(FreedomBeacon.com)- The infamous “Liver King” is facing a $25 million class-action lawsuit alleging that he tricked customers into buying his supplements when he claimed that he achieved his physique from a diet of raw liver rather than his expensive steroid habit.
Fitness “influencer” Brian Johnson admitted in early December that his muscular body came courtesy of an $11,000-a-month steroid regimen and not from the primal lifestyle he promotes to sell supplements.
Last week, former customer Christopher Altomare filed suit in Manhattan Supreme Court against Johnson and his companies, Ancestral Supplements, LLC and The Fittest Ever, LLC, for allegedly conning consumers into purchasing his products.
In his suit, Altomare claims that Johnson defrauded his customers and encouraged a “dangerous and life-threatening diet” that caused customers to suffer from “severe” food-borne illnesses.
Johnson’s “Nine Ancestral Tenets” lifestyle includes the Eat Tenet to ingest raw liver, spleen, hearts, kidneys, pancreas, and testicles.
The suit claims that Johnson appeared “consistently” shirtless to “showcase his muscular physique” to portray himself “as the epitome of health.” But Johnson told his fans that the Eat Tenet wasn’t sustainable unless they purchased his supplements as well.
In his suit, Altomare said he purchased Johnson’s supplements because he was drawn by his “deceptive consumer-oriented conduct,” including Johnson’s “misrepresentations and omissions.” He argues that he and other customers wouldn’t have purchased Johnson’s supplements if they had known about his steroid use.
Since Johnson first started his Instagram account in August 2021, he amassed over 1.7 million followers. He previously denied using performance-enhancing drugs, claiming his rigorous workouts and “modern caveman” diet were the secret to his physique.
But in late November, a fitness journalist revealed email exchanges Johnson had with another bodybuilder in which he admitted to taking $11,000 worth of steroids a month, prompting Johnson to admit on Instagram that he used steroids.
In a statement to the New York Post, representatives from Johnson’s companies said they had not been “served with any lawsuit at this point” and would not comment “on pending litigation.”