Joe Rogan Accuses Dwayne Johnson & Others of 'Not Being Clean'
In what is surely a sad day for fans of Hairy Jeremy-style beards, the internet’s paleo king, the Liver King, has admitted that his $100 million a year empire was – at least partly – built on lies. Contrary to what he has previously maintained, the Liver King has and does indeed still take steroids.
Through chowing down on testicles, bone marrow and, yes, raw liver, the Liver King has built an empire advocating a return to what he calls ‘ancestral living’, recruiting his wife (HRH the Liver Queen) and their children to abide by the ‘nine ancestral tenants’: to eat, sleep, move, shine, connect, cold, sun, fight, and bond. Now Liver King – real name Brian Johnson, 45 (not the AC/DC singer) – has been caught out after emails leaked in which he tried to buy steroids.
“I fucked up. I’m embarrassed and ashamed,” he explained in a confessional apology video posted to YouTube. "I am as sorry as a man can be," he added, after admitting taking 120 mg of testosterone per week, but denying rumours such as having ab implants and plastic surgery.
The Liver King said his steroid use is monitored by a trained hormone clinician, and blamed his use on insecurity, citing the pressures of social media and unexpected public exposure. He claims to have tried multiple peptide hormones in an effort to increase his levels of growth hormone. After that didn't work, he tried the pharmaceutical grade growth hormone, which finally balanced his testosterone levels after feeling not his best physically and mentally at the age of 43.
Of course, going to see a physician if you’re not feeling your best, and experimenting with treatments that might help, is a smart move. According to Harvard University, “Growth hormone (GH) is a small protein that is made by the pituitary gland and secreted into the bloodstream.” GH is usually produced at night, with levels increased following exercise, trauma, and sleep, with production declining from middle age. “Adults with bona fide GH deficiencies benefit from GH injections. They enjoy protection from fractures, increased muscle mass, improved exercise capacity and energy, and a reduced risk of future heart disease,” the Harvard authors write.
Alongside genuine medical concerns, this unfortunately makes GH (or HGH) a prime candidate for athletes wanting a little edge. “Adults who are GH deficient get larger muscles, more energy, and improved exercise capacity from replacement therapy,” the piece continues noting that despite it being banned by the International Olympic Committee, Major League Baseball, the National Football League, and the World Anti-Doping Agency, GH abuse is rife.
The Harvard piece also explores GH’s effect on ageing, pointing to a study review in which a total of 220 subjects received GH against a control group of 227 who didn’t receive steroids. On average, “the treated individuals gained an average of 4.6 pounds of lean body mass, and they shed a similar amount of body fat.” In other words, they were well on their way to the Liver King physique.
In the UK, anabolic steroids are illegal without a prescription and misuse can lead to infertility, hair loss, back spots, stomach pain, and an increased use of prostate cancer, to name a few less savoury side effects.
Speculation about whether the Liver King might be stripped of his crown and titles is moot at this point, but his admissions have sparked a larger conversation around steroid use, with usually reticent podcast host Joe Rogan popping his head above the parapet to opine that celebrities such as The Rock and Chris Hemsworth may also be juicing.
“The Rock should come clean right now,” Rogan joked in a recent show with Derek from the YouTube channel More Plates More Dates, before adding, “There’s not a fucking chance in hell he’s clean, not a chance in hell as big as The Rock is at 50… The point is you can’t even get there with HRT [hormone replacement therapy]. That’s not HRT. He is so massive and he’s so different than he was when he was 30.”
According to the NHS, HRT is typically a treatment to relieve symptoms of the menopause. Less frequently it can be used by men when “your body is unable to produce a sufficient amount of hormones itself to maintain normal function. As one of the functions of the testes is to produce testosterone, which maintains male characteristics and sexual function, this needs to be replaced with life long medication.”
However, the site does explain that HRT is usually required when one or both testicles have been removed, and can be applied in monthly injections, gels or patches. With testosterone being vital for muscle growth, and testosterone levels declining in men from as early as the age of 30, it’s clear why men who want to build disproportionate size into middle age might need help.
As a footballer player, then a wrestler and actor, Dwayne Johnson’s physicality has been at the forefront of three careers. And while he’s always been jacked, it arguably wasn’t until 2013’s Pain & Gain – filmed when Johnson was in his early 40s and played an uber-jacked bodybuilder – that he first appeared as physically massive as he is today. Of course, The Rock has never confirmed or denied taking steroids, but the impression is very much that his physique is built through hard-work and smart nutrition alone. When you have a dream gym on your property, access to the best information and experts around, and all the money in the world, who’s to say what’s possible.
Rogan’s conversation then turned to whether Chris Hemsworth took steroids for Thor: Love And Thunder, and Mickey Rourke being open about taking steroids in his late 50s for The Wrestler. Rogan also alludes to another actor who got jacked for a superhero movie and requested another interviewer not ask him about drug use prior to an interview. Hugh Jackman as Wolverine was also mentioned, with Rogan mentioning Jackman said his body will be CG’d for his return in the upcoming Deadpool 3.
Of course, Rogan himself has been open about his own use of steroids, and reiterated his stance on his show. “There’s a responsibility you have to people who are listening to you. If you don’t want to talk about it that’s one thing but if you do talk about it… you have to be honest,” he said. “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with taking hormone replacement. I think it’s actually wise. I feel healthier, I feel way better… I started doing it when I was 37/38… I don’t think it’s wrong, but you gotta be honest.”
The issue – as Rogan and the Liver King mention – is that many might feel the Liver King brand is built on lies, despite Johnson’s claim that his supplement brands were already growing at pace before he became famous. Ultimately, he has cited his desire to help men as the reason behind the Liver King persona, stating that he began publicising his ancestral training to give young men a system to fight back against depression, suicide and other issues leading to feelings of hopelessness. “This is my fight, this is why I exist,” he said.
Motivating factors aside, the Liver King says in justifying his use to himself he asked “I’m not a competitive athlete of any kind, so who the fuck am I cheating?” The same could be said of actors. Yet, as Rogan and Derek debate, hiding steroid use is seen as misleading, while openly admitting to it can be seen as setting a bad example, and placing further pressure on body ideals.
Whatever your stance on shirtless brows chowing down on raw offal, the bigger question is what is wrong with society that makes men, and especially men in their 50s, feel like they have to build a certain type of body, whatever the cost? Something to chew on indeed.
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