Carnivorous diets have become increasingly popular thanks to social media influencers reporting benefits to their sense of wellbeing, energy levels, and general health, albeit with little medical or scientific backing.
One major proponent of a meat-focused, ‘ancestral’ diet is the so-called Liver King, Brian Johnson. No, not Bryan Johnson, the multi-millionaire pumping his fortune into trying to live forever – this is Brian with an I.
Liver King, 47, has plied his trade on social media as a guru of living like our ancestors. Or, at least, an approximation of what our ancestors might have done: eating lots of meat – often raw and with a daily liver intake – heading outside as often as possible, and rejecting modern creature comforts.
For Brian Johnson, the main thing backing his approach would be his enormous back. And arms. And abs. And quads. The dude’s massive, and very lean to boot.
Sadly for reality, the Liver King’s claims caught up with him and he was forced to admit the use of performance-enhancing drugs. Emails leaked in 2022 showing that he had been taking synthetic IGF1 (insulin growth-like factor 1), a hormone that promotes muscle growth and accelerated tissue repair, and testosterone to develop and maintain his physique.
Unfortunately, neither synthetic IGF1 nor testosterone supplements were available to our Paleolithic ancestors.
The leaked emails showed Liver King was spending $11,000 (£8,200) a month on the steroids and hormones.
Of course, you need to work hard to develop that kind of physique even with the use of steroids, and his protein intake from all that meat likely helped too, but the revelations significantly damaged Liver King’s reputation.
Despite having repeatedly denied the use of steroids, Liver King came clean in an apology video following the leak.
"I’m embarrassed and ashamed,” he said. “Because I lied and I misled a lot of people.
“Yes, I’ve done steroids and yes, I am on steroids monitored and managed by trained hormone clinicians.”
Liver King then dropped the steroids, albeit temporarily. In February 2023, he posted an update showcasing his physique after a 55-day break from the performance-enhancing drugs.
He was certainly still in excellent shape, and he raved about the health benefits of going clean.
"What I've gained in health, mobility and light heartedness far eclipses the weight that I've lost, plus I think I'm more ripped," he said on Instagram.
By September 2023, however, he was back on the gear following 220 days’ abstinence.
Owning up to the return to steroid use, Liver King said the muscle loss and strength decreases from going clean were too much to bear.
"I don’t like the idea of losing over 20 pounds of muscle," he said. "I don’t like the idea that became the reality of losing a lot of strength."
While he defended the decision by saying he had ‘proven’ his commitment to never lying, the previous lies sadly can’t be untold.
Since Netflix’s Untold: The Liver King dropped on May 13th 2025, Johnson’s story has become significantly more widespread, reanimating social media discourse over the dishonesty that propelled him to internet stardom.
“I’m watching the liver king on Netflix,” said one X user. “Besides him lying because he was (is) taking steroids, it looks like his boys hate the majority of crap their dad pushes on them. I get liver being good for you, but why raw?”
“Liver King on Netflix is kinda wild,” said another person on X. “Of course I knew he was juicing & that he was a fraud. I did not know he had kids & those kids hate him (clearly) & what he makes them do. Their nicknames are terrible too.
“The dude has some serious issues. His whole life is a front. Still.”
Another opined: “This Liver King documentary… what a lunatic”.
“I knew the Liver King was delusional...who makes their family eat raw meat? Why 50 raw eggs? Why butcher that bull? Sick,” said yet another.
Considering the health risks associated with eating tonnes of red meat, and indeed from eating raw meat, it's a relief for common sense that Liver King's reported benefits of the 'ancestral' diet have been undone by the steroid revelations. Eat your greens, kids, and cook your meat while you're at it.
Featured Image Credit: Cooper Neill / Contributor/Getty ImagesTopics: Celebrity, YouTube, Social Media, TV and Film
Rachael Davis