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Who is the Liver King and where is he now? Know what happened to him after steroids controversy
Netflix's latest documentary ‘Untold: The Liver King’ chronicles the fascinating rise and decline of Brian Johnson, often referred to as the Liver King.
Netflix's latest documentary ‘Untold: The Liver King’ chronicles the fascinating rise and decline of Brian Johnson, often referred to as the Liver King. It will premiere on Netflix on May 13.
The episode belongs to the “Untold” series, which highlights intriguing stories at the nexus of fitness, sports, and public interest.
Untold: The Liver King chronicles Johnson's rise to fame in the online fitness community and his subsequent downfall following the revelation of his steroid use.
Viewers will witness how Johnson built a devoted fan base with rigorous routines and audacious health claims, as well as how his brand came under great criticism as his authenticity was questioned.
In an interview with Netflix's Tudum publication, filmmaker Joe Pearlman stated: “I wanted to find out more; who he really was and what was really going on. The truth was even crazier than I could have possibly imagined.”
Who is The Liver King?
Johnson developed an international reputation by adopting a persona based on a “ancestral lifestyle.” His brand was built around nine lifestyle tenets known as “Ancestral Tenets,” which highlighted practices including sleeping outside, eating raw animal parts, being exposed to direct sunlight, and engaging in vigorous physical activities.
Johnson used his own body as evidence of the efficacy of this lifestyle, portraying himself as a contemporary savage.
Before being renowned as the Liver King, Johnson pursued biochemistry and worked in the supplement and pharmaceutical industries. In 2021, he started his social media business and soon amassed millions of fans on platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.
Johnson asserted that his transformation was a result of eschewing processed meals and contemporary medical procedures .
He frequently used strong and graphic images in his web content to symbolize resiliency and primal strength, such as eating raw liver, dragging weights with his teeth, or taking cold baths. In addition to introducing his family to his way of life, he promoted his strategy to young generation who were fed up with modern lifestyle.
Since then, scholarly studies have connected his popularity to more general cultural patterns surrounding masculinity and identity. A 2023 piece that was published in the International Journal of Drug Policy examined how Johnson's brand took advantage of young men's sentiments of solitude and mentioned possible psychological repercussions linked to steroid use and body image.
Did The Liver King use performance-enhancing drugs?
At first, Johnson dismissed using performance-enhancing substances. "I don't touch the stuff," he said in 2022 on Mark Bell's Power Project podcast. “I've never done the stuff. I'm not going to do the stuff.”
Despite his repeated public denials, the YouTube channel More Plates More Dates in late 2022 published emails that seemed to indicate that Johnson was spending over $11,000 a month on anabolic steroids and drugs.
He then apologised and acknowledged using steroids. “Yes, I've done steroids,” Johnson stated in a December 2022 YouTube video. “And yes, I am on steroids, monitored and managed by a trained hormone clinician.”
He faced massive backlash over the controversy, and some of his supporters sued him for $25 million, claiming manipulation and fraud.
While the lawsuit was eventually abandoned, Johnson's public image was forever changed from fitness motivator to influencer fraud.
Where is the Liver King now?
Despite the scandal, Johnson has continued to advocate for the ancestral lifestyle on social media. He last uploaded a video to his YouTube channel in November. He still has a sizable online following.
He presently has slightly more than one million YouTube subscribers, 2.9 million Instagram followers, and 6.1 million TikTok followers.
