Did Liver King admit to using steroids?

Yes. In a December 2022 YouTube video, Brian Johnson confirmed using testosterone, trenbolone, growth hormone, and hCG after emails detailing his protocol were leaked publicly. He had previously denied any performance-enhancing drug use.

Is what Liver King used the same as TRT?

No. Clinical TRT involves FDA-approved testosterone at replacement doses under medical supervision. Johnson's confirmed protocol included trenbolone (a veterinary steroid with no approved human use), supraphysiologic testosterone, and growth hormone, which is closer to a competitive bodybuilding regimen.

Which celebrities have confirmed using TRT?

Joe Rogan has confirmed ongoing, physician-supervised TRT. Dwayne Johnson confirmed past adolescent steroid use but has not addressed current hormone therapy. Arnold Schwarzenegger confirmed steroid use during his 1970s bodybuilding career. Sylvester Stallone confirmed HGH use after a 2007 customs incident.

What are the health risks of trenbolone in humans?

Trenbolone is not approved for human use by the FDA. Studies in animal models and case reports in humans associate it with left ventricular hypertrophy, severely impaired HDL cholesterol, liver stress, elevated blood pressure, and psychiatric effects including aggression and anxiety.

How should someone start TRT safely?

The Endocrine Society recommends diagnosis based on symptoms plus at least two morning serum testosterone levels below 300 ng/dL. Treatment uses FDA-approved formulations at doses targeting the mid-normal range, with lab monitoring every 3-6 months for hematocrit, PSA, liver function, and lipids.

Brian Johnson (Liver King) Compared to Other Public TRT Figures

By HealthRX Medical Team

Published May 25, 2026Updated May 25, 2026Last reviewed May 25, 2026

At a glance

Status: Confirmed. Johnson admitted to anabolic steroid and hormone use in a December 2022 video after emails detailing his protocol were leaked.
Drugs confirmed: Testosterone, trenbolone, growth hormone (GH), and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG).
Estimated monthly spend (leaked): Roughly $11,000/month on his reported protocol.
Disclosure type: Forced admission after leaked evidence, not voluntary.
Comparison group: Joe Rogan (confirmed TRT), Dwayne Johnson (confirmed TRT with qualifications), Sylvester Stallone (confirmed HGH use), Arnold Schwarzenegger (confirmed historical steroid use).

The Liver King timeline: denial, leak, admission

For much of 2021 and 2022, Brian Johnson built a social media empire around raw organ consumption, primal movement, and what he called the "nine ancestral tenets." He repeatedly denied using performance-enhancing drugs when asked directly, attributing his muscular physique at age 45+ to liver, bone marrow, and sunlight exposure.

That story collapsed in November 2022 when fitness YouTuber Derek of More Plates More Dates published leaked emails between Johnson and a bodybuilding coach. The emails detailed a complex protocol including testosterone, trenbolone, growth hormone, hCG, and other compounds. Johnson's reported monthly spending on pharmaceuticals exceeded $11,000.

In a December 2022 YouTube video, Johnson confirmed the emails were authentic. "I lied," he stated. "I did steroids." The admission came only after documentary evidence had already been made public, a detail that separates his case from celebrities who disclosed voluntarily.

What Johnson confirmed he was taking

The leaked protocol reportedly included:

Testosterone (exogenous, supraphysiologic doses)
Trenbolone (a veterinary-grade anabolic steroid not approved for human use by the FDA)
Growth hormone (GH)
Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), commonly used to maintain testicular function during exogenous testosterone administration

This is not a standard TRT protocol. Clinical testosterone replacement typically targets serum levels of 400-700 ng/dL using FDA-approved formulations, with periodic monitoring of hematocrit, PSA, and lipid panels. Trenbolone has no approved human indication and carries significant hepatotoxic and cardiovascular risk. A 2020 systematic review of anabolic steroid misuse documented cardiac structural changes, dyslipidemia, and psychiatric effects among supraphysiologic users.

The HealthRX Medical Team notes that Johnson's protocol more closely resembles a bodybuilding "blast and cruise" regimen than clinical TRT. Grouping this under the TRT umbrella, as many media outlets did, blurs an important clinical distinction.

How other celebrities have handled TRT disclosure

Johnson's case gains context when placed alongside other public figures who have addressed testosterone or hormone use.

Joe Rogan: voluntary, ongoing transparency

Podcaster Joe Rogan has openly discussed his TRT use across multiple episodes of his show, describing it as physician-supervised replacement therapy he began in his late 30s. Rogan has been consistent: he uses testosterone at replacement doses, not supraphysiologic levels, alongside periodic blood work. His disclosure was voluntary and predates any public pressure.

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson: confirmed with limited detail

Dwayne Johnson acknowledged past steroid use as a teenager in a 2009 interview but has not confirmed or denied current TRT or hormone use. Media speculation about his physique is extensive, though Johnson himself has not made additional public disclosures. The HealthRX Medical Team classifies his current status as publicly unconfirmed beyond the adolescent admission.

Sylvester Stallone: confirmed HGH, legal incident

In 2007, Australian customs officials found 48 vials of human growth hormone in Stallone's luggage. He later told Time magazine that HGH is "nothing" and discussed its anti-aging applications. Stallone's disclosure came through a legal incident rather than voluntary admission, placing him closer to Johnson's pattern than Rogan's.

Arnold Schwarzenegger: confirmed historical use, era context

Schwarzenegger has confirmed steroid use during his competitive bodybuilding years in the 1970s, a period when such compounds were legal and widely available. His disclosure carries different weight because it refers to a prior era with different regulatory and cultural norms. He has spoken against steroid abuse in younger athletes.

The clinical difference between TRT and what Johnson used

Standard testosterone replacement therapy, as outlined by the Endocrine Society's 2018 clinical practice guidelines, involves:

Diagnosis of hypogonadism based on symptoms and at least two morning serum testosterone levels below 300 ng/dL
FDA-approved testosterone formulations (cypionate, enanthate, transdermal gel, or pellets)
Monitoring every 3-6 months for hematocrit, liver function, lipids, and PSA
Target serum testosterone in the mid-normal range (400-700 ng/dL)

Johnson's leaked protocol contained trenbolone, a 19-nortestosterone derivative with roughly five times the anabolic potency of testosterone. Trenbolone is associated with significant cardiovascular toxicity, including left ventricular hypertrophy, impaired HDL cholesterol, and elevated blood pressure. It also lacks the safety data that supports approved testosterone formulations. Adding exogenous growth hormone to this stack compounds cardiovascular and metabolic risk, including potential effects on insulin sensitivity and joint pathology.

The inclusion of hCG in Johnson's protocol is clinically recognizable. Physicians prescribing TRT sometimes add hCG at doses of 500-1 to 000 IU two to three times weekly to preserve intratesticular testosterone production and fertility. That single element of his regimen aligns with legitimate medical practice. The rest does not.

What the disclosure patterns reveal

Comparing these cases, a spectrum of disclosure emerges:

| Celebrity | Drug(s) confirmed | Disclosure type | Timing | |---|---|---|---| | Joe Rogan | Testosterone (replacement dose) | Voluntary, repeated | Ongoing since ~2010s | | Arnold Schwarzenegger | Anabolic steroids (historical) | Voluntary, retrospective | Decades after use | | Dwayne Johnson | Steroids (adolescent, past) | Voluntary, limited | 2009; no current updates | | Sylvester Stallone | HGH | Forced (customs seizure) | 2007 | | Brian Johnson (Liver King) | Testosterone, trenbolone, GH, hCG | Forced (leaked emails) | December 2022 |

The HealthRX Medical Team observes that forced disclosures carry different clinical implications than voluntary ones. When a public figure volunteers their TRT status (as Rogan has), it tends to come with details about medical supervision, dosing, and monitoring. When disclosure is forced, the protocol that surfaces is often more aggressive and less medically supervised than what the individual would have chosen to share.

This matters for public health messaging. A 2023 study in JAMA Network Open found that androgen use among U.S. men aged 18-45 has increased significantly, driven partly by social media influence. When influencers attribute pharmacologically assisted results to diet or lifestyle alone, it creates unrealistic expectations and may push followers toward unsupervised hormone use.

The HealthRX Medical Team take

Brian Johnson's case is the clearest modern example of why disclosure matters in the influencer-to-patient pipeline. His audience was not just watching entertainment. Many were buying his supplements and adopting his dietary protocols based on the premise that his physique was achievable without hormones. That premise was false.

From a clinical standpoint, the drugs Johnson confirmed using carry real risk. Trenbolone has no human safety profile. Supraphysiologic testosterone doses raise erythrocytosis risk to roughly 20% in clinical studies. Unsupervised growth hormone use can cause fluid retention, carpal tunnel syndrome, and insulin resistance.

The comparison with Rogan is instructive. Both men are public about testosterone. But Rogan describes a physician-supervised, replacement-dose protocol with regular lab work. Johnson was running a multi-compound bodybuilding stack while claiming he took nothing at all. These are not the same conversation, and the public health consequences of conflating them are significant.

For patients considering TRT, the HealthRX Medical Team recommends starting with a proper evaluation: two fasting morning testosterone levels, a full metabolic panel, assessment of symptoms, and a conversation about fertility goals. Legitimate TRT is a well-studied, FDA-regulated medical intervention with clear guidelines. It bears little resemblance to the protocol Johnson was using behind the scenes.

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