The “manosphere” is attracting more and more young boys and men.
A growing number of boys and men are being drawn into online communities that glorify misogyny and traditional gender roles.
Braden Peters, the controversial manosphere influencer known as “Clavicle”, has been arrested in Florida.
Peters, 20, was arrested on Thursday, March 26, in Fort Lauderdale on suspicion of battery, according to jail records reviewed by USA TODAY. His scheduled release date is April 10, and his bail is set at $1,000. His charges are pending trial.
A source close to Peters told USA TODAY on Friday that bail has been posted and that the arrest stems from an incident that occurred more than a month ago. Sources claimed Peters was not directly involved, but claimed it was a fight between his girlfriend Violet and fellow influencer Jenny Popak, whom she accused of having an affair with Collarbone. Officials said the incident was caught on camera.
USA TODAY has reached out to Popak and the Broward County Sheriff’s Office for comment. A representative for Violet could not immediately be found.
Peters, who got her nickname because of her collarbone bump, is known for promoting the “Looks Max” movement online. The term refers to the process of maximizing one’s appearance through hygiene, fitness, and style, sometimes to dangerous levels.
Peters, in particular, is known for extreme tactics such as hitting himself in the face with a hammer to sharpen his bones and taking small doses of methamphetamine to suppress his appetite. His ethos is based on the idea that appearance comes first, but it also has spin-offs into sexist, misogynistic, and racist philosophies.
On his website, he offers his faithful disciples the opportunity to learn directly from him and learn “Ascension,” the world’s jargon for becoming more physically attractive. He has denied accusations of racism or advocating a particular worldview, telling the New York Times in February that he regularly uses racial slurs: “It’s not a racist thing. It’s just a funny thing to say.”
Peters appeared online alongside Nick Fuentes, an influential white supremacist and Holocaust denier.
This is not the first time an influencer has been arrested. He was taken into custody in Scottsdale, Arizona, earlier this year and charged with two felonies: possession of counterfeit instruments and possession and use of dangerous drugs, the New York Times reported. His charges stemmed from the false identification he used to enter the club, as well as Adderall pills and oral steroids found in his body during a search. The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office declined to prosecute.
“We want this to be an iconic mug shot that can be sold as a T-shirt in the mall,” Peters’ publicist Mitchell Jackson told The New York Times at the time.
