He’s the guy who ate raw bull testicles on camera and told us all to live like cavemen. Brian Johnson, better known to the internet as the Liver King, built a massive empire on "nine ancestral tenets" and a physique that looked more like it was carved from granite than grown in a gym. But then the emails leaked. Then came the $25 million lawsuit. Naturally, the internet started buzzing with one specific question: was the Liver King arrested?
People want to see the downfall. They want the mugshot. In an era where "influencer accountability" is basically a spectator sport, the rumors of handcuffs and police stations started flying the second his steroid use became public knowledge.
But here is the reality.
As of right now, Brian Johnson has not been arrested. There is no mugshot. He isn't sitting in a cell reflecting on the primal life. However, the reason people keep searching for "Liver King arrested" isn't just out of thin air; it’s because the legal walls have been closing in on his business practices in a way that feels, to the average observer, like a criminal investigation.
The Viral Lie That Almost Broke the Internet
Let's be real for a second. We all knew, or at least suspected, that nobody gets that "shredded to the bone" look just by eating raw liver and doing walking lunges in the Texas heat. Yet, Johnson swore up and down—on every podcast from Diary of a CEO to H3—that he was 100% natural.
He didn't just lie; he leaned into it.
The turning point was November 2022. A YouTube creator named More Plates Date (Derek) released a video that changed everything. He exposed leaked emails where Johnson explicitly detailed his $11,000-a-month steroid regimen. We're talking Omnitrope, Winstrol, and Deca-Durabolin. The "ancestral" king was actually a pharmaceutical king.
This exposure led to a massive wave of "canceled" sentiment. When a public figure falls this hard, the public assumes a crime has been committed. While lying about being "natty" isn't a crime in the sense that it lands you in jail, the way you market products based on those lies gets you into hot water with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
Why the "Arrested" Rumors Won't Die
Social media is a game of telephone. One person tweets "Liver King should be in jail for fraud," and three hours later, TikTok is convinced he’s been hauled away in zip ties.
The confusion often stems from the Ancestral Supplements lawsuit.
In early 2023, a class-action lawsuit was filed in New York. The plaintiffs alleged that Johnson misled consumers by claiming his physique was the result of the supplements he sold, rather than the performance-enhancing drugs he was actually injecting. When people see "lawsuit" and "millions of dollars," they often conflate civil court with criminal court.
He’s facing a massive financial reckoning, not a prison sentence.
The Difference Between Fraud and "Marketing Puffery"
You've probably seen those late-night commercials promising you can lose 30 pounds in a week by wearing a special belt. Most of that is "puffery." It’s legal-ish exaggeration. But the Liver King case is different because it was built on a very specific, documented lie that directly influenced people to spend money on his beef organs and protein powders.
The legal argument against him is that he committed consumer fraud.
- False Advertising: Selling a lifestyle that is physically impossible to achieve through the products being sold.
- Deceptive Practices: Failing to disclose that his results were chemically assisted.
- Unfair Competition: Gaining an edge over honest supplement companies by using "fake" results.
Honestly, the FTC doesn't play around. While they don't usually "arrest" people in the traditional sense, they can strip a person of every cent they made from the deception. Look at what happened to other fitness influencers who crossed the line. The government prefers to take your money rather than pay to feed you in jail.
The Apology and the Rebrand
After the leak, Johnson posted a video. He looked tired. He looked human. He admitted he "f***ed up" and acknowledged that he had been lying to his millions of followers. He claimed he started the steroids because he felt the pressure of the "Liver King" persona and was struggling with his own insecurities.
It was a classic PR move. Soft lighting. Contrite tone.
Did it work? Sorta. He’s still posting. He’s still "primal." But the aura is gone. The "arrested" searches spiked again during this time because many people believed his confession was a precursor to a criminal indictment for selling controlled substances or something similar. But since he wasn't dealing the steroids—just using them—the criminal aspect stayed off the table.
The Health Reality Nobody Talks About
While everyone focuses on the drama and the potential for a Liver King arrested headline, the actual danger was the message he sent to young men.
The "Tenets" are actually pretty good advice on their own:
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- Sleep
- Eat (whole foods)
- Move
- Shield (avoid toxins)
- Connect (with nature)
- Cold (cold plunges)
- Sun
- Fight
- Bond
The problem? He made people believe these things could override biology.
Medical experts like Dr. Layne Norton have been vocal about the dangers of the Liver King's specific "raw meat" diet. Eating raw organs carries a significant risk of bacterial infections like E. coli or Salmonella. When you combine that with the heart strain caused by the massive amounts of growth hormone Johnson was taking, you have a recipe for a medical emergency, not "optimal health."
Looking at the Financial Fallout
If you want to know where the real "arrest" is happening, look at his bank account. Before the scandal, Ancestral Supplements and Heart & Soil were reportedly bringing in over $100 million a year.
That is staggering.
The lawsuits seek to claw back a significant portion of that. When a judge orders you to pay out $25 million, it feels a lot like being "arrested" in terms of your lifestyle. He’s gone from the untouchable king of fitness to a cautionary tale taught in marketing classes.
What Happens Next for Brian Johnson?
Is the Liver King done? Probably not. The internet has a short memory, and there is always a new "ancestral" trend around the corner. He has pivoted slightly, focusing more on his "natty" journey (though critics still doubt his current status) and trying to lean back into the "Nine Tenets" without the shadow of the needle.
But the stigma remains.
If you are following him for health advice, you have to take it with a grain of salt—or a pound of raw liver. The lesson here isn't that he was a criminal in the eyes of the law, but that he was a master of a specific kind of modern deception: the curated "organic" life that is actually fueled by labs and needles.
Actionable Takeaways for the Primal-Curious
If you actually like the idea of ancestral living but don't want to get scammed, here is how you navigate the noise:
- Question the "Extreme": If an influencer looks like a comic book character, they are likely using "assistance." Human biology has limits.
- Consult a Dietitian: Before eating raw organs, talk to a professional. There are much safer ways to get those nutrients (like cooked liver, which is actually delicious if you prepare it right).
- Focus on the Free Tenets: You don't need a $60 bottle of supplements to get sun, sleep 8 hours, or walk outside barefoot. Those are free.
- Verify the Source: Look for third-party testing on any supplement you buy. If the "face" of the brand is also the only "proof" it works, run.
- Check Legal Filings: If you're genuinely curious about the status of public figures, sites like Pacer or local court dockets are better sources than a TikTok comment section.
The Liver King hasn't been hauled off to jail. He's just been caught in the biggest lie in fitness history. For many, that’s a sentence worse than a few nights in a cell—it’s the death of a brand he spent years building on a foundation of raw meat and hidden syringes.
Stay skeptical. Stay primal. But maybe, just maybe, cook your steak.