Controversial social media influencer Clavicular, whose real name is Braden Peters, is facing legal trouble over a viral video that captured him shooting at an alligator in the Florida Everglades. The 20-year-old, who leads the online ‘looksmaxxing’ community, was charged on April 29 with unlawfully discharging a firearm in public. The incident occurred weeks earlier when he fired a dozen bullets at an alligator during a livestream from an airboat.
Details of the Charges
Peters has not been charged with harming the alligator, which may have already been dead. He has not been arrested and is scheduled to appear in Miami-Dade County Court on May 20. Also charged in the incident, which allegedly took place around March 26 on a boat ramp dock, are Andrew Morales, known as ‘Cuban Tarzan’ on social media, and Yabdiel Anibal Cotto Torres.
Legal Defense
Peters’ lawyers, Steven Kramer and Jeffrey Neiman, issued a statement on Wednesday asserting that their client was following the instructions of a licensed airboat guide. “He relied on that guidance. No animals or people were harmed. We are confident that once the full picture is understood, people will see this for what it is,” the statement said. The Independent has reached out to Peters’ representatives for further comment.
Background of the Influencer
Peters gained viral fame on TikTok and Instagram through clips of him ‘mogging’ other men—standing next to them to make them appear less attractive—and harshly rating people’s appearances. Florida wildlife officers investigated the incident after the video circulated on the livestreaming platform Kick, where he has over 300,000 followers and streams for hours daily.
Other Incidents
On the same day as the Miami alligator shooting, Peters was briefly jailed in Fort Lauderdale on an assault charge related to a separate incident at a rented property. In the following weeks, he was rushed to a Miami hospital for a suspected overdose while livestreaming. The next day, he posted on X: ‘Just got home, that was brutal.’ He added, ‘All of the substances are just a cope trying to feel neurotypical while being in public, but obviously that isn’t a real solution.’
Interview Walkout
Earlier in April, Peters walked out of an interview with 60 Minutes Australia after being questioned about his connection to manosphere influencer Andrew Tate. When host Adam Hegarty asked why he spends time with controversial figures like Tate, Peters replied: ‘I see you want to make this political… You want to end [this interview] and talk about politics.’ This followed a video showing him chanting along to the Kanye West track ‘Heil Hitler’ with far-right commentator Nick Fuentes and Tate, though Peters claimed he had ‘nothing to do with it.’
