Brian Johnson, better known as the organ-eating masculinity influencer “Liver King,” has admitted to steroid use in a dark video shared on his YouTube and Instagram accounts.
“I totally know I screwed up,” he said in the six-minute confession. “I’m sorry how a man can be.”
The painful statement comes in response to a video by another bodybuilder, Derek, of online fitness brand More Plates More Dates, which purported to show emails in which Johnson described his steroid regimen: a set of ‘injections that cost about $11,000 a month. Since launching the Liver King character in August 2021, Johnson had given several interviews during which he categorically denied using performance-enhancing drugs to achieve his muscular physique. He had also dismissed podcast king Joe Rogan’s allegations of steroid use.
But in just three days, the hour-long “More Plates More Dates” expo garnered 3 million views, and many in the fitness community said it confirmed their suspicions about Johnson.
“Now I’m here to set the record straight,” Johnson says in his new video, then sighs heavily. “Yes, I have done steroids, and yes, I am on steroids, monitored and managed by a trained hormone doctor. Liver King, the public figure, was an experiment in getting the message out.” He went on to mention the social ills of suicide, depression and anxiety, adding: “Our young people are doing more harm.” He said that when he talks about low self-esteem, he’s talking about himself.
Johnson explained that he was already rich and that his supplement business was a success, before adopting the liver king costume for social media. Persona built up a following of 1.7 million Instagram followers in just one year, with Johnson selling her products while advocating a caveman lifestyle of extreme exercise and a “natural” raw diet of animal livers, hearts and testicles. Johnson claimed he never expected Liver King to become a viral sensation, contradicting an alleged email included in the “More Plates More Dates” video in which he appeared to lay out a plan to get a million social media followers in a matter of months . You have yet to confirm or deny the authenticity of this message or any other private correspondence now circulating.
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Johnson also pledged to talk about steroid use “openly” in the future, “because I think there is a time and a place for pharmacological intervention,” if supervised by a doctor. Once again, however, she denied that she had had tummy tucks or other plastic surgery.
On YouTube, the reactions were mostly negative, with commenters criticizing Johnson for invoking the mental health struggles of others as a reason for his pattern of lying. Some called the video “damage control” or disingenuous, with many saying he was just sorry he got caught.
Johnson found more support on his Instagram page. “No bullshit, no excuses,” one fan wrote. “I’ve earned respect with this post. Much love!” Another commented: “It takes a lot to admit when you’re wrong and honestly I’m glad you came clean. You’re a really inspiring guy and definitely someone to look up to in the fitness world.”
Redditors were far less impressed. “The picture of him confessing to using steroids is hilarious, like a kid with a blueberry pie face confessing to eating pie,” observed one. “Thinking of all the guys who’ve had their testicles eaten trying to be this guy,” said another.
As Johnson himself pointed out, he’s not a competitive athlete, so it’s not like a sports organization is sanctioning or suspending him. Nor is the admission that he lied about PEDs likely to diminish his online fame or audience, both of which the show built on from the start. So even though Johnson referred to Liver King in the past tense, expect him to live on, promoting both the “ancestral” principles and the miraculous effects of human growth hormone. Oh, and the importance of never, ever wearing a shirt.
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