Liver King in 2025: Arrest, Steroid Scandal, and Net Worth

If you’ve spent any time on fitness social media in the last few years, you’ve probably seen a shirtless, muscle-bound man chomping raw liver. That’s the Liver King—real name Brian Michael Johnson—and his story has taken more twists than a Hollywood thriller.

Full name: Brian Michael Johnson ·
Also known as: Liver King ·
Born: March 2, 1978 ·
Age: 47 (as of 2025) ·
YouTube subscribers: 1.22 million ·
Documentary: Netflix’s Untold: The Liver King (2025)

Ten key facts, one pattern: the Liver King brand was built on a contradiction between natural image and chemically enhanced reality.

What happened to Liver King lately?

The arrest over alleged threats against Joe Rogan

On June 24, 2025, Brian Johnson was arrested in Austin, Texas at the Four Seasons Hotel on a Class B misdemeanor charge of terroristic threat, after police responded to a series of threatening social-media posts targeting Joe Rogan, according to Variety (entertainment news outlet). He was taken into custody without incident and later released on $20,000 bail, per TMZ.

The pattern: the arrest capped a dramatic few months for the influencer, adding legal peril to a reputation already in ruins.

The Netflix documentary release

Netflix released Untold: The Liver King in May 2025, as reported by USA Today (major media outlet). The documentary traces Johnson’s rise from a relatively unknown supplement salesman to a viral sensation, and then the devastating fallout when leaked emails revealed he was spending about $11,000 per month on steroids and HGH, according to TIME (news magazine).

Steroid scandal and public fallout

In late 2022, leaked internal documents—later verified by The Independent (UK newspaper)—showed Johnson had been using anabolic steroids and human growth hormone while publicly denying it. He eventually admitted in a statement quoted by the Evening Standard (London news outlet): “Yes, I’ve done steroids, and yes, I’m on steroids, monitored and managed by a trained hormone clinician.” The confession shattered his credibility.

The implication: Johnson’s entire business model—selling supplements, courses, and merchandise based on a “natural” ancestral lifestyle—was built on a lie. Once the steroid admission became public, trust evaporated and revenue streams dried up.

Is Liver King still rich?

Sources of his wealth

Johnson built his fortune through a combination of supplement sales (particularly raw organ meat capsules), online courses on “ancestral living,” and branded merchandise. His social media presence—over 1.22 million YouTube subscribers and millions of Instagram followers—drove traffic to a dedicated e-commerce operation, as described by USA Today.

Current net worth estimates

There is no official financial disclosure. Estimates from various sources, including Wikipedia, place his net worth between $5 million and $10 million. But these figures are speculative and likely outdated after the steroid scandal and arrest.

Impact of scandals on his finances

While Johnson has not publicly reported a decline, multiple indicators suggest a hit: brand partnerships were dropped, social media engagement shifted from admiration to mockery, and the legal case adds legal fees. The pattern: the “ancestral” empire that once boasted million-dollar revenues now faces an uncertain financial future.

What this means: without a credible public image, supplement sales—the core of his business—are unlikely to recover to pre-scandal levels.

How did Liver King get so rich?

Building the ancestral lifestyle brand

Johnson launched the Liver King persona around 2019–2020, positioning himself as the ultimate example of what an “ancestral” diet—raw meat, organ consumption, minimal modern interventions—could achieve. His Instagram and YouTube feeds showed him lifting heavy weights, eating raw liver, and preaching a back-to-nature philosophy. According to The Independent, the brand capitalized on a growing interest in carnivore and paleo diets.

Supplements and merchandise revenue

The core product was a line of desiccated liver supplements, sold at premium prices. Merchandise—t-shirts, hats, water bottles—and paid online courses on “ancestral training” added recurring revenue. The business model was simple: attract followers with extreme content, convert them into paying customers for a “natural” lifestyle.

Social media monetization strategies

Johnson used a classic influencer funnel: viral content (raw meat eating, extreme workouts) → free YouTube and Instagram videos → paid offerings (coaching, supplements). Wikipedia notes his YouTube channel alone had 1.22 million subscribers as of 2025. However, the monétization strategy relied on the authenticity of his claims—once that authenticity was disproven, the entire funnel cracked.

The trade-off: Johnson chose short-term gains from a fabricated persona over long-term credibility. The result: a fortune built on contradiction, now crumbling under the weight of truth.

How old is Liver King?

Birth date and age

Brian Michael Johnson was born on March 2, 1978, making him 47 years old in 2025, according to Wikipedia (biographical reference). This aligns with the age reported in multiple profiles.

Physical transformations over time

Before-and-after photos show a dramatic muscle gain from his early 40s to his late 40s. While Johnson attributed this to his “ancestral” regimen, the leaked emails and subsequent admission revealed that anabolic steroids and HGH were the primary drivers. TIME reported that the monthly spending on steroids alone was $11,000.

Role of steroids in his appearance

Johnson’s physique—which he marketed as achievable through diet and exercise alone—was actually chemically assisted. The Evening Standard published his full admission: “Yes, I’ve done steroids, and yes, I’m on steroids.” The implication: his age and appearance were a marketing tool, not a natural outcome.

Why this matters: the entire “ancestral” claim was a performance. For men in their 40s looking for a natural path to fitness, the Liver King story serves as a cautionary tale about the gap between online persona and reality.

Does Liver King still have a wife?

Who is Liver King’s wife?

Johnson is married to a woman who goes by the social media handle “Queen” in the Liver King universe. Her real name has not been publicly confirmed. According to Wikipedia and other sources, she appears in his content and has been a consistent presence throughout his rise and fall.

Their relationship timeline

The couple has been together for several years, with public appearances and collaborative content dating back to the early days of the brand. There is no public record of separation or divorce following the steroid scandal or arrest. As of 2025, they still appear together in social media posts, according to USA Today.

Children and family life

Johnson and his wife have multiple children, though the exact number is not confirmed publicly. The family has been featured in the Netflix documentary, where they are shown living in a large home and participating in the ancestral lifestyle—including eating raw meat together. The documentary, as described by Variety, includes interviews with family members, offering a glimpse into the domestic side of the brand.

The catch: while the family appears to remain intact, the financial and reputational fallout from the scandals puts pressure on the household. The Queen’s silence on the steroid revelation and the arrest suggests a private storm that the public may never fully see.

Timeline: The Liver King story

• March 2, 1978 — Born Brian Michael Johnson (Wikipedia)
• circa 2019–2020 — Launches Liver King brand; viral on Instagram and YouTube
• 2022 — Leaked emails reveal $11k/month steroid spending (TIME)
• 2023 — Publicly admits steroid use (Evening Standard)
• May 2025 — Netflix releases Untold: The Liver King (USA Today)
• June 24, 2025 — Arrested in Austin for terroristic threat against Joe Rogan (Variety)

What we know for sure — and what remains unclear

Voices on the Liver King saga

“Yes, I’ve done steroids, and yes, I’m on steroids, monitored and managed by a trained hormone clinician.”

— Brian Johnson, as quoted by the Evening Standard (London news outlet)

“The documentary is a nauseating watch, not just for the raw meat but for the sheer hypocrisy of a man who sold a ‘natural’ lifestyle while pumping $11,000 a month into his steroid cycle.”

— Review from The Guardian (UK newspaper) (as cited in the research notes)

“The Liver King story is a classic rise-and-fall tale: a social media meteor that burned bright and then crashed back to earth when the truth came out.”

— Netflix Tudum article, as reported by Variety (entertainment news outlet)

What it all means

Brian Johnson built a multi-million dollar brand on the promise of a natural, ancestral lifestyle. But the evidence—the leaked emails, the steroid admission, the arrest—revealed a man who was willing to deceive his followers for profit. For the fitness community and anyone who has ever bought into an online guru’s “secret” to health, the lesson is clear: verify the claims behind the persona. For Johnson, the path forward is either a long legal battle and a shattered reputation, or a new chapter of genuine transparency. The choice is his, but the evidence suggests the latter is unlikely.

Related coverage: Moist Critical: Biography, Relationship, and Controversies (2025) and Yung Filly: Verified Trial Facts and Biography.

Frequently asked questions