Latest news with #ConantheBarbarian
UPI
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- UPI
Watch: Jason Momoa faces battle in 'Chief of War' teaser
1 of 5 | Jason Momoa's "Chief of War" arrives on Apple TV+ Aug. 1. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo May 21 (UPI) -- Apple TV+ is teasing Chief of War starring Jason Momoa, who also writes and executive produces the historical drama. "Set amidst the beautiful backdrop of the islands of Hawai'i, the nine-episode series, based on true events, follows warrior Ka'iana, portrayed by Momoa, as he tries to unify the islands before Western colonization in the late 18th century," an official synopsis reads. "Are you still the chief who desires peace over war?" asks Ka'ahumanu (Luciane Buchanan) in the teaser released Wednesday. "Not today," he says. Temuera Morrison, Te Ao o Hinepehinga, Cliff Curtis, Kaina Makua, Moses Goods, Siua Ikale'o, Brandon Finn, James Udom, Mainei Kinimaka, Te Kohe Tuhaka and Benjamin Hoetjes also star. The first pair of episodes arrive on the streamer Aug. 1, with weekly shows arriving after that. Jason Momoa's career: epic action roles and red carpets Jason Momoa (C), a cast member in "Conan the Barbarian," attends the premiere of the film with his girlfriend at the time, actress Lisa Bonet (R), and her daughter with Lenny Kravitz, actress Zoe Kravitz, at the Regal Theatre in Los Angeles on August 11, 2011. Bonet and Momoa have two children together, daughter Lola Iolani and son Nakoa-Wolf Manakauapo Namakaeha Momoa. Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo
News18
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
Who Is Liver King? All About Brian Johnson, His Steroids Controversy, And Netflix Documentary
Last Updated: Brian Johnson gained notoriety on social media for consuming raw meat and pulling off odd strength feats. Do you have trouble deciding what to watch on TV? We have a fantastic recommendation for anyone who wants to immerse themselves in something fascinating: Untold: The Liver King, the most recent documentary on Netflix, which debuted on May 13. The documentary explores the rise and fall of American social media influencer Brian Johnson, also known as the Liver King. He became famous for promoting an 'ancestral lifestyle." This lifestyle involved eating raw meat, especially organ meats like liver. He also followed nine 'ancestral tenets." These tenets encouraged behaviours like eating raw food, exposing oneself to cold and sunlight, and doing intense physical activity. His bold and unusual habits attracted a large following online. But in 2022, Johnson was exposed for using steroids. He had previously denied it, which led to a backlash and a sharp decline in his reputation. Watch the trailer here: Who Is Brian Johnson And How Did He Become Liver King? Brian Johnson, a 48-year-old father of two who became a social media celebrity, goes by the moniker 'The Liver King." Before becoming well-known as a social media influencer, Johnson worked in the supplement and pharmaceutical industries and studied biochemistry. Originally from Texas, he started making waves on social media in early 2016 by advocating for an all-natural diet that mostly consisted of raw, unprocessed beef livers, testicles, tongues, and other organs, as well as bone broth and uncooked eggs. As he bragged about the advantages of his diet, which he called the 'ancestral diet," Johnson was seen in video after video demonstrating his sinewy, muscled body pulling 4X4s, walking underwater with kettlebells, and bench-pressing his wife, Liver Queen. According to the Netflix documentary, he became passionate about his body after his father passed away when he was a young child. Additionally, he was raised admiring films like Conan the Barbarian and Rambo. His story was made much more attractive on social media by the fact that his kids, Stryker and Rad, had been ill as children and that their ailments had been resolved by adopting a diet high in organs. The Rise Of Liver King The Liver King quickly established a fully-fledged digital empire and lifestyle brand centred on the 'ancestral lifestyle" with the aid of his wife, Barbara (the Liver Queen), and his two kids, who started sharing content under the aliases 'Liver Boy Rad" and 'Stryker the Barbarian." He accumulated millions of fans and made appearances on podcasts with Logan Paul and others, promoting his 'ancestral lifestyle" and Ancestral Supplements. This turned out to be a $100 million industry, according to the documentary. The Decline Many, however, questioned whether Johnson's toned physique was due to his ancestral diet and lifestyle rather than steroids, as is the case with many health influencers. In his videos, he would appear shirtless and dispel rumours that his strong physique was the result of using steroids. The nine principles of the 'ancestral life," he said, were sufficient: sleep, eat, move, connect, shield (avoid excessive exposure to WiFi and electromagnetic fields), cold, sun, fight (accept difficulties both mentally and physically), and bond. Health professionals expressed worries about his diet as well, particularly over the consumption of raw meat, which they said would boost his risk of heart disease, high cholesterol, and stomach problems. Johnson, however, denied using performance-enhancing substances or steroids on numerous occasions. 'I don't touch the stuff. I've never done the stuff. I'm not going to do the stuff," he said in 2022 on Mark Bell's Power Project podcast. But when a blood test and email leak appeared on the fitness YouTuber 'More Plates More Dates" channel in 2022, his fame fell apart. The Liver King was found to be covertly taking $11,000 worth (about Rs 9 lakh) of steroids per month. Three days later, Johnson confessed to injecting human growth hormone (HGH) and steroids in a video titled 'Liver King Confession… I Lied." Shortly after apologising, he stopped using social media. That was not the end of it, either, as he was hit with a $25 million lawsuit for deceit and fraud. The case against Johnson was withdrawn in March 2023, but his reputation was ruined. The Aftermath top videos View all Following the controversy, Johnson withdrew from the public glare; since mid-March, he has solely posted on Instagram, X, and TikTok to promote the documentary. In the Netflix film, he also discloses that he has changed his diet and quit using performance-enhancing substances. He no longer follows a rigorous carnivorous diet and has been eating fruits and vegetables. In the upcoming years, he intends to open 302 wellness retreats while continuing to live by his ancestral principles. Watch India Pakistan Breaking News on CNN-News18. Get Latest Updates on Movies, Breaking News On India, World, Live Cricket Scores, And Stock Market Updates. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated! Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: May 17, 2025, 15:24 IST News explainers Who Is Liver King? All About Brian Johnson, His Steroids Controversy, And Netflix Documentary
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First Post
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- First Post
Netflix's Liver King: Who is Brian Johnson, the health influencer who promoted eating raw meat?
He became famous on social media for eating raw meat and performing bizarre feats of strength. American influencer Brian Johnson, also known as The Liver King, amassed a massive following and built a business empire worth millions of dollars. But it came tumbling down with a steroid scandal. He's now the subject of Netflix's new documentary — 'Untold: The Liver King' read more The Liver King, aka Brian Johnson, is the subject of Netflix's latest documentary, Untold: The Liver King, which explores the rise and fall of the fitness influencer who built an empire by eating raw organs and taking on intense fitness challenges, before being caught lying about his steroid use. Image Courtesy: Netflix Are you flummoxed on what to watch on television? For those looking to sink their teeth into something interesting, we have an excellent pick for you — Netflix's latest documentary, Untold: The Liver King, which premiered on May 13. The examines the rise and fall of American social media influencer Brian Johnson, widely known as the Liver King, who rose to fame for promoting an 'ancestral lifestyle' centred around consuming raw meat, particularly organ meats like liver, and adhering to nine 'ancestral tenets' emphasising practices like raw food consumption, exposure to cold and sun, and intense physical activity. And then crashed and burned in 2022 for being caught lying about his steroid use. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Untold: The Liver King premieres May 13. He built an online fitness empire by devouring raw meat and promoting an all-natural lifestyle. Now he, his family, and business partners unravel his rapid rise to fame and subsequent backlash once a steroid scandal came to light. — Netflix (@netflix) April 22, 2025 Here's what you need to know about the Liver King, his dethroning, and where he is now. Brian Johnson becomes the Liver King The Liver King is a moniker for Brian Johnson, a 48-year-old father of two who transformed himself into a social media sensation. Before his fame as a social media influencer, Johnson studied biochemistry and worked in the pharmaceutical and supplement sectors. A Texan, he began to find success on social media in early 2016 by promoting an all-natural diet comprised primarily of bone broth, uncooked eggs, and raw, unprocessed beef livers, testicles, tongues, and other organs. Video after video showed a muscled-ridden and sinewy Johnson performing bizarre feats of strength, such as dragging 4X4s, walking underwater with kettlebells, and bench-pressing his wife Liver Queen, all while bellowing the benefits of the diet he followed — which he termed as the 'ancestral diet'. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In the Netflix documentary, he states that his passion for his body came following the death of his father when he was a toddler. Moreover, he grew up idolising movies such as Rambo and Conan the Barbarian. What made his tale even more compelling on social media was that his sons Rad and Stryker suffered persistent poor health during their childhoods, and that switching to an organ-heavy diet had cured their ills. The rise and rise of Liver King Soon, with the help of his wife, Barbara (the Liver Queen), and his two sons – who began to share content as 'Liver Boy Rad' and 'Stryker the Barbarian' – the Liver King built a full-fledged digital empire and lifestyle brand based on the 'ancestral lifestyle.' He amassed millions of followers, appeared on podcasts hosted by Logan Paul and others wherein he promoted his 'ancestral lifestyle' and his Ancestral Supplements. The documentary reveals that this became a $100 million business. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Brian Johnson, aka The Liver King, enjoyed a meteoric rise in the early 2020s by posting videos of himself performing bizarre feats of strength. Image Courtesy: Netflix The dramatic fall of Liver King But as is the case with many health influencers, many questioned whether Johnson's ripped body was the result of his ancestral diet and lifestyle and not steroids. Appearing shirtless in his videos, he would trash theories linking his muscular form to the use of steroids. He insisted that the nine tenets of the 'ancestral life' — sleep, eat, move, shield (avoid excessive exposure to WiFi and electromagnetic fields), connect, cold, sun, fight (embrace physical and mental challenges), and bond — were enough. Health experts also raised concerns about his diet, especially on the issue of consuming raw meat, stating that this practice would increase the risk of high cholesterol, heart disease and digestive issues. But Johnson repeatedly denied using steroids or performance-enhancing drugs. He told Mark Bell's Power Project podcast in 2022: 'I don't touch the stuff. I've never done the stuff. I'm not going to do the stuff.' However, his fame came crashing down on him in 2022 when an email and blood test leak was shared on the channel of fitness YouTuber 'More Plates More Dates'. It showed that the Liver King was secretly consuming $11,000 of steroids per month. Within three days, Johnson posted a YouTube video titled 'Liver King Confession… I Lied,' admitting that he had been injecting steroids and human growth hormone (HGH). STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'I never expected this exposure in the public eye, and it's been tricky as f**k to navigate,' he said, adding that he's 'as sorry as a man could be.' He promised to 'be better" moving forward. Soon after the apology, he retreated from social media. But that wasn't the end of it; he was slapped with a $25 million lawsuit, accusing him of fraud and deception. In March 2023, the case against Johnson was dropped; his reputation, however, was irreparably damaged. In the Netflix documentary, Johnson explained that he lied about his steroid use on social media because he believed he was still spreading the message of ancestral living. However, according to interviews in the documentary with Ben Johnson (CEO of a holding company for lifestyle brands) and John Hyland (CEO of a digital marketing company), both men told Netflix that Johnson had also lied to them about using steroids too. 'He told all of us, 'No.' It was very much like, 'No, steroids are not even a question.' So much so that we're creating parodies and content,' Hyland said in film. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD It all came crashing down for the Liver King in 2022 when it was revealed that he was taking steroids. Image Courtesy: Netflix Liver King's life post-scandal Following the scandal, Johnson retreated from the public eye — his only posts on TikTok, X, and Instagram since mid-March are to promote the documentary. In the Netflix movie, he reveals that he has also stopped taking performance-enhancing drugs as well as tweaked his diet. No longer does he adhere to a strict carnivore diet and has begun eating fruits and vegetables again. 'Vegetables and testicles, I can have all of it,' he says in the movie, while roaming the garden on his ranch. '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.' He adds, 'I guess I want the world to know I was wrong. I got all of it wrong… [An] extreme approach to anything probably ain't f**kin' working out.' However, he still lives by his ancestral tenets and also hopes to open 302 health retreats in the coming years. If you want the entire meaty story of The Liver King, we suggest you watch the Netflix documentary now. With inputs from agencies
New York Post
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Arnold Schwarzenegger cracks rare joke about Maria Shriver — and the film residuals she still asks for
He's got jokes. Arnold Schwarzenegger made a rare comment about ex-wife Maria Shriver while promoting his newest holiday movie, 'The Man With the Bag,' at Amazon's Upfront 2025 Presentation in New York City on Monday. The 77-year-old 'Terminator' star likened the upcoming flick to another Christmas classic he starred in, 'Jingle All the Way.' He then poked fun at Shriver, who filed for divorce from Schwarzenegger in 2011 after 25 years of marriage. Advertisement 8 Arnold Schwarzenegger made a rare comment about his ex-wife, Maria Shriver, on Monday while in New York City. GC Images 8 Shriver filed for divorce from the 'Terminator' star in July 2011 after 25 years of marriage. FilmMagic ''Jingle All the Way' was the greatest Christmas movie of all time,' he said during the event, per People. 'They play it the whole month of December.' Advertisement 'I know,' Schwarzenegger added, 'because my ex-wife calls me about the residual.' Schwarzenegger previously opened up about his split from Shriver, 69, in September 2023 before the release of his 'Be Useful: Seven Tools for Life' motivational book. 8 Schwarzenegger joked that Shriver still 'calls me about the residuals' for his 1996 holiday movie 'Jingle All the Way.' Getty Images 8 The 'Total Recall' star and Shriver on their wedding day on April 26, 1986, in Hyannis, Mass. Getty Images Advertisement Although Shriver filed for divorce from the 'Conan the Barbarian' star in 2011, the pair didn't finalize their split until December 2021. 'We never left the chapter,' he explained to People at the time. 'Because remember, it's not like we had a feud. We didn't have a fight. It's just my f–k up, right?' 'She said, 'Okay, this is what it is,' and then she decided to make a split,' Schwarzenegger continued, 'so it was her decision.' 8 A family picture of Christopher, Katherine, Christina and Patrick Schwarzenegger. Katherine Schwarzenegger/Instagram Advertisement 'But the fact is,' he added, 'we always made it very clear that the kids should not suffer because of that.' Shriver filed for divorce from Schwarzenegger two months after he revealed he fathered a secret son, Joseph Baena, now 27, in 1997 with the family's housekeeper, Mildred Baena. The 'Total Recall' actor and Shriver have four children together: Christopher, 27, Patrick, 31, Christina, 33, and Katherine, 35. Despite their split, the pair is still happy co-parents to their adult kids. 8 Schwarzenegger and Shriver during the 'Conan the Barbarian' actor's inauguration as governor of California in January 2007. AP 8 Schwarzenegger in 'Terminator 2: Judgement Day' in 1991. Everett Collection / Everett Collection 'My chapter with Maria will continue on forever,' the former governor of California said in September 2023. 'Even though it's a different relationship, there's no reason for me to feel anything other than love for her.' As for Shriver, she opened up about the couple's shocking split this year with the release of her 'I Am Maria' book. She called the divorce 'brutal,' and admitted that she was left 'terrified' in the wake of the 'devastating' and 'life-altering blow.' Advertisement 8 Shriver opened up about her split from Schwarzenegger in April with the release of her 'I Am Maria' book. Getty Images 'It broke my heart, it broke my spirit, it broke what was left of me,' the former journalist wrote. 'Without my marriage, my parents, a job – the dam of my lifelong capital-D Denial just blew apart.' 'Honestly, it was brutal,' she added, 'and I was terrified.' Advertisement Shriver also clarified that she is now in 'such a good place' after the initial shock of the divorce, and that she and Schwarzenegger are 'still in conversation' thanks to their children and grandchildren. 'We laugh a lot about our kids, our grandkids, ourselves, and we are proud of the fact that we are still in conversation,' she said in March. 'For almost 50 years!'
Gulf Today
13-05-2025
- Business
- Gulf Today
The reason why men are lifting weights more than ever
Ben Bryant, The Independent Paul Faulder is an enemy of cardio. 'It's a hangover from the Eighties,' he says. 'Cardio is dull as anything. I get bored out of my mind. For me, strength training feels like I'm building something that's going to last — whereas doing cardio just feels like burning fuel.' Some might find running appealingly meditative but for Faulder, there is nothing more mindful than perfecting the art of the incline dumbbell press. 'It is a real mindfulness-focused activity,' he explains. 'You pinch your shoulder blades back together. You point your elbows at 45 degrees. You start with the dumbbell over your wrists. Drive your heels through the floor. And now do your set. And by the end of it, you're adding the tempo of a one-second or three-second pause.' I am taking notes because Faulder is a gains guru. Only a few years ago, he was an 18-stone 'depressed Teletubby' with chronic pain. At the end of Covid-19, he decided to sign up with a personal trainer and fulfil a decades-old dream of becoming as jacked as Arnold Schwarzenegger in Conan the Barbarian. His pictures show that he has achieved his desire: four years on, he stands at six foot four with eight per cent body fat, and a body like a giant baggie of gleaming bronze conkers. 'The benefits it's brought me in business are just phenomenal,' he says. 'It's brought me a new level of mental clarity and focus. I've got loads of energy and people respond to that.' As the CEO of a tech company — Elixir software, which provides software to global pharmaceutical/biotech firms — Faulder has a demanding schedule. He has shaped his company in the image of his sculpted body: 'a lean, potent team that outperforms bloated, sluggish organisations.' And that includes requesting an unusual level of accountability for his board of directors. 'I've now got all my board having full blood panels,' he says. Wealthy businessmen used to be called fat cats for a reason: there was a time when men at the top of the status tree had a bulging waistline to match their wallets. These days, finance bros deadlift, wear slim-fit quarter-zips, idolise Patrick Bateman and post topless TikToks. Everywhere you look, male role models from neuroscientist Andrew Huberman and fitness influencer Chris Williamson to esteemed statistician Nassim Nicholas Taleb are extolling the benefits of lifting weights, and Gen Z is taking note. Record numbers of Britons are going to the gym, with a 'notable rise in the popularity of strength training', according to trade body UKActive. PureGym's annual statistical report found that a remarkable 89 per cent of 18- to 24-year-olds do some form of strengthening exercise every week. In 2022, ClassPass reported a 94 per cent increase in strength training class reservations compared to the previous year. 'Lately, there's a noticeable shift,' says Daniel Herman, a National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) fitness coach and founder of Finchley sports nutrition company Bio-Synergy. 'More men are asking for muscle-building programmes, even those who used to be all about running or cycling. There's a broader cultural interest in strength and a desire to look like they train. 'Leaner but more muscular' is a phrase I hear a lot. They're also often interested in optimising energy, mood, and longevity, not just aesthetics.' Most of Herman's clients are aged between 25 and 45, and in white-collar industries like finance, tech, law and startups. He sees different patterns in the people he coaches. 'Finance guys tend to want visible results fast. Think lean, defined, 'cover model' look,' he says. 'They like numbers and benchmarks: how much they lift, how much they weigh, their body fat percentage. Tech guys often come from a more sedentary baseline and want to undo the desk job.' He goes on to explain that many of these tech guys start with posture correction and general strength, then transition into hypertrophy — the growth of muscle — once they see initial progress. This represents a challenge to the brainless jock stereotype, which has deep roots. As far back as medieval Britain, men with muscles who toiled in the fields carried the signals of inferior class status on their bodies; physical frailty was a luxury of the effete aristocracy. Today, London's affluent elite are still shy when it comes to strength training. You can find them running or cycling, or perhaps doing high-intensity workouts like F45 and Barry's Bootcamp. Getting shredded is often framed as brutish, tragic or cringe – think Andrew Tate, Zac Efron, or Patrick Schwarzenegger in The White Lotus, whose twinky brother, tellingly, is almost killed by a protein shake. However, muscles remain an ambiguous symbol of male status. Nowhere is that clearer than in the minds of the most assiduous judges of men: women. A recent X/Twitter poll showed women two pictures of Olly Murs, who has recently undergone a bodily transformation. They were asked whether he was more attractive in his pudgy 'before' photo or his sculpted 'after' shot. The women overwhelmingly picked the former. Too much muscle, my female friends assure me, suggests someone who is vain, a try-hard lacking in spontaneity. The most popular heartthrobs of the current era are often built less like gladiators and more like Roman towel boys — see Timothée Chalamet, Harry Styles or Kit Connor. This is an outcome that confounds the kind of men who prefer the sureties of hard data to the mysterious and capricious desires of women. For them, the mounting evidence that the jocks were right all along is becoming harder to ignore – and now data-driven nerds from Bezos to Zuckerberg are defecting to meathead territory.
