Johnson pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor charges in December 2022 for simple assault and strangulation, stemming from a September 5th incident in the same year where he struck a woman multiple times, causing bruising, and forcing her head into a bed, making it difficult for her to breathe. Johnson was suspended from the Pitt Men's basketball team during this period, but was reinstated after pleading guilty. Johnson was sentenced to a year of probation and required to complete batterer's intervention. Johnson took a redshirt in the 2022–23 season as a result. Subsequently, the university announced in August 2023 that Johnson was no longer enrolled. Shortly after, Johnson matriculated at Clarendon College, a community college in Texas.