The individual who sustained himself on a liver-based diet for over a decade has surprisingly renounced his carnivorous regimen, admitting he was ‘wrong’ in a revealing Netflix documentary.
For those unfamiliar with Brian Johnson, you might recognize him as the ‘Liver King’—the scantily-clad, muscular figure from Texas who showcases his consumption of animal organs to millions of social media followers while advocating a primal lifestyle.
The Netflix documentary, The Untold: The Liver King, offers a glimpse into Brian’s extreme lifestyle, characterized by tanks, muscles, rifles, trucks, bench presses, and explosions, all while endorsing a carnivore diet and a blunt manner of speaking.
His diet excludes fruits, vegetables, grains, and nearly everything except meat, poultry, or eggs—a regimen not recommended by most healthcare professionals, who warn it can lead to various cardiovascular and digestive issues.
This did not deter The Liver King, his ‘Liver Queen,’ and their two children from consuming bull testicles, tongue, thymus, bone marrow, kidneys, liver, and fertilized eggs raw daily for over 15 years.
A particularly unsettling scene in the documentary depicts Brian and his family slaughtering a bull and consuming its organs, following his ‘ancestral way’ doctrine, which he claimed addressed his sons’ health issues and allergies.
Amidst the literal blood and gore, the episode tracks Brian’s ascent and downfall, revealing the repercussions of the ‘steroids scandal’ that jeopardized his businesses, career, and reputation, amidst some unusual assertions—such as his claim of never getting sunburnt.
Nonetheless, his admission that he might have been ‘wrong’ about the carnivorous diet emerges as the documentary’s most startling revelation, even more so than a freezer stocked with cow testicles.
Detailing his background, Brian, born in 1978 in San Antonio, describes himself as a ‘runt’ during childhood and reflects on losing a father figure after his dad died at a young age.
He found solace in the gym, which he calls ‘the most beautiful f***ing playground,’ and was inspired by Arnold Schwarzenegger to become ‘the savage f***ing king that I always wanted to be.’
His organ-eating habit was sparked by Mark Sisson’s book, which he read while seeking solutions for his children’s anaphylactic shock, as he has frequently shared in podcasts.
“And that’s when I decided, holy sh**, organs are really f***ing awesome. I’m going to make a company with all nose-to-tail stuff,” he stated, which led him to establish Ancestral Supplements in 2016 and promote his ‘Nine Ancestral Tenets’ to his rapidly expanding audience.
Discussing his growing fame, he remarked: “I felt new levels of invisibility. That kind of feeling is dangerous.
“I used to hate my f***ing life, and now I’ve made my f***ing fortune.”
Soon, suspicions emerged regarding whether Johnson used steroids to maintain his muscular build, which he repeatedly denied, attributing his physique to the nine tenets instead.
The tenets include: ‘sleep’ (preferably on a wooden pallet), ‘eat’ (as one might expect), ‘move’, ‘shield’ (from Wi-Fi and cellphones), ‘connect’ (with the Earth, barefoot), ‘cold’ (by submerging in ice water), ‘sun’, ‘fight’, and ‘bond’ (with family).
He also refuted these allegations in an interview, asserting: “The question has always been, ‘Do you take steroids? Do you take [performance enhancing drugs]?’ The answer to that is no. I’ve always told the truth, I still tell the truth.”
This narrative collapsed in November 2022 when a YouTuber disclosed leaked emails indicating he was using performance-enhancing substances, costing approximately $10,000 monthly.
In the documentary, Brian reflected: “There’s no denying that man. I knew he got me.”
Following the leak, Johnson issued an apology, expressing his embarrassment and shame for having ‘lied and misled a lot of people.’
“Yes, I’ve done steroids and yes, I am on steroids monitored and managed by trained hormone clinicians,” he confessed.
The admission resulted in a backlash, with him being branded a fraud and a snake oil salesman.
When questioned by producers about misleading people, he candidly replied: “Absolutely. Yeah.”
He also revealed a surprising history of criminal activity at age 16, involving counterfeiting money, theft from his employer, and turning his apartment into a ‘chemistry lab’ for drugs.
“My perception of risk is becoming distorted,” he recalled of his younger years. “I just never got caught.”
In an unexpected turn at the documentary’s conclusion, Brian is shown foraging for berries and expressing gratitude for melon.
He explained: “I was so convinced all the carnivore stuff, that’s what you need to really kick ass in life. I’m convinced now that I was starving myself.
“I guess I want the world to know I was wrong. I got it wrong. I got all of it wrong. I think as each passing day goes by, I realize I don’t know s***. There’s a lot more that I don’t know than I do know. Like an extreme approach to anything probably ain’t f***ing working out.”
Aligning with his newfound understanding, he’s added a tenth tenet: ‘Evolve.’
Brian concluded: “People say s*** like ‘born again’, I don’t f**king know what.. How to describe it.. Other than I feel like I was just kind of meandering through, like I was the f***ing zombie of life.
“I was so intense and so focused on growth and numbers and getting the message out… I have this new freedom.
“I don’t have to lie about anything.”
Untold: The Liver King is available to stream on Netflix.