A 25-year-old influencer known as “Androgenic” was arrested on Saturday night while live-streaming on Kick in Fortitude Valley. Queensland Police approached him to inform him of his arrest due to an incident tied to public nuisance, which was later clarified to have occurred earlier in April. During the confrontation, police asked Androgenic’s security to step back as he was taken into custody and escorted to the Fortitude Valley Police Station. The live stream ended abruptly as he was searched at the station.
While his cameraman remarked on the oddity of the situation, it was confirmed that Androgenic would spend the night in custody and be released the following morning. Authorities stated that he received an infringement notice for public nuisance and was prohibited from entering the safe night precincts of Fortitude Valley and Brisbane City for a month.
Androgenic has a considerable online following, boasting over 206,000 TikTok followers, where he promotes “looksmaxxing”. This controversial trend encourages young men to enhance their physical appearance, sometimes through impractical methods, like using hammers to tap facial bones. Medical professionals have condemned these practices, warning that they can lead to serious injuries without improving one’s looks. Dr Diana Kennedy, a plastic surgeon in Brisbane, highlighted that such methods can cause lasting harm, stressing that the foundations of the trend are based on misinformation and toxic masculinity.
Additionally, Androgenic’s presence during a recent live stream, when another promoter of looksmaxxing, known as Clavicular, collapsed due to a suspected overdose, raises concerns regarding the potential dangers interconnected with this trend.