Netflix is releasing the latest installment of its often compelling, sometimes controversial, docuseries “Untold.” This time, the subject is Brian Johnson, the man who carved a path to internet notoriety as the “Liver King,” a persona built on a foundation of raw organ meat, grueling workouts, and a self-proclaimed “ancestral lifestyle.” Directed by Joe Pearlman, known for his intimate portrayals of complex figures like those in the documentaries Robbie Williams and Lewis Capaldi: How I’m Feeling Now.
Johnson, with his wild beard, spear-throwing antics, and a physique seemingly carved from granite, became an inescapable online presence, preaching a return to primitive living to escape the perceived ills of modernity. The “Untold” series itself has a track record of tackling provocative sports and cultural narratives, from Jake Paul’s turn to boxing in Untold: Jake Paul the Problem Child to the controversies surrounding figures like Brett Favre, often exploring the complex interplay of fame, scandal, and public perception.
Building an Ancestral Empire on Raw Meat and Rhetoric
Brian Johnson’s metamorphosis into the Liver King was nothing short of radical. He declared the old Brian Johnson essentially defunct, entirely replaced by this new primal identity forged through the adoption of an “Ancestral Lifestyle” and a developed taste for eating raw liver. This wasn’t just a diet; it was a worldview. Johnson positioned modern life as a “human zoo,” a cage of comfort leading to widespread diseases of civilization – diabetes, heart disease, obesity – and hormonal disruptions, evidenced by declining fertility rates. His antidote was a return to the supposed ways of our hunter-gatherer ancestors, codified in his “Nine Ancestral Tenets.”
These tenets formed the bedrock of his philosophy, relentlessly promoted across social media. The principles included prioritizing natural sleep cycles, consuming whole, unprocessed foods (especially raw organ meat), engaging in natural movement, shielding from modern “dangers” like Wi-Fi, connecting with nature, deliberate cold exposure, seeking sun exposure, embracing challenges (“Struggle”), and strengthening social bonds (“Connect”). This philosophy, combined with Johnson’s visually arresting content – shirtless sprints through forests, graphic consumption of raw organs, feats of strength – proved irresistible to the algorithms governing platforms like TikTok and Instagram. His fame exploded in 2021, landing him appearances on major podcasts like Logan Paul’s. Millions were captivated. It wasn’t merely despite the extremity of his message that Johnson found success; it was arguably because of it. The shock value inherent in his lifestyle, particularly the raw meat consumption, was perfectly calibrated for viral dissemination. In the crowded attention economy of social media, where novelty and controversy drive engagement, the Liver King’s radical performance cut through the noise precisely because it was so outlandish and visually potent.
What “Untold: The Liver King” Promises to Expose
Director Joe Pearlman admits that he, like many, was initially “mesmerized” by the Liver King phenomenon when it flooded his feed. “Untold: The Liver King” features interviews not only with Johnson but also with his family and business partners or former associates, achieving intimate access and multiple perspectives.
The Persona as Product
The Liver King persona was never just about lifestyle philosophy; it was inextricably fused with a burgeoning commercial enterprise. Johnson’s companies, Ancestral Supplements LLC and The Fittest Ever LLC, formed the financial backbone of his empire. His own formidable physique, which he relentlessly attributed solely to his ancestral diet and tenets, served as the most potent advertisement for the supplements sold under his brand. These products, often freeze-dried organ meat in capsule form sourced from grass-fed cows, promised consumers a convenient way to access the purported benefits of the primal diet without having to stomach raw liver themselves. The brand brilliantly tapped into contemporary anxieties about modern life, health, and masculinity, yet it was delivered through the most modern of means: sophisticated social media marketing, influencer collaborations, and a direct-to-consumer online business model. This reveals a central paradox: a critique of the “human zoo” of modern convenience being leveraged to build a multi-million dollar commercial operation using the very tools of digital capitalism. The subsequent revelation of steroid use, therefore, wasn’t just a personal failing or a white lie; it struck at the heart of his entire value proposition. It exposed the core marketing message – achieving his physique naturally through ancestral living and supplements – as a fundamental deception. The documentary will likely dissect this inherent contradiction, presenting a compelling case study in how authenticity itself, even an anti-modern version of it, can be commodified and marketed within the very systems it purports to reject.
Steroids, Lies, and a Lawsuit
The Liver King’s carefully constructed world began to publicly unravel in November and December 2022. Leaked emails surfaced indicating Johnson was spending approximately $11,000 a month on a cocktail of performance-enhancing drugs, including anabolic steroids and human growth hormone (HGH). This bombshell directly contradicted years of vehement denials where Johnson insisted his physique was purely the result of his extreme diet and ancestral practices. Facing a wave of online backlash from betrayed followers and skeptical onlookers, Johnson issued a public apology. “I misled you,” he admitted in a video statement. “I got caught up in the game and I lied.” The admission confirmed the hypocrisy at the core of his brand. The fallout extended beyond public opinion. A $25 million class-action lawsuit was filed against Johnson and his companies by plaintiff Christopher Altomare. The suit alleged deceptive marketing practices, fraud, and accused Johnson of promoting a “dangerous and life-threatening diet” based on raw organs that potentially caused foodborne illnesses. The central argument was that consumers were duped into buying supplements based on Johnson’s fraudulent claims of achieving his physique naturally. While this potentially precedent-setting lawsuit regarding influencer accountability was eventually withdrawn, the damage was done. Johnson’s credibility was shattered, his reputation “irreparably damaged” or facing “irreversible” harm. The legal system’s conclusion seemed almost secondary; the decisive verdict had already been rendered in the court of public opinion, triggered by the exposure of the lie and Johnson’s own forced confession.
“Untold: The Liver King” Addresses the Anatomy of Online Influence
“Untold: The Liver King” appears poised to use Johnson’s story as a lens through which to examine the broader landscape of modern online influence. Director Joe Pearlman explicitly aims for this, highlighting the phenomenon of individuals reaching massive audiences with minimal oversight.
“Untold: The Liver King” enters a media landscape already familiar with the broad strokes of Brian Johnson’s rise and fall. The critical question is whether the documentary delivers on Pearlman’s promise to uncover a truth “even crazier” than imagined. Does it offer genuinely new revelations or deeper psychological insights beyond the established facts of the steroid scandal and subsequent fallout?
“Untold: The Liver King” arrives as a potent case study of the wild dynamics of 21st-century fame. It dissects the meticulous construction of an online identity, the potent fusion of lifestyle guru and commercial brand, and the inevitable reckoning when the chasm between projection and reality becomes too vast to ignore. Brian Johnson’s story is a vivid illustration of how charisma, extreme content, and algorithmic savvy can build an empire – and how quickly that empire can crumble under the weight of its own contradictions.
Despite the scandal and public admission, Johnson maintains a significant online presence, albeit with a modified message that now includes conventionally healthy foods like fruits and vegetables alongside his primal staples. It remains to be seen whether this documentary serves as a definitive post-mortem on the peak Liver King era or merely another chapter in his ongoing narrative.
Where to Watch “Untold: The Liver King”
