A millionaire fitness influencer has pleaded guilty after striking a man with a weightlifting belt during a violent gym confrontation.
Wes Watson admitted to aggravated battery over the clash.
The 42-year-old former prison inmate could now face 21 months behind bars under a deal negotiated with prosecutors.
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Watson has built up millions of followers online with videos about workouts, discipline and his life as an ex-con.
But he found himself at the centre of controversy following an altercation at Elev8tion Fitness in Miami-Dade County, Florida.
Surveillance footage showed Watson striking the victim with a weightlifting belt, according to an arrest affidavit.
The accused told responding officers that he had been working out when the man allegedly approached him and said he wanted to fight.
However, he later gave a different version of events online, claiming self-defence to his followers on an Instagram account which has since been deleted.
Watson entered his guilty plea on Thursday (2 Jul).
Under the negotiated agreement, prosecutors have recommended a 21-month prison sentence.
This would include credit for time already served.
The deal also recommends seven years of probation and court-ordered mental health treatment.
The California-born influencer previously served a 10-year prison sentence for crimes linked to his role as a marijuana dealer.
He was released in 2018.
Watson also launched the GP Penitentiary Life podcast, where he discussed his philosophy and experiences behind bars, as well as founded a personal training company called Watson Fit.
Additionally, he has appeared on TV series in the series Hooked On The Look and independent thriller The Colony.
The gym attack took place on 29 December 2024, as reported by Need To Know.
Watson is due to be sentenced on 17 July.
Watson remains at the Metrowest Detention Center after his bond was revoked in March over a string of charges linked to an alleged domestic violence incident in Broward County.
That separate case remains open and Watson has pleaded not guilty.
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