43-year-old mother of two said she did not grow up with her half-brother, but told DailyMail.com that her experience was much different than he described – and that she was shocked to hear his claims about the man who raised her.

She said growing up her father had never been violent, saying that he ‘never even raised his voice’ to anyone in the household.

‘Growing up my sister and I just had such a happy childhood. I just can’t tell everyone enough what a great father we have, God has blessed us,’ she said.

‘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.’

She also remembered trying to reach out to Joe Jr. when she learned of his existence as a teenager – and being rebuffed.

‘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,’ she said.

‘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.’

Bridget Rogan Carselda, 43, says she had a 'great father' and was 'shocked' to hear the claims made by her step-brother Joe Rogan

Bridget Rogan Carselda, 43, says she had a ‘great father’ and was ‘shocked’ to hear the claims made by her step-brother Joe Rogan

Carselda (left) didn't grow up with her half-brother but says that her childhood was happy and she was shocked to hear her half-brother's claims against her father Joe Rogan senior (right)

 Carselda (left) didn’t grow up with her half-brother but says that her childhood was happy and she was shocked to hear her half-brother’s claims against her father Joe Rogan senior (right)

Carselda says that her father (left) and mother Rosa (right) were very close to her and her twin sister and that she wants her half-brother to admit the truth

Carselda says that her father (left) and mother Rosa (right) were very close to her and her twin sister and that she wants her half-brother to admit the truth

The 43-year-old (center) is a mother the mother of two, her eldest Robert, 16, (left), her youngest Carlo, 8, and is happily married to her partner (right)

The 43-year-old (center) is a mother the mother of two, her eldest Robert, 16, (left), her youngest Carlo, 8, and is happily married to her partner (right) 

 In a bid to prove her father’s innocence, Carselda said she made an Official Public Records Act (OPRA) request.

‘It took some time but I was able to make an OPRA request so that the police department could go through my father’s files to prove to Joe junior that my father has never had a violent history,’ she said.

‘The OPRA request did come back and just as I knew, there was nothing violent in my father’s records ever. My father was a retired police lieutenant from Harrison New Jersey, not Newark as Joe claims.’

When questioned why Rogan would make such claims Carselda said she believed that the age he left, made him impressionable.

She said: ‘My father and Joe junior’s mom, now Susan Lembo, did not get along and separated. Joes sister Laura is a year or so younger then him. My father would pick him up on Fridays and have him for the weekend.

‘My father remembers Joe fondly waiting by the window of the apartment for him to pick him up. It’s the reason my dad worked so hard to give his kids a good life. My father looked forward to spending the weekends with Joe.’

 

Joe Rogan Senior worked as a police officer in New Jersey, his daughter Carselda said he was always trying to provide for the family

Joe Rogan Senior worked as a police officer in New Jersey, his daughter Carselda said he was always trying to provide for the family

Rogan (right) senior now 80 is a doting father and grandfather to Carselda's children as seen pictured here with Carlo (center) and her husband (left), she says

Rogan (right) senior now 80 is a doting father and grandfather to Carselda’s children as seen pictured here with Carlo (center) and her husband (left), she says

She said she believes the ‘lies’ started from stories he heard from his mother.

‘I believe that this is what his mother told him. Once they left without my father’s knowledge, Joe junior called my father several times from San Francisco he said he wanted to come home.

‘My father said Joe put your mom on the phone I will send a plane ticket over to you. The phone was hung up and my father never heard from his son again.’

Her brother’s fame has not phased Carselda who said she just worries about what he is saying about their father.

‘I remember feeling very sad at the time. I was 19 I come from a very close loving family and I couldn’t wrap my head around his response,’ she said.

‘I remember thinking to myself this is fair. I don’t care if my brother pumped gas for a living I would still want to meet him. That is the reason why we never contacted Laura.’

Rosa (left) Carselda's mother and her father Rogan senior (right) are often seen with their grandkids like Robert (center) at special events

Rosa (left) Carselda’s mother and her father Rogan senior (right) are often seen with their grandkids like Robert (center) at special events

Carselda (left) said her and her twin sister Rosa (right) had never seen their father being violent as Rogan claimed

Carselda (left) said her and her twin sister Rosa (right) had never seen their father being violent as Rogan claimed

‘Joe started becoming famous when fear factor came out. I really didn’t feel any way because I never had a brotherly relationship with him,’ she said.

‘People would call me and say ‘hey is that your brother’ and I would say ‘it’s my father’s son,’ I never knew Joe as a brother.

If given the chance, Carselda said she is unsure if she would reach out again.

She said: ‘I have mix of emotions about meeting Joe junior because of his bold disturbing claims. I feel that he has built his celebrity platform off of these false claims and at this point just needs to throw in the towel and admit the truth.’

Joe Rogan senior, 80, hopes by speaking out, he can reconnect with his estranged son once and for all.

His son, who shares his name and is host of the Joe Rogan Experience, has described his father as a ‘very, very violent guy’ on his podcast and claimed he’d seen his father ‘beat the f*** out of people’ while growing up.  

In an interview with The U.S. Sun Rogan snr. said he hoped to have a relationship with his son, despite being accused of violence and domestic abuse.

He said: ‘I’m on my way out. I’m 80 years old, I’m in the rearview mirror. But I would like to see him. I definitely would sit down with him because he needs to listen to my side of the story. He never asked.

‘[I’d also like] my daughters to meet him, just to say hello and say how we feel. You only live once. You can’t come back and do it again.

‘He doesn’t know how much it hurt me, and what I had to go through.’ 

Joe Rogan senior has not seen or spoken to his son for nearly 50 years and would like to set the record straight on being characterized as abusive by his son who shares his name (pictured)

Joe Rogan senior has not seen or spoken to his son for nearly 50 years and would like to set the record straight on being characterized as abusive by his son who shares his name (pictured)

His son the host of the Joe Rogan Experience, has repeatedly described his father as a 'very, very violent guy'

His son the host of the Joe Rogan Experience, has repeatedly described his father as a ‘very, very violent guy’

Rogan snr. told The U.S. Sun he wanted to set the record straight and hoped to have a relationship with his son, who works as a media personality and is known for his comedy

Rogan snr. told The U.S. Sun he wanted to set the record straight and hoped to have a relationship with his son, who works as a media personality and is known for his comedy

During an episode of the Joe Rogan Experience, Rogan told listeners about what he recalled to be a dark childhood, remembering ‘brief, violent flashes of domestic violence.’

‘My mom and my step-dad are actually very happy, and they’ve been happy since I was seven years old’ he said.

‘It’s really weird. All my damage s*** came from my real father, before I was seven. My real father was crazy, he was like a psychotic person. He beat the f*** out of my mother, he beat the f*** out of my cousin. He picked my cousin up by his hair, dude.

‘All I remember of my dad are these brief, violent flashes of domestic violence. But I don’t want to complain about my childhood. Nothing bad ever really happened to me, I don’t hate the guy.’

Rogan snr. rebuffed the claims that he had ever been violent, instead telling The U.S. Sun that he was heartbroken when his ex and Rogan’s mother, Susan, left him.

He said there were no police reports or complaints against him when they left. He remembers only being caring towards his son.  

Rogan added: ‘If I was the big bad wolf, they would have had a restraining order against me. Why did [Joe’s mom] keep the name? I couldn’t understand that.

‘If I was so terrible, why didn’t she take the name away from him when she got married and gave him his new name?’

The former New Jersey police officer said he was a ‘realist’ which is why he never reached out or took his ex-partner to court for custody.

‘I was heartbroken, but I was a realist. And I didn’t want to put him through more pain. You could say I sacrificed my relationship with him for his well-being,’ he said.

The 80-year-old claims losing his son (pictured) when he was only 7 was heartbreaking, saying he didn't fight for custody in the hope of reducing his son's trauma growing up

The 80-year-old claims losing his son (pictured) when he was only 7 was heartbreaking, saying he didn’t fight for custody in the hope of reducing his son’s trauma growing up

The former police officer has pointed to no historic evidence and says his mother keeping his last name is proof that Rogan's claims are false

The former police officer has pointed to no historic evidence and says his mother keeping his last name is proof that Rogan’s claims are false

Rogan is an American UFC color commentator, podcaster, comedian, actor, and former television presenter

Rogan is an American UFC color commentator, podcaster, comedian, actor, and former television presenter

Since becoming famous Rogan has referred to his father in several interviews and on-air publications that he remembers him as a violent man who ‘abandoned him’.

In an interview with Rolling Stone, Rogan claimed his father also promoted toxic behavior after a fight with his cousin.

‘When I was five, I had a fight with one of my cousins — punched him in the face over something stupid — and his mother was screaming to my parents, ‘Your son’s a little monster. He punched my kid in the face!’ he said.

‘My dad pulled me aside and I told him the truth of what happened. He said, ‘Did you cry?’ I said, ‘No.’ He said, ‘Good, don’t ever cry.’

‘I mean, he was happy that I punched my cousin. It was just confusing, you know? He was just a very violent, scary guy.

‘After the split, we moved to San Francisco and that was it. Never heard from him again.’

When making these claims, Rolling Stone contacted Rogan snr. who wouldn’t respond directly to the allegations.

Rogan was born in Newark, New Jersey, and began his career in comedy in 1988 he later appeared as an actor on several television shows, including NewsRadio (pictured)

Rogan was born in Newark, New Jersey, and began his career in comedy in 1988 he later appeared as an actor on several television shows, including NewsRadio (pictured)

Rogan has spoken about his troubled and strained relationship with his father in several interviews and on his podcast, his father hoping he can reconnect despite rebuffing claims

Rogan has spoken about his troubled and strained relationship with his father in several interviews and on his podcast, his father hoping he can reconnect despite rebuffing claims

Rogan is an American UFC color commentator, podcaster, comedian, actor, and former television presenter.

He hosts The Joe Rogan Experience, a podcast in which he discusses current events, comedy, politics, philosophy, science, and hobbies with a variety of guests.

Rogan was born in Newark, New Jersey, and began his career in comedy in 1988 later relocating to Los Angeles in 1994, where he signed an exclusive developmental deal with Disney and appeared as an actor on several television shows, including Hardball and NewsRadio. 

In 1997, he started working for the Ultimate Fighting Championship as an interviewer and color commentator. 

The now 55-year-old released his first comedy special, I’m Gonna Be Dead Someday in 2000 and hosted the game show Fear Factor from 2001 to 2006.

After leaving Fear Factor, Rogan focused on his stand-up career and hosted more comedy specials, launching The Joe Rogan Experience in 2009, which by 2015, had become one of the most popular podcasts in the world.

DailyMail.com has reached out to Carselda’s sister and her mother for comment and her half-brother Joe Rogan.

The now 55-year-old released his first comedy special, I'm Gonna Be Dead Someday in 2000 and hosted the game show Fear Factor from 2001 to 2006

The now 55-year-old released his first comedy special, I’m Gonna Be Dead Someday in 2000 and hosted the game show Fear Factor from 2001 to 2006

After leaving Fear Factor, Rogan focused on his stand-up career and hosted more comedy specials, launching The Joe Rogan Experience in 2009

After leaving Fear Factor, Rogan focused on his stand-up career and hosted more comedy specials, launching The Joe Rogan Experience in 2009

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