Brian Johnson, who is known to millions as the Liver King, established an online empire on a foundation of outrageous antics and health claims that don't make sense. I remember watching his films where he pulled off raw animal innards and talked about a "ancestral lifestyle" that promised a ripped body and perfect health. It was quite a show, and it swiftly gained him millions of fans and a supplements business that is said to be worth an incredible $100 million a year. He said he was 100% natural and a perfect illustration of what living raw could do.
But that carefully crafted image came tumbling down in late 2022 when stolen emails revealed his secret: he was spending about $11,000 a month on steroids and human growth hormone. This news, which even got Joe Rogan's attention, should have ended his power. But in a society where lies can make someone famous, holding people accountable is hard to do. With a new Netflix documentary called Untold: The Liver King trying to frame his past as a "path to redemption" and news of his arrest for threatening Joe Rogan, I'm starting to wonder if we've really understood how far this influencer's sad story goes.
The "Ancestral Lifestyle" Is a Lie and Is Falling ApartBrian Johnson became famous because of his extreme personality and the "nine ancestral tenets" he pushed: sleep, eat, move, shield, connect, cold, sun, fight, and link. He said that these basic but extreme habits, like eating a lot of raw organ meats and bull testicles, were the only reason his muscles looked like they did in cartoons. He even made up a story about how this diet helped his sick sons get better, which probably struck a chord with a lot of parents who were desperate.
It's simple to see why people were so interested in this story and his undeniable physical presence. He called himself the "CEO of Ancestral Living" and said he had a "simple, elegant solution" to problems like despair, anxiety, and poor energy that people have today. But the fact was much more complicated. Johnson had to admit he had lied after stolen emails showed he had used a lot of steroids. Many of his fans felt betrayed by this, and they were right to feel that way. After that, a $25 million class-action lawsuit for false advertising was filed, but it was dismissed later.
The documentary "Untold: The Liver King" on Netflix: A Chance to Be Truly Accountable Missed

The Netflix documentary Untold: The Liver King tries to tell Brian Johnson's story from the inside. Joe Pearlman, the director, even called Johnson a "marketing genius" who "knows what an audience wants." The movie does talk about his admission of steroid use and the aftermath, but I thought it was troubling that it didn't go into more detail about how much he lied or how dangerous his lies may be.
In the documentary, Johnson himself said that he filmed parts "100 times over to get the perfect shot" and left movies playing on loop to make the number of views go up. The director said that his casual admission of a criminal past that included illegally printing money and trading drugs across borders (which "didn't make the cut" of the film) and this level of planned manipulation make him seem like a much more complicated and troubling person than just a health enthusiast. The documentary tried to depict his "reinvention," but it didn't do a good job of it, leaving viewers with an unreliable narrator's perspective of events.
The scary rise: threats against Joe Rogan and the legal fallout

Things have taken a very worrying turn in the Liver King's story, which I thought couldn't get any stranger. Brian Johnson was arrested in Austin, Texas, in June 2025 for threatening podcaster Joe Rogan with terrorism. Johnson had been uploading a lot of strange videos on Instagram, calling Rogan out for a fight and making threats that got worse and worse.
Joe Rogan informed the police that he had "never had any interaction" with Johnson and thought the posts were menacing. Rogan also informed the police that Johnson's recent activity on social media made him seem "significantly unstable" and like he had a "significant drug issue." This is even more disturbing. Johnson was let loose on a $20,000 bail, but he had to stay at least 200 yards away from Rogan and his family because of a restraining order. He also had to get a mental health checkup. Even so, he kept posting films, even making fun of the fact that his hotel WiFi password was "F you, Joe Rogan."
The Liver King's Actions Are More Than Just Performance Art

It's hard not to be quite disappointed when you see how Brian Johnson's career has gone. His first lie about his body and the "ancestral lifestyle" was a major breach of trust, especially for the young males and weak people who looked to him for health advice. But the recent threats against Joe Rogan show that there is a level of instability that goes beyond simple marketing. It seems like a vicious cycle fueled by a desperate need for attention and approval. It's not just about selling supplements anymore.
The Netflix documentary that director Joe Pearlman wanted to be a "cautionary tale" looks to be happening right now. It is important to remember how easy it is for health misinformation to propagate online, especially to younger people who get their news from social media. Brian Johnson's story is a clear example of how charm and a strong internet presence can hide serious problems and do real harm. His boasts of wanting "repentance" and opening hundreds of retreats now sound empty because of how unpredictable and menacing he has become.
The Long-Lasting Effects of Lying and the Need for Real Change

Brian Johnson, often known as the Liver King, has a complicated biography that includes ambition, lies, and now, actions that are worrying the public. He made a lot of money by selling an image that wasn't his own, and his latest arrest for threatening Joe Rogan only makes his public image even worse. I think this incident shows how important it is to pay more attention to internet health influencers and the messages they provide. We need to do more than just call out the lies. We also need to deal with the problems that cause people to act this way and the structures in society that let it happen.
In the end, Brian Johnson's rise from viral star to detained celebrity is a profound but sad lesson. It shows us how thin the line is between performance and reality, and what happens when that barrier is crossed. I hope that those who believed in the Liver King discover real, evidence-based ways to be healthy and happy that are very different from the drama and threats that currently surround his story.