Last Updated on May 21, 2023 by Michael Brockbank
Recently, the so-called, “Liver King” was outed as being a fraud in the fitness world. Instead of promoting his physique as natural, it was discovered through email that he is actually on a series of performance enhancers and steroids. Why does it matter?
Well, it matters to all of the people who looked to him as inspirational while buying his supplements and following his philosophies. Due to the Liver King being outed, a lot of people are questioning his intentions.
Though, not as many as you might think.
Who Is the Liver King?
The Liver King is a social media “celebrity” who touted himself as being naturally muscular while sustaining a diet of raw meats (including raw liver) and grueling workouts. He lives by the “Ancestral Tenets,” which is essentially living life as our ancestors would if they lived in today’s society.
Well, without the steroids, anyway.
He has a large following on various social platforms where he inspires others to live a good life. Although a lot of his messaging does have validity, it’s the lies he told about gaining his overall physique that angered many.
Liver King Outed as Fake Natty
It’s not necessarily because the man is on enhancing drugs. It’s because of what he represented and how he duped people into buying his products.
In essence, it’s false advertising. Often times he influenced many with the idea that if they want to look like him, they need to do what he does and take what he takes. And all of this under the guise of being “natty.”
Below is a video from Simon Miller, a fitness creator on the YouTube platform. He breaks down the Liver King and what it means to the many followers of the fake influencer.
To boil it all down, it’s merely a case of saying one thing while doing another. It’s actually quite common in the fitness industry and is usually accommodated by selling products of some kind.
It’s the, “buy this and look like me,” story that we’ve all heard hundreds of times over the years. Hell, I remember back in the 90s that Nike commercials would heavily imply that you could jump like Michael Jordan if you wore their shoes.
So, this bait-and-switch isn’t a new thing.
In fact, I also remember many companies being sued over the years for false advertising. Unfortunately, our laws here in the United States aren’t equipped for when social media influencers and personalities push the boundaries the same way.
Especially when you consider the FDA doesn’t really monitor dietary supplements as it does for other consumable products.
Apologizing to His Fanbase
After the email surfaced that demonstrated how the Liver King was on steroids, YouTube and other social outlets exploded with the news. Shortly thereafter, the man himself made an apology video taking responsibility and giving a reason behind why he does what he does.
Though, personally, I find the apology a bit flimsy. To me, it’s more of a man trying to play damage control because he doesn’t want to lose an incredible amount of income.
Then again, I’m not a fan, either. I’m sure a lot of people will continue to toss money his way regardless.
I do have to give him credit, though. At least he fest up to the steroid usage and claimed responsibility. That’s probably one of the biggest things that set the Liver King apart from many other fitness “influencers” out there.
Instead of giving an excuse or playing it down, he seemed to have given a great deal of thought to the apology.
Still, perhaps it’s the cynic in me, I wouldn’t trust him to mow my lawn…and it’s currently nothing but dirt. However, a big part of that is because I don’t trust many influencers, especially ones who are constantly pushing a product.
The Liver King Will Be Just Fine
Is this the end of the Liver King? I highly doubt it. In fact, his daily estimated YouTube video views have increased by over 27 times since the news broke that he was on steroids! Not to mention that his subscriber list continues to grow at a decent clip.
You can literally see when shit hit the fan for the Liver King.

Now, I can guess why the video views have shot up exponentially since the news. Everyone is curious, news outlets are embedding content, and some people are hate watching.
Seriously, the news about the Liver King is all over the place.
But as for steroid use hurting his career, I highly doubt it’ll make an impact. His supporters are ardent fans and will continue to follow his tenets and buy his products.
I only wish I had a fraction of those kinds of numbers. Then again, I don’t really make a lot of videos on YouTube at the moment.
It’s Difficult to Trust Any Influencer Nowadays
I’ve never been one to really throw my lot in with any fitness influencer. Sure, there are a few people I watch on YouTube, but I am very selective as to who gets my attention.
In fact, I can’t name a single fitness guru that I’ve watched where I tried their workouts or products. Mostly because I like to develop my own routines based on what I find works best for me.
That’s the key behind all of this, really. If you get something out of the Liver King, Simon Miller, or any other fitness influencer, then that’s all that really matters.
Just remember to take what they say with an open mind. Blindly following someone who appears to live a better life than your own could have some background secrets that put them over the edge they don’t want you to know.
Since I base all of my fitness knowledge on personal experience and science, I can avoid being duped by most of these influencers who are looking to make a buck.
I’m not saying that you should avoid all fitness influencers like the Liver King as the reincarnation of Typhoid Mary. But you should still keep a close eye on how the magic trick is performed. Watch what both hands are doing.
What Are Your Thoughts of the Liver King?
Some fitness influencers can provide a lot of positive energy and motivation. It’s when these people flat-out lie about how they’ve achieved their success is when I have an issue.
In any case, there’s nothing wrong with following these influencers as long as you’re getting something out of the experience. If that’s what floats your boat, then so be it.
Just make sure you’re doing so for the right reasons.