Brian Johnson, better known to the internet as the Liver King, basically built a multimillion-dollar empire on a lie. If you spent any time on Instagram or TikTok over the last few years, you saw him. He was the guy with the unrealistically chiseled abs, sprinting barefoot through the woods, and devouring raw bison liver like it was a slice of pizza. He preached a message of "ancestral living," claiming his physique was the result of nine "Ancestral Tenets"—things like sleep, sun, and eating raw organs. But when people started looking at the Liver King before after photos, the math didn't quite add up.
It was a spectacle. A bearded, hyper-masculine caricature of a caveman telling us that if we just ate enough bone marrow and worked out in the dirt, we could look like Greek gods.
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Then the emails leaked.
In late 2022, a fitness YouTuber named Derek from More Plates More Dates dropped a bombshell video. He revealed leaked emails from 2021 where Johnson explicitly detailed his $11,000-per-month steroid regimen. The world watched as the "natural" ancestral hunter was exposed as a guy who was basically a walking pharmacy. Honestly, it was one of the biggest scandals in fitness history, not because he used performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs), but because he used his "natural" status to sell millions of dollars in supplements to unsuspecting fans.
The Liver King Before After Timeline: From "Normal" Dad to Viral Sensation
Long before he was screaming "PRIMAL!" into a camera, Brian Johnson was just a guy who owned a supplement company called Ancestral Supplements. He wasn't always this hulking, vascular giant. If you dig back into his history—way before the Liver King persona was even a thought—you see a very different version of the man.
The early Liver King before after shots show a Brian Johnson who was already fit, sure, but he looked like a standard middle-aged guy who spent a lot of time at the gym. He had a decent build, but he didn't have that "blown up" look. He didn't have the skin thickness and extreme vascularity that usually signals the use of exogenous hormones. He looked like a guy who ate his steak and did his squats.
But then, around 2021, something shifted.
The transformation was aggressive. It wasn't just a bit of muscle gain; it was a total overhaul of his physiology. His shoulders became "capped," his midsection became incredibly dense, and his overall mass exploded. This was the version of Brian Johnson that launched onto social media. He claimed he reached this peak through raw meat and hard work. People wanted to believe it. We love a transformation story, especially one that suggests we can unlock some "primal" power hidden in our DNA.
What the Leaked Emails Revealed
When the curtain was pulled back, the reality was jarring. The leaked emails showed that while he was telling his followers that liver was the secret, he was actually using a cocktail of substances.
We're talking about:
- Omnitrope (Growth Hormone)
- Testosterone Cypionate
- Decca (Nandrolone)
- Winstrol
He was spending more on his monthly "stack" than most people spend on their mortgage. The emails weren't just vague mentions; they were clinical. He was asking for advice on dosages and complaining about side effects. It was a calculated, pharmaceutical-grade transformation masquerading as a return to nature.
Why the "Before" Matters More Than the "After"
When we talk about the Liver King before after, we usually focus on the muscles. But the "before" is actually the most relatable part of the story. It shows a man who was already successful but clearly wanted more. He wanted a brand.
Johnson has admitted that the Liver King was a character. He created it to sell a lifestyle. In a way, he was a marketing genius who flew too close to the sun. He took a seed of truth—that modern lifestyles are often sedentary and unhealthy—and wrapped it in a layer of extreme deception.
The psychological "after" is where things get messy. After the apology video—where he stood in front of a white background looking significantly more "human"—the brand took a massive hit. He didn't just lose credibility; he lost the trust of a community that genuinely looked up to him for health advice.
The Physical Toll of the Transformation
You can't do that to your body without consequences. Even though he’s still in incredible shape compared to the average person, the "after" of the scandal has seen him scale back.
He claimed he went "natty" (natural) after the exposure.
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Whether or not he’s truly 100% off everything is a debate for the Reddit forums, but you can see a difference in his recent videos. The extreme "pop" in his muscles has softened. His face looks less inflamed. This is the real Liver King before after that we should be studying: the transition from a chemically enhanced marketing machine back to a man trying to find a middle ground.
The Science of Why We Believed Him
Why did millions of people buy into the raw liver hype? It’s called the "Halo Effect." Because Johnson looked like the pinnacle of health and strength, people assumed his advice must be correct. If he says eating raw bull testicles makes you strong, and he’s the strongest guy in the room, our brains are wired to believe him.
Evolutionary psychology plays a role here too. We have a deep-seated nostalgia for a "simpler time." The idea that our modern woes—anxiety, obesity, lack of purpose—can be fixed by acting like our ancestors is incredibly seductive.
Johnson tapped into that.
He gave people a checklist. Sleep on the floor. Eat the liver. Shield yourself from Wi-Fi. It felt actionable. It felt real. The problem is that the most visible "result" of those tenets—his body—wasn't actually caused by them. It's the ultimate bait-and-switch.
The Cost of the Lie
The fallout wasn't just social media shame. There were massive lawsuits. Consumers felt cheated. If you bought "Beef Liver" capsules thinking they’d give you 1% of the Liver King’s physique, you were sold a false promise.
Interestingly, his supplement companies, Ancestral Supplements and Heart & Soil, are still around. They actually sell decent products. Desiccated organ supplements are a legitimate way to get nutrients if you can't stomach the real thing. But the marketing was built on a foundation of steroid-fueled lies.
What We Can Learn from the Liver King Saga
If there's one thing the Liver King before after debacle taught us, it's that if something looks too good to be true in the fitness world, it 100% is.
Nobody builds that much muscle in their 40s while maintaining 6% body fat without some "extra" help. It just doesn't happen. Biology has limits. Hormones have caps.
Actionable Insights for the "Primal" Curious:
- Prioritize Whole Foods, Not Just Organs: You don't need to eat raw liver to be healthy. High-quality proteins, fermented foods, and plenty of fiber will do more for your gut health than a viral TikTok trend.
- Be Skeptical of "Natural" Claims: If someone’s livelihood depends on them looking superhuman, they have a massive incentive to use PEDs. Look for "attainable" physiques for inspiration.
- The Tenets Are Actually Good (Mostly): Taking the steroids out of the equation, Johnson’s advice on sun exposure, movement, and sleep is actually solid. Just don't expect it to turn you into a 250-pound shredded beast overnight.
- Demand Transparency: Support creators who are honest about their journey. The "fake natty" era is hopefully coming to an end as audiences get smarter about what’s possible without chemistry.
- Focus on Longevity: Extreme transformations often come with extreme health risks. Aim for a "before and after" that results in better blood markers and joint health, not just a bigger social media following.
The Liver King story is a modern-day Icarus tale. He flew toward the sun on wings made of testosterone and growth hormone, and when the wax melted, he fell hard. He’s still around, still eating liver, and still shouting "Primal," but the world is looking at him through a much clearer lens now. The transformation was real, but the method was a myth.