Controversial manosphere influencers explain alarming 'one-sided monogamy' relationship trend
The 'manosphere' is a dark corner of the internet that we've heard plenty about in recent years - for many of us, unwillingly.
For his latest on-screen investigation, award-winning documentarian Louis Theroux dove headfirst into this hotly debated online arena.
Louis Theroux: Inside the Manosphere, which landed on Netflix today (Wed 11 Mar), sees the presenter come face-to-face with a number of the manosphere's most prolific and outspoken figures.
With no topic off the table, Theroux grills these self-styled schismatic leaders about their own relationships, many of which are monogamous - but apparently, only one-way.
So, what exactly is the manosphere?
The manosphere is an umbrella term describing websites, blogs and podcasts owned by 'extremist influencers', as Netflix labels them, and used to broadcast their frequently inflammatory views on masculinity.
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With the regressive perception that society has become biased against men as a result of feminism, many manosphere community leaders stand accused of radicalising their young followers into deeply misogynistic belief systems, which often glorify violence against women.
Those who consume this content consider themselves part of the 'red pill community', a reference lifted from The Matrix that refers to the 'incel' (involuntary celibate) belief that shadowy higher powers subject men to traditional values on work, family and relationships in a bid to keep control of them.
Red pill consumers believe they’ve 'woken up’ and now see the ‘real world', believing men should take what they feel entitled to, allowing for the harassment and degradation of women.
Andrew Tate was once dubbed by his devoted followers the 'king of toxic masculinity', before being hit with criminal and civil legal proceedings in a number of countries over alleged sexual abuse and human trafficking offences. He denies the allegations.
Since his arrest, several similarly controversial figures have emerged to take his place.
One of them is Justin Waller.
'It's what every man wants'
The CEO of a construction steel company, the 39-year-old officially aligned himself with the manosphere several years ago, after befriending Tate and his brother Tristan (who is also facing a string of offences).
By 2024, Waller had become the public face of their so-called online business school, The Real World, where he pledged to 'teach people the lessons I learned over the years', which he claims helped him 'make millions, meet important people, build relationships, and form families'.
A quick scroll through his Instagram and you’re bombarded with images of yellow Lamborghinis, thousand-dollar designer suits, topless gym selfies, private jets, trips to Dubai, and even a portrait of Waller gleefully posing beside the globally-renowned 'p***y grabber' himself, Donald Trump.
Unsurprisingly, Waller's connection to the Tates has subjected him to widespread accusations of promoting toxic masculinity, as well as exploiting young fans for cash.
One of his most heavily promoted extreme values that resonates most strongly with his seemingly impressionable male audience is that women are amongst the numerous items men have an innate entitlement to.
'I'm in a one-sided monogamous relationship'
One segment of Theroux's new documentary sees Waller quizzed about his own relationship setup.
After some hesitation, he confirms he has two daughters.
"Are you with their mum?" Theroux asks, to which Waller confirms in response that, yes, they are together, but no, they're not married.
So, why not? Because while the mother of his children is committed to him, he doesn’t believe he owes her the same exclusivity.
Waller attempts to defend the arrangement.
"I’m going to get a lot of smoke for this, I always do," he continues. "People are always mad at me when they ask me about my relationship."
Theroux then presses him further: "Are you saying you're not in a monogamous relationship?"
"One-sided monogamy, yeah," he says matter-of-factly. "Women don’t want to sleep with other men when they love a man. The mother of my children, the woman that I’m with, she doesn’t talk to other men."
Waller then quickly attempts to backtrack, claiming he 'doesn't promote' this controversial way of life when speaking to his followers online.
"I don’t believe that every man should go out and have a bunch of women, or have his wife have threesomes with his girlfriends," he insists, prompting Theroux to double-check: "Is that something you do as well?"
"Yeah, of course," Waller confirms.
Later in the documentary, Theroux meets Waller's pregnant partner, Kristen, who claims she's comfortable with sharing Waller with other women. It's kind of a 'don't ask, don't tell' dynamic, she adds.
"I don't need to know," she insists. "I think most women would like the idea, or like to know, that their man is wanted by other women."
Unsurprisingly, in light of the dangerous views held by figures like Waller being further amplified by the documentary, a number of experts have issued warnings against the 'normalisation' of relationships where women are treated as subservient to men’s needs.
One of them is dating coach and relationship expert Hayley Quinn, who told Tyla that the idea that Waller's followers can have a one-sided monogamous relationship 'appeals to a fantasy that is highly detached from reality'.
"Much like adult subscription and porn sites, normalising such setups created a skewed worldview of what relationships should actually look like," she explains. "One-sided monogamous relationships are transactional.
"They also rely on gender-typical roles where women are naturally loyal, while men want to spread their seeds."
'These aren't real relationships'
Quinn went on to hit out: "By promoting these relationships online, male influencers like Justin Waller are selling a fantasy of male existence whereby they can 'escape' emotional accountability to their female partners, and enjoy unlimited sexual freedom.
"This denies, not only the reality of dating, which, for many men, means they'll have to put significant effort into securing a small number of dates, but also detracts from the reality of building a relationship, which is two people in constant communication working towards the same goal with a shared appreciation of each other's needs."
As Theroux quickly learns, however, this controversial, male-favoured view of relationships isn't limited to just one man.
Later in the film, the documentarian meets with Amrou Fudl, better known in the manosphere as 'Myron Gaines'.
'I dictate when I want to put d**k in you, b***h'
Perhaps his most notable claim to fame is his notorious Fresh and Fit Podcast, which provides him with a platform to broadcast highly offensive views about women, Jewish people, overweight or unattractive individuals, transgender and queer people, and what he calls ‘ghetto black women and Shaniquas'.
A proud incel, he even hosts a segment called 'Red Pill Wednesday', whereby he gives dating 'advice' that falls in line with the view that men should be 'dictators', and women, their 'subordinates'.
"I dictate when I want to put d**k in you, b***h, and you dictate when the sandwiches come by my dictation," he once said during an episode.
He also wrote a book titled Why Women Deserve Less. So, yeah.
A smug remark Gaines delivers about having his girlfriend come over to 'clean up' his room just minutes after meeting Theroux immediately sets the presenter on edge.
'I want multiple wives'
Theroux wastes little time asking the prolific podcaster about his relationship with a woman named Angie, and his rumoured 'rotation' of other women.
"I do want multiple wives," Gaines candidly admits.
Angie then awkwardly enters the set, prompting Theroux to ask for her take on their 'one-sided monogamous relationship'.
"The women that he sleeps with, he's just going to be with them for like, a night," she hesitantly explains.
Asked about the prospect of being one of Gaines' multiple wives, however, Angie confesses: "I don't know how that will work."
Following Angie’s doubts in the programme, relationship expert Quinn warned that the 'normalisation' of these dynamics will have a knock-on effect on how other single women perceive their worth.
"The entirety of a monogamous one-sided relationship is based around sexual exchanges," she tells us. "It's not just male fans that are at risk when these relationships are glamourised, but women.
"It could lead to women being tricked into toxic, lopsided romances in which men justify infidelity on the grounds that they're 'just being a man'."
She continues: "This doesn't mean that people can't pursue ethical non-monogamous relationships, but to do so in a way that is one-sided speaks to a desire to control the person in the relationship rather than the ideals around trust and mutual sexual freedom."
'The way that single women view their worth will become distorted'
Asked what advice she'd give to Angie, Quinn adds: "To any woman that is offered this kind of relationship, step back and recognise it for what it actually is - a transactional exchange that is heavily one-sided and built around control.
"No matter how attractive a man is, or how good your connection might feel, it's not worth compromising on your values to enter this kind of relationship."
Quinn isn't the only professional to have issued a response to the type of harmful content contained within Theroux's latest TV gig, however.
Licensed psychologist Dannielle Haig believes this type of viewing should be compulsory for parents of pre-teen children, believing the doc is simply an indicator of what's to come with regards to the views of extreme male influencers making their way into the mainstream.
"Beliefs like the 'matrix society' narrative often emerge when people feel a loss of status, control or belonging," she explains. "Humans are strongly motivated to make sense of perceived disadvantage, and conspiracy-style explanations can provide a simple answer to complex social change.
"Over the past decade, shifts around gender equality, work and relationships have altered traditional expectations of masculinity. For some men who feel uncertain about their role or identity, online spaces can offer explanations that place blame externally rather than encouraging reflection or adaptation."
"These communities often frame feminism as the cause of male struggle, which can be appealing to people looking for certainty and validation."
Haig went on to warn: "The problem is that these environments quickly become echo chambers. Once someone enters a community where resentment towards women is normalised, those beliefs are reinforced, amplified and sometimes radicalised."
'These mindsets serve to justify coercive and violent relationships against women'
Speaking to the parents of young boys, she continues: "There is also a commercial element that is often overlooked. Many of the influencers promoting these ideas are monetising male insecurity.
"They sell courses, communities and identity frameworks to young men who are struggling, which can incentivise increasingly extreme messaging because outrage and controversy drive engagement online."
Haig concluded: "The broader risk is that these narratives normalise the idea that women are responsible for male frustration. Healthy relationships and societies are built on agency, accountability and mutual respect.
"Narratives that frame women as adversaries undermine those foundations and can contribute to environments where harassment, coercion or violence become easier to justify."
Tyla contacted Justin Waller and Myron Gaines for comment.
Louis Theroux: Inside the Manosphere is now available on Netflix.
Topics: Louis Theroux, Documentaries, Netflix, TV And Film, True Life, Real Life
Rhianna Benson