Key facts
- Roberts-Smith launched apparel brand Epic 1 Two and appeared in an October video with Zero Limits supplements.
- Zero Limits is co-owned by podcaster Chris Katelaris, also known as "Big Chocky".
- Zero Limits posted about a "war crimes" pre-workout months earlier; it is not currently listed on its website.
- Roberts-Smith has praised another Zero Limits product but is not shown endorsing the "war crimes" one.
- Roberts-Smith was arrested in April and charged with five counts of war crime; he denies the charges.
- A defamation suit found, on the balance of probabilities, that Roberts-Smith murdered unarmed civilians in Afghanistan.
Ben Roberts-Smith, one of Australia's most decorated living soldiers, has collaborated with a gym supplements company run by a right-wing influencer that recently sold a pre-workout product called "war crimes". Roberts-Smith, who is awaiting trial on war crimes charges, recently launched an apparel brand, Epic 1 Two, producing t-shirts and gym wear.
In October, Roberts-Smith appeared in a social media video collaboration between Epic 1 Two and Zero Limits supplements, co-owned by right-wing podcaster and fitness coach Chris Katelaris, also known as "Big Chocky". The video showed Roberts-Smith, Katelaris and others during a gym workout, with on-screen graphics reading "Zero Limits Supplements x Epic 1 Two". Both brands were labeled "collaborators" on the video, which was also published on the Instagram grids of both brands.
Months earlier, Zero Limits had repeatedly posted online about a product titled "war crimes", an energy supplement in the flavor "kill or capture cola". Its label depicted a hooded captive on a chair in a room with an Australian flag on the wall, and a tall figure wearing a balaclava and military-style clothing.
In a video on July 26, Katelaris promoted the product while holding a tub at the gym. "You wanna drink out of a prosthetic leg? You wanna re-enact a Sparta kick? You wanna execute your workout?" he said. "War crimes, it's the pre-workout for you."
Zero Limits, which says it is "veteran owned and operated", does not currently list the "war crimes" product on its website. Roberts-Smith is not shown endorsing, referencing or using that product, but he has praised another product from Zero Limits. He posted an Instagram story, since shared by the brand, from Epic 1 Two's Instagram page of himself drinking a separate pre-workout drink. He gave the brand a "massive shout out" and told followers to "get on their website and take a look", sharing a link to its website. Roberts-Smith also appeared last week on the Zero Limits podcast, hosted by another founder of the supplements company.
Roberts-Smith was arrested in April and charged with five counts of war crime: murder, in relation to three incidents stemming from his service in Afghanistan in 2009 and 2012. He has denied the charges, saying in a statement after his arrest: "As I've always maintained: I categorically deny all of these allegations … I will be taking this opportunity to finally clear my name. I'm proud of my service in Afghanistan." Australian Federal Police commissioner Krissy Barrett said in April that the three incidents allegedly involved Afghan nationals being shot dead by Roberts-Smith, or a subordinate under his command, while he was present.
Roberts-Smith was previously found in a defamation suit, using the civil standard of the balance of probabilities, to have murdered unarmed civilians while serving in the Australian Special Air Service Regiment (SAS) in Afghanistan. The federal court found that Roberts-Smith kicked Afghan man Ali Jan in the chest, sending him falling backwards over a cliff before he landed on the ground, and then ordered another soldier to shoot him dead. Roberts-Smith was also accused in media reporting of shooting an unarmed prisoner who had a prosthetic leg; the leg was later used as a drinking vessel by soldiers.
Zero Limits, Katelaris and Roberts-Smith were contacted for comment. In a statement via a lawyer, Zero Limits did not respond to specific questions, only answering: "The products are great, make sure you check them out." In a statement via the same lawyer, Katelaris also did not respond to specific questions, but said: "If you thought this was wild, wait until next week's campaign drops." Katelaris lists himself as a "co-owner" of the supplements brand in his Instagram bio and promotes merchandise under his own name in support of Roberts-Smith, including "I stand with BRS" t-shirts, hats, hoodies and stubby coolers.