A bodybuilder and fitness influencer with an astonishing physique he claims is fuelled by a raw diet including liver and testicles, plus a strict workout regime, has been outed for allegedly using steroids.
And no one is surprised.
Since his catapult to online fame in 2021, Brian Johnson, more commonly known online as Liver King, has been accused of taking steroids, something the US-based fitness influencer has vehemently and repeatedly denied.
He boasts 1.7 million followers on Instagram and an impressive 3.5 million followers on TikTok – a follower count he has built off the back of claims he lives an “ancestral” and “primal” lifestyle.
What is an ‘ancestral’ and ‘primal’ lifestyle?
Liver – and lots of it. At least, that’s what the fitness TikToker promotes across his social media platforms.
Known by his followers for his questionable diet of raw organs and an affinity for roaming around shirtless (he claims he is “allergic” to T-shirts), Liver King’s followers have grown accustomed to the questionable antics of his ‘organic’ life.
@liverking♬ original sound – Liver King
His mammoth following and influence help drive his online business Ancestral Supplements where he sells capsules containing organs, bone marrow and other animal products.
Along with encouraging a raw diet, Johnson preaches the nine tenets of ancestral living, which he describes as the “pillars vital for a healthy and happy life”.
They are: Sleep, eat, move, shield, connect, cold, sun, fight and bond.
In an appearance on the Pardon My Take podcast, hosts accused Johnson of taking performance-enhancing drugs.
To which Liver King cheekily replied: “I’ll be honest, I take PEDs – I Prioritise, Execute and Dominate every f—ing morning.”
Liver King exposed?
This week, the 45-year-old TikToker’s ‘ancestral’ lifestyle gig was interrupted when a fellow body-building influencer and YouTuber exposed Liver King for using steroids.
In a video titled ‘The Liver King Lie’, which has amassed nearly two million views in two days, YouTuber Derek (whose last name has not been revealed) alleges that Johnson is a “fitness charlatan”, and includes screenshots from an email exchange in which the person believed to be Johnson is after a hefty amount of steroids.
The email from the sender requesting steroids came from the address liverking@ancestralsupplements.com.
In the email, the person believed to be Johnson is corresponding with a body building coach saying he has been “working out for 35 years” but is struggling to maintain his form now that he has entered his mid-forties.
The correspondence, dating to June 2021, features eye-watering figures of $US11,000 (just over $16,000) a month spent on steroids.
Fans react
Following the release of the video, Liver King fans and critics have taken to social media to highlight the unsurprising nature of the video expose.
His followers’ reactions seem to range from amused to mildly offended, with many focusing their attention on the colossal dollar amount allegedly spent on steroids.
“12k a month on steroids?!?” one Instagram user commented under Liver King’s post.
“Is lying one of the ancestral tenets?” another wrote.
Despite speculation that Johnson’s brand and business could take a massive hit following this weighty scandal, Liver King has yet to respond to the allegations of his make-believe ‘primal’ lifestyle.
Instead, he is continuing business as usual, posting his regular content, including a video chowing down on … you guessed it. Raw liver.
