Mike O’Hearn, accused as a fake natty often himself, reacts to the Liver King steroids leak
Earlier this week, a bombshell video was published leaking alleged emails that proved Liver King used steroids. This came after months of Liver King claiming he was all natural and continuously denying comments made by other industry professionals – including the likes of Joe Rogan who never believed the natty claims. Mike O’Hearn is no stranger himself to receiving this kind of criticism. For his entire career, O’Hearn has claimed he is an all-natural athlete. For just as long, there have been fans, athletes, and experts who believe he is lying. In Generation Iron and Barbend’s latest episode of The Mike O’Hearn Show, we dive deep into the Liver King steroid emails and predict what his future holds.
Liver King and Mike O’Hearn have one thing in common – both of them were constantly barraged with claims that they used steroids. Both of them claim that they do not and have never used steroids. The only big difference – is that Mike O’Hearn has stayed consistent with his natural claims with no proof of otherwise. As of this week, Liver King has now been exposed as a steroid user and has since admitted that the leaked emails of his steroid cycle are in fact real.
*Note: This episode was recorded before Liver King had admitted to using steroids.
So this week Mike O’Hearn decided to reconnect with Generation Iron’s Vlad Yudin to discuss the breaking news and react to the public persona that is Liver King. Is he to blame for misleading the public? Can he be sued? Or are we all a little to blame for building Liver King up to the level of popularity he now possesses? Let’s jump into it.
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Mike O’Hearn thinks that everyone is a little to blame for the Liver King scandal
While Mike O’Hearn does think Liver King does deserve some blame for misleading the public – he also thinks the public to blame as well. For as long as fitness has existed, the core tenets for success have always been the same. Despite this, Mike O’Hearn points out that each generation desperately looks for a secret or shortcut to quicker fitness success.
This desperation allows for people to take advantage. Each era had different “too good to be true” products. Diet fads, seven minute abs, game changing equipment that allows you to workout without getting off your couch. You name it – each decade has at least some misleading fad taking advantage of the general fitness public.
So while Liver King is to blame for taking advantage, Mike O’Hearn believes that we as the public should hold ourselves up to the task of being smarter and more educated. Why are we as a community so gullible when it comes to influencers with gimmicks?
And furthermore, steroids or not, how is Liver King different than a pro bodybuilder selling supplements? Just because you take Jay Cutler’s supplements doesn’t mean you will look like Jay Cutler. The same can be said of Liver King, his supplements, and his ancestral lifestyle. So does it matter if Liver King takes steroids or not? And will it ultimately affect his brand and business moving forward?
Are Liver King products reliant on his all-natural brand?
During the conversation, Vlad Yudin brings up the question. Just because he is lying about his own personal steroid use (if the emails are true), does that necessarily mean his supplements don’t work? Should Liver King fans and customers abandon him and his products? Or should we just move on – accept that he may be enhanced – and continue to enjoy his content?
Going even further, is Liver King’s content only valuable if he is natural? Or can his ancestral lifestyle, eating raw liver and all, still be enjoyed post-leak? Vlad Yudin believes that the two are not connected. That this will likely blow over, Liver King will remain popular, and his brand will stay strong.
Mike O’Hearn is less sure. Ultimately, he doesn’t care what happens to Liver King because he didn’t follow him to begin with. However, he believes that customers likely have a better case to sue Liver King for false advertising – than Liver King has to sue More Plates More Dates for defamation.
Wrap Up
It’s quite interesting to see Mike O’Hearn react to the Liver King steroids situation. Having been accused as a fake natty himself for decades, some bodybuilding fans might see irony in O’Hearn commenting on the Liver King leaks. But there is one big different between the two of them – when it comes to proof, O’Hearn has maintained true to his natural status.
Liver King has only been in the spotlight for just over a year – and just as fast his natural status has been dismantled. Mike O’Hearn has been bodybuilding for 30+ years and not one piece of evidence has ever leaked. Perhaps this is a sign that not all natty or not debates are created equal.
You can watch Mike O’Hearn’s full discussion with Vlad Yudin on all thinks Liver King by watching the latest episode of The Mike O’Hearn Show above. Make sure to catch new episodes every Friday only on the Generation Iron Fitness Network or wherever podcasts are downloaded.
