A close friend of American fitness influencer Connor Murphy has claimed the social media star had been injecting himself with gold in the weeks leading up to his death after believing it would give him “special powers”. Murphy, 31, died after drowning in a lake in Samut Prakan, Thailand, following what local authorities described as a period of erratic behaviour. The former bodybuilding and fitness personality reportedly fled from police before entering the water, where he disappeared beneath the surface. Rescue divers later recovered his body.
Friend describes final weeks
Speaking after Murphy’s death, fellow fitness influencer Androgenic claimed his friend had developed an obsession with gold and believed ingesting or injecting it would unlock hidden abilities. He said:
“He started to get this fixation on gold. He started to believe that gold was some gatekept mineral by the higher-ups that basically gives you special powers if you ingest it.”
He alleged Murphy later began injecting himself with gold, adding:
“He started the experiment, he was injecting gold… He was just crazy. He was covered in discolouration from gold poisoning.”
The claims have not been independently verified.
Final hours
According to reports, Murphy had been seen behaving erratically after allegedly causing damage at his accommodation. Witnesses said he was shouting prayers, rolling on the ground and arguing with security staff before police were called. When officers arrived, Murphy reportedly ran to a nearby lake, removed his clothes and swam into the water. Rescue teams recovered his body around 30 minutes later from water reported to be approximately eight feet deep.
Emotional tribute
Androgenic described Murphy as someone he believed had been deeply misunderstood and said he had hoped his friend would eventually prove his critics wrong. He added:
“I miss him deeply… At the end of the day, I love Connor, and I hope he’s living in some blissful afterlife.”
Mental health struggles
Murphy had previously spoken publicly about his mental health and personal struggles on social media over a number of years. His death has prompted renewed discussion online about mental health, body image and the pressures associated with social media culture. If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health, support is available through organisations including the Samaritans on 116 123 in the UK or via samaritans.org.
