Tag: Andrew Tate

  • Internet celebrity Andrew Tate detained in Romania

    Internet celebrity Andrew Tate detained in Romania

    Andrew Tate, an online influencer, was reportedly served with legal documents by British authorities while in Romania, as stated by his spokesperson on Tuesday.

    Tate, who is 37 years old, and his brother Tristan Tate were arrested on Monday evening for 24 hours. They are accused of sexual assault in a case that happened in the United Kingdom between 2012 and 2015, according to spokesperson Mateea Petrescu.

    She said the Bucharest Court of Appeal will decide on Tuesday whether to execute the warrants issued by the Westminster Magistrates Court in London. This decision could start the process of sending someone to another country for trial.

    Four women told the U.K government that Andrew Tate hurt them in a sexual way and physically, but the government did not decide to put him on trial. The people who say they were hurt asked for donations to help pay for their legal fees while they take legal action against him.

    “We gave our proof about the terrible violence we suffered and waited for something to be done. ” But four years later, the U. K authorities said they would not punish him,” they say on their campaign page. “This is our only way to make him responsible. ”

    It wasn’t clear right away what Tristan Tate is being accused of in the U.K

    Petrescu said on Tuesday that the Tate brothers, who have citizenship in both the United Kingdom and the United States, deny the charges and are very disappointed that such serious accusations are being brought up again without any new evidence.

    Andrew Tate is accused of committing serious crimes in Romania, including rape, human trafficking, and leading a criminal group that exploits women sexually. In December 2022, he and his brother were caught by the police near Bucharest. They were with two Romanian women at that time. In June, Romanian prosecutors charged all four people, but they say they didn’t do it.

    The lawyers for four British women who say Andrew Tate hurt them asked the police to find him and bring him back to Britain. They’re worried he might try to leave Romania.

    “Matthew Jury, a boss at the law firm, said he was very happy to hear the news today. Many people were worried that Tate would not face punishment in Romania and other countries. ” “We are thankful to the British authorities for listening to our worries and issuing an arrest warrant. ” “Tate is being blamed for doing really bad things to a lot of people and he needs to take responsibility for it. ”

    Jury said that Tate has been telling a lot of lies about the criminal charges he’s facing in the UK in interviews with famous media people like Tucker Carlson and Piers Morgan. He’s been doing this since he got arrested in Romania.

    “Tate has 8. 9 million followers on X, also known as Twitter. He says the prosecutors in Romania have no proof against him and are trying to silence him for political reasons. ” He was banned from popular social media sites before for saying mean things about women and spreading hate.

    On Tuesday, Tate posted on his social media account, saying, “I’m not scared of the Matrix, I only fear God. ” He uses the word “Matrix” to talk about a big conspiracy he thinks is against men.


    After the Tate brothers were taken by the police in Romania, they were kept in a police station for three months before being told to stay inside their house. They were later told they could only go to certain areas in Bucharest and nearby Ilfov County. Right now, they are not allowed to go out of Romania. The court case in Romania is still in the early stages, where the people accused can argue against the evidence that the prosecutors have against them. A date for the trial has not been decided yet.

    In October, lawyers for people who say they were hurt held a meeting in Bucharest. They said Andrew Tate and his group tried to scare their clients into not speaking up.

    In January, Tate won a case to get his things back from the police in Romania. They took his things right after they arrested him.

    The Romanian government took 15 fancy cars, 14 expensive watches, and money in different types worth about 3. 6 million euros (3. 9 million dollars)

  • Andrew Tate’s request to visit ill mother in UK denied

    Andrew Tate’s request to visit ill mother in UK denied

    A Romanian court has turned down Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan’s request to see their mother in the UK following her heart attack.

    Writing on X, Andrew said: “The Romanian state decided she must be alone at Christmas, if she is alive.”

    The Tate brothers, facing charges of rape and human trafficking, both vehemently deny the accusations. Presently, they are restricted from leaving Romania.

    The recent hearing was conducted in private, and the judge is expected to provide the rationale for the decision in the coming days.

    Although the brothers were granted freedom to move within Romania after a period of house arrest, international travel remains prohibited.

    Arrested in December 2022, they spent time in jail until March, after which house arrest was imposed.

    The charges, filed in June against the Tate brothers and two co-defendant women, allege the exploitation of seven women through the “loverboy method,” a deceptive strategy promising relationships or marriages.

    Andrew Tate maintains his innocence, contending that prosecutors lack evidence and dismissing the case as a political conspiracy aimed at silencing him.

    He has recently sought legal efforts to reclaim confiscated assets, including luxury cars and watches valued at millions of euros.

  • House arrest against Andrew Tate lifted

    House arrest against Andrew Tate lifted

    Andrew Tate, a controversial influencer, has been released from house arrest in Romania while awaiting trial on charges of rape and human trafficking.

    In March, Andrew and his brother Tristan were arrested and subsequently charged in June with these offenses, which they both deny.

    Under the current arrangement, the siblings are permitted to move freely within the city of Bucharest and the adjacent Ilfov district where they reside.

    However, they are required to adhere to certain conditions, including reporting to the police as directed and informing them about any changes in their address.

    Additionally, the brothers are prohibited from contacting their two Romanian associates who are also implicated in the case, as well as the witnesses, alleged victims, or their families.

    Non-compliance with these stipulations could result in a return to house arrest or preventative detention.

    For the next 60 days, a judge will monitor their adherence to these conditions.

    “We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to the Romanian judicial system for their fair consideration,” a spokesperson for the brothers said in a statement after the ruling.

    “This positive outcome gives us confidence that more favourable developments are on the horizon.”

    Tate, a Muslim convert, also tweeted in response to the ruling, condemning charges that were “based on nothing” and which a judge had deemed “weak and circumstantial”.

    The brothers were initially taken into custody at their residence in December and then placed under house arrest after three months.

    According to the indictment, Andrew and Tristan, along with two female Romanian associates, allegedly formed an organized criminal group in 2021 with the intent to engage in human trafficking activities within Romania and other nations, including the United States and the United Kingdom.

    The indictment specifies seven purported victims who were allegedly recruited by the Tate brothers under false pretenses of love and marriage.

    In 2016, Andrew Tate, a British-American former kickboxer, was removed from the British TV show Big Brother due to a video that appeared to depict him assaulting a woman.

    He later gained notoriety online and faced Twitter suspension for making controversial statements suggesting that women should share responsibility for instances of sexual assault. His Twitter account has since been reinstated.

  • I ‘believes in God and the legal system’ – Andrew Tate

    I ‘believes in God and the legal system’ – Andrew Tate

    The self-described “misogynist” online personality Andrew Tate made an appearance in court in Bucharest on Wednesday with his brother on allegations of rape and people trafficking.

    As he arrived at the Bucharest Tribunal, Tate told reporters that he believes “in God and I believe in the justice system, and we are going to be OK.”

    Four bodyguards were around him and his brother Tristan as they entered the courthouse, shooing reporters out of the way.

    Andrew Tate replied to a reporter who inquired if he had committed rape: “Of course not, don’t ask me stupid questions.”

    The pair looked in good spirits as they smiled and waved despite the seriousness of the charges that were laid against them on Tuesday, which include human trafficking, rape and forming a criminal group to sexually exploit women.

    The judge is expected to rule on the pair’s house arrest and set a trial date.

    The Tate brothers are the highest-profile suspects to face trial on human-trafficking charges in Romania.

    They were placed under house arrest alongside two Romanian female suspects pending a criminal investigation for abuses committed against seven women – accusations they have denied.

    Andrew Tate has also been charged with raping one of the victims, while his brother Tristan has been charged with instigating others to violence.

    Prosecutors have said the Tate brothers recruited their victims by seducing them and falsely claiming to want a relationship or marriage.

    The Tate brothers’ legal team said it “will embrace the opportunity to fight in court and present arguments and evidence” to prove their innocence, according to a statement obtained by CNN affiliate Antena3 in Romania.

  • Andrew Tate accused of rape, human trafficking and organised crime

    Andrew Tate accused of rape, human trafficking and organised crime

    The motormouth misogynistic influencer Andrew Tate has been charged with rape and human trafficking, Romanian police announced today.

    Charges have also been brought against his brother Tristan, 34, and their two Romanian friends. Each has adamantly denied any misconduct.

    Online celebrity and former kickboxer Tate, 36, was first detained alongside his brother in their Bucharest home in December.

    Since then, when prosecutors requested an extension of their investigation, they have intermittently been detained or placed under house arrest.

    The Directorate for the Investigation of Organized Crime and Terrorism said today that the indictment, dated last Thursday, also included charges of forming an organised crime group.

    The indictment, filed with the Bucharest court, says the four defendants ‘organised a criminal group with a view to committing the crime of human trafficking on the territory of Romania, but also in other countries, such as the United States of America and Great Britain,’ the force said.

    It names seven alleged victims, each accusing the Tate brothers of recruiting them with ‘misleading’ claims about love and marriage.

    ‘The loverboy method,’ the directorate says.

    After being taken to Ilfov, the county that surrounds Bucharest, the indictment says the victims were ‘sexually exploited’ and made to produce pornography.

    The tapes were, police said, then distributed over social media. The victims were also made to undergo ‘forced labour’.

    Tate has been charged with raping one of the victims, while his brother faces allegations he initiated violence.

    The incident says Tristan sought to ‘punish’ one of the victims after they refused to continue making pornography and asked to leave.

    The four are also indicted for ‘illegal access to a computer system, altering the integrity of computer data, instigation to assault or other violence and assault or other violence.’

    It has also requested that a raft of Tates’ assets be confiscated, including ’15 lands and buildings located within the counties of Ilfov, Prahova and Braşov, 15 luxury cars (and) 14 luxury watches’.

    In response, Tate tweeted: ‘I’m sure this case has absolutely nothing to do with stealing my wealth.’

    It’s unclear when the defendants will stand trial, though the trial could take several years.

    A Romanian judge now has 60 days to look over the case files before they can be sent to the courts.

    A spokesperson for Andrew Tate said: ‘We embrace the opportunity it presents to demonstrate their innocence.’

    The self-crowned ‘king of toxic masculinity’, Tate has long bragged to his mostly young male followers about this wealth while telling them that men are victims of feminism.

    He has, among other things, said that women ‘belong’ to men, that they are ‘barely sentient’ and that women who are raped are partly responsible for the attacks.

    Tate was removed from the reality TV show Big Brother in 2016 after a video showed him hitting a woman with a belt emerged.

    While only recently on Twitter, Tristan claimed that ‘wealthy men’ are ‘targets’ in society today.

    In the weeks before his arrest, Tate got into an online spat with Greta Thunberg, the teenage environmental activist.

    Andrew Tate, left, and his brother Tristan, right, arrive at the Bucharest Tribunal, in Bucharest, Romania, Friday, April 21, 2023. The brothers' attendance on Friday comes after they won an appeal on March 31 to be moved from police custody to house arrest, where they will remain until at least April 29. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
  • Influencer Andrew Tate charged with rape and human trafficking

    Influencer Andrew Tate charged with rape and human trafficking

    Andrew Tate, a controversial influencer, along with his brother Tristan and two associates, has been charged in Romania with rape, human trafficking, and the formation of an organized crime group for the purpose of sexually exploiting women.

    The allegations have been denied by all of the accused.

    The Tate brothers were initially arrested at their residence in Bucharest in December. However, in March, they were granted house arrest after a decision by a Romanian judge.

    Andrew Tate attending a hearing in Bucharest, Romania earlier this year. (Daniel Mihailescu/AFP via Getty Images)

    The indictment deposited with the Bucharest court says that the four defendants formed an organised criminal group in 2021 to commit human trafficking in Romania, but also in other countries including the US and the UK.

    It names seven alleged victims who it says were recruited by the Tate brothers through false promises of love and marriage.

    Andrew Tate has been charged with raping one of the victims, while his brother has been charged with instigating others into violence.

    The trial will not start immediately and is expected to take several years.

    A Romanian judge now has 60 days to inspect the case files before it can be sent to trial.

  • Woman accuses Andrew Tate of choking and raping her

    Woman accuses Andrew Tate of choking and raping her

    Andrew Tate is accused of raping a British woman, strangling her till she passed out, and acting aggressively towards her.

    When she first met Mr. Tate in August 2014, when he was employed as a club doorman in Luton, Evie (not her real name) claimed that she was a 20-year-old student.

    She claimed she gave Mr. Tate her agreement to have sex, but when they reconnected in late November or early December of the same year, she believes he became violent towards her.

    According to Evie, the contentious influencer “put his hand on her throat and strangled her” until she passed out.

    When she came around, ‘it was a bit confusing at first’ but Mr Tate, 36, was ‘still having sex with her’, she alleges.

    Evie, now 30, said the former-kickboxer was ‘fairly aggressive and saying horrible things’ throughout the night, including: ‘I own you, you belong to me’.

    The next day, the white part in one of her eyes was red from being strangled, she claims.

    A spokesperson for Mr Tate said he ‘vehemently denies’ the accusations against him and added that ‘all sexual acts that Andrew has partaken in have been consensual’.

    Evie did not report her case to police at the time, saying ‘she didn’t see it as rape or sexual assault because this was 10 years ago’.

    It was only six years afterwards, when she was describing the alleged attack to her friends, that she started to believe had been assaulted.

    Three people have told Evie’s lawyers they remember being told the story and are willing to give evidence in court about it.

    Evie is the fourth British woman to come forward with allegations against Mr Tate, joining three others who are planning to sue him over claims he subjected them to sexual assault, physical abuse and controlling behaviour.

    These three accusers are understood to have contacted the police over their alleged abuse eight years ago, but say detectives dropped the charges after failing to properly investigate their case.

    The women say they worked as webcam models for Tate in Luton between 2013 and 2016, and were abused, poorly paid and threatened to try to stop them going to the police during that time.

    Mr Tate previously denied the allegations, and said: ‘They wanted money because I fired them. The police understood after the investigation that I am innocent.’

    All four women are being represented by McCue Jury & Partners, which is crowdfunding to pay for proceedings. So far, they have raised more than £15,000.

    Both Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan are currently being investigated in Romania over suspected human trafficking, rape and sexual exploitation of women, as well as supposed links to organised crime.

    The Tate brothers, who are currently under house arrest in Romania, deny all claims against them. Neither they, nor two other suspects, have been charged with anything.

    Mr Tate’s spokesperson said: ‘Andrew strongly encourages women who have experienced assault, in any form, to report it to the relevant authorities.

    ‘We will not be commenting any further on anyone’s alleged intention to pursue legal action unless such action is submitted to the authorities.’

  • Andrew Tate denied request to be released from prison in Romania

    Andrew Tate denied request to be released from prison in Romania

    Following Andrew Tate‘s arrest in December, a Romanian court has upheld a third 30-day incarceration for the sexist influencer.

    The judge’s order to extend the former professional kickboxer’s incarceration for a third time for 30 days was appealed by him on February 21.

    Today, he was spotted tied to his brother Tristan, who is being imprisoned in the same case, when they arrived before the Bucharest court of appeal.

    He lost his appeal, however, on Monday, according to Ramona Bolla, a spokeswoman for Romania’s anti-organized crime organization DIICOT.

    It is the third separate appeal Tate has failed to win, meaning he will now remain in jail until at least March 29.

    Prosecutors also won an appeal on Monday against a court’s decision last week to place two women held in the case under house arrest, instead of in full detention.

    Former kickboxer Tate was arrested in December on suspicion of human trafficking, rape and forming an organised crime group to exploit women.

    epa10493829 Former professional kickboxer and social media influencer Andrew Tate (R) and Tristan Tate (L) are escorted by police officers after a hearing at the Bucharest Court of Appeal, where the magistrates analyzed their appeal against the second pretrial detention decision, in Bucharest, Romania, 27 February 2023. On 29 December 2022, Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan were arrested as a result of the DIICOT inquiry under the charges of human trafficking and intention to form an organized crime group. Romanian police stated that the two brothers and their associates coerced victims for creating a paid pornography service for social media platforms. EPA/ROBERT GHEMENT
    It is the third separate appeal Tate has lost (Picture: EPA)

    None of the four people have been charged in the long-running investigation.

    The Tate brothers’ lawyer, Eugen Vidineac, says his clients reject all the allegations.

    Tate himself has repeatedly claimed Romanian prosecutors have no evidence and alleged their case is a ‘political’ conspiracy designed to silence him.

    Following the ruling, a tweet on his profile read: ‘They weaponize lies to keep me in here. But you cannot hide the sun forever.’

    Beforehand, another post had said: ‘I’ve been in jail for 61 days. But not allowed a single visit. Not even from my children.’

    Six victims were subjected to ‘acts of physical violence and mental coercion’ and sexually exploited by members of the alleged crime group, it was alleged after the arrests last year.

    They were lured with pretences of love and later intimidated, placed under surveillance and subjected to other control tactics, it’s claimed.

    A document explaining the decision to keep the accused detained said a judge took into account the ‘particular dangerousness of the defendants’

    Their alleged capacity to identify victims ‘with an increased vulnerability, in search of better life opportunities’ was also considered.

  • Andrew Tate threatens legal action against accuser

    Andrew Tate threatens legal action against accuser

    Controversial influencer Andrew Tate has threatened legal action against at least one of the women making rape and human trafficking claims against him.

    Lawyers for the woman in the US say a “cease-and-desist” letter was sent by a US law firm in December, on behalf of Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan.

    The letter threatened to sue the woman and her parents for $300m (£249m) if she did not retract her statements.

    A lawyer for the Tates said they were pursuing valid claims for defamation.

    The BBC has seen a redacted copy of the letter, apparently sent on behalf of the brothers.

    “In April 2022,” it reads, “you falsely stated to a third party that our Client human trafficked you, abused you and held you against your will […] You have repeated false and defamatory statements to the police, the media, and another United States citizen about the Tate brothers.”

      Andrew and Tristan Tate are currently being held in preventative custody in Romania, while police investigate allegations of trafficking and rape, which both men deny.

      Benjamin Bull – who works for the National Centre on Sexual Exploitation – says his client is a key witness in the Romanian investigation, and that the letter was designed to do “one thing and one thing only”:

      “[It] was intended to shut down the witness; stop the witness from bringing testimony forward in any proceedings,” he said.

      “They want these young ladies to climb into a hole and hide, never come forward [or] describe what they saw and what happened to them. It’s clearly an effort to intimidate.”

      Andrew Tate
      Image caption,Andrew and Tristan Tate are currently being held in preventative custody in Romania

      Lawyers for the Tates have confirmed to the BBC that the cease-and-desist letter was sent in December, as a civil matter for defamation and slander in the US, but deny any intimidation.

      Tina Glandian, one of their legal advisors, said there was nothing abnormal in them pursuing valid legal claims for defamation. “The fact that [the Tates] are incarcerated right now is not a basis for them not to pursue their legal rights,” she said.

      The investigation into rape and trafficking allegations is believed to rest, at least partly, on the testimony of six women. No charges have yet been brought.

      The Tates’ legal team have also revealed that the brothers filed criminal complaints in Romania last April against two women, including the witness who received the cease-and-desist letter in December.

      Ms Glandian said the criminal complaints in April were filed in response to allegations that two women were being held against their will by the Tate brothers.

      “There was no evidence whatsoever of that,” she said, “which is why [the Tates] were not arrested in April. [At that time], they were nothing but victims of false allegations, and they had every right to file criminal complaints for having their homes raided [and] property seized.”

      The results of those criminal complaints are still pending, she says.

      Tina Glandian pictured speaking in front of a number of microphones. She is sitting with a wall behind her.
      Image caption,One of the Tates’ legal advisers Tina Glandian said the brothers were pursuing “their legal rights”

      Benjamin Bull, who represents some of the witnesses in the current Tate investigation, says the impact of legal action on his clients has been upsetting and intimidating.

      But Dani Pinter, part of the same legal team, says it is not just the threat of legal action that is intimidating, but the online harassment many of her clients receive for speaking out.

      “Regular, high production value videos, meant to embarrass and harass them, are shared among Tate’s followers,” she told me.

      “Making really salacious claims, attempting to slut shame them, saying they’re liars. But included in that is their private information – where they work, who their family members are – with the clear intention to incite harassment. And it’s working.”

      The two alleged victims she represents have been getting death threats, she says.

      “They’re scared to death. They’re both in hiding. They feel they can’t settle anywhere, because people are trying to find them.”

      Prosecutors have been careful to keep the names of the six women in their case strictly confidential. But some have had their full names published on social media.

      And the names of two witnesses even appeared in a statement to the BBC from the Tates’ US communications team. The BBC is not naming them publicly.

      Andrew Tate and his brother have no access to their social media while in custody, but they’ve built a vast and loyal network of fans and supporters who are very active online.

      Some accounts appear to be fully-staffed operations, regularly releasing videos and documents designed to undermine the testimony of witnesses and other women making allegations against the Tates.

      Earlier this week, one of the most active accounts published the full name, social media handles and WhatsApp messages of one of the alleged victims in the investigation.

      The BBC has approached the account for comment, but has not yet received a response.

      Even those who barely break the surface of this story can find themselves a target.

      Daria Gusa spoke to the BBC and others about receiving a private message from Andrew Tate’s Instagram account when she was 16 years old. It followed the same pattern laid out by him in online speeches about how to win a woman’s attention and gain influence over her.

      She did not allege that he had committed any crime.

      “I got a bunch of messages,” she told me. “Most were from people saying I was lying or calling me a slut.”

      But she also received “10 to 15 threats” online.

      “I had a guy texting me, telling me ‘I know you’re studying at this university, the schedule is published online, I know where you are’” Daria said.

      Several of her friends, who also appear to have had contact with him, have refused to speak out about their experiences, she says.

      “It’s not just the people who work for him,” she explained. “It’s that there are basically millions of men out there who really idolise these people, and would do anything to protect them and their image, so I think it’s completely justifiable that so many girls don’t want to speak out.”

      It is not clear exactly who runs some of the most active accounts defending the Tates, or how much cooperation exists between them.

      But the risks for women making public allegations against Andrew Tate can be high, and they can come from many directions.

      Source: BBC

    • Ex-girlfriend accuses Andrew Tate of being violent and coercive

      Ex-girlfriend accuses Andrew Tate of being violent and coercive

      A British woman claims to have dated controversial social media influencer Andrew Tate, who initially urged her to work for his webcam business before becoming violent and controlling.

      “It’s very difficult because I don’t feel like a victim – all of the choices I made were of my [own] free will. He didn’t bundle me up into a bag, throw me in the back of a lorry and drive me there,” says Sophie.

      “But he knew what he was doing. At what point does the emotional or psychological manipulation turn into being forced to do something?”

       Romanian police have detained Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan as they look into rape and trafficking allegations.

      According to the prosecution, the two allegedly lured victims by seducing them and making up a false relationship desire, a tactic police have dubbed “the lover-boy method.” The victims were then coerced or persuaded to work in their chat rooms for adult entertainment.

      This is exactly what happened to Sophie, who goes by the pseudonym Sophie. She is currently supporting the investigation of the prosecutors.

      She claimed Tate approached her “completely out of the blue” on Facebook and was very charming on the BBC Radio 4 programme File on 4.

      “He was sort of luring me into believing that he was somebody that I could trust and someone that genuinely wanted to build a connection with me,” she explains.

      She says their exchanges were typical of people getting to know each other with no red flags. After talking to him online she agreed to travel to his home in the Romanian capital, Bucharest.

      “I was at a stage of my life where everything felt a bit boring and a bit dull and this idea of an adventure just seemed attractive,” she explains.

      As their relationship developed, Sophie regularly visited Tate in Romania. He told her he wanted her to be his girlfriend, but soon began asking her to work for him.

      “A couple of times he’d said to me, ‘You should do it, you’d make a fortune, but you don’t have to if you don’t want to do it. I make enough money,’” Sophie says.

      “But he was always reminding me that the option was there and that progressed into, ‘If you love me, you would do it. If you care about me, you would do it… we can make all this money’. And over time, just chipping away at me, eventually he led me to think, ‘Maybe he’s right, maybe I should be doing it’.”

      Andrew Tate and Tristan Tate are escorted by police officers outside the headquarters of the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism in Bucharest (DIICOT)
      Image caption,Andrew Tate was detained in December

      Sophie had worked in the adult entertainment industry before, so she was open to the suggestion. But she says she felt coerced and worried that if she refused, she might lose him.

      In a now-deleted page on his website, Tate describes how he operated his webcam business – his account chimes with Sophie’s in many ways.

      He describes his job as, “To meet a girl, go on a few dates, sleep with her… get her to fall in love with me, to the point where she’d do anything I say.” The video continues, “And then get her on webcam so we could become rich together.”

      In the decade he says he has been running his studio, he claims more than half of his employees were his girlfriends, and none were in the adult entertainment industry before they met him. Sophie’s account contradicts this.

      Sophie says she earned around £800 for six hours’ work, from which Tate would take 50%. Representatives of the industry in Romania told the BBC this was not unusual for webcam studios.

      Over time, Sophie says Tate’s behaviour towards her worsened. She claims he became increasingly controlling, imposing cash fines if she went out without his permission, and that he became violent.

      “There was some disagreement… he held me up against the wall and he slapped me really hard and followed it with ‘you whore,’” she says.

      She added that rough sex turned into something she had not consented to.

      “Most of the violence was sexual, that’s obviously something that he’s into. He likes to feel completely in control of the woman and feel like he could take their life away at any second. That is a big sexual turn on for him,” she explains.

      “I was so intent on just wanting to please him and just wanting him to be happy. But looking back on it, he used to strangle me, to the point where I passed out once and I think he panicked then because he knew he’d gone too far.”

      The BBC has seen messages and listened to voice recordings sent to Sophie from Tate that appear to support her claims of controlling behaviour.

      Officer drives away Tate's car
      Image caption,Romanian police confiscated Tate’s collection of luxury cars

      Sophie says she eventually left the relationship after having a moment of clarity that “constantly feeling inferior to him” was not right.

      “I realised I couldn’t live like that anymore and that it wasn’t normal. I just had to get away from it,” she explains. “I remember being at work and I was just so overwhelmed and I’d never felt a darkness like it.”

      She describes Tate as a “very complex man” who was quite different to the character he presented online – where he is known for his high-volume rants, often filmed while smoking a cigar or surrounded by his supercars.

      “He’s very manipulative, he totally lacks any kind of empathy. He is a narcissist, he’s like that 100%,” she says.

      “I don’t think he’s emotionally capable of feeling love, for anyone or anything, even his family, even his brother – there’s just nothing. In the space in our brains where we feel love and compassion and empathy… [in his] it’s just a hole, there’s nothing there.”

      The BBC put these allegations to Tate through his lawyer, but Mateea Petrescu, who handles media requests for the Tate brothers, said they would not comment on the claims.

      Investigators in Romania have confirmed that six women have been identified as potential victims of trafficking. But last month, two of the women publicly denied any mistreatment by the Tate brothers, while other women have spoken positively to the BBC about their time spent with Tate.

      But Sophie says some of these are women who Tate genuinely treated well, while others are still under his control.

      “He’s always one step ahead,” she says. “He will be mindful of the fact he needs as many glistening reviews as he does negative ones in order to defend himself.”

      “Equally, there are going to be girls that will be so infatuated and brainwashed by him that they are never going to say a bad word. There will also be some that are speaking out of fear because he’s threatening.”

      Police have not yet filed any charges against the brothers, who have been in detention, along with two Romanian women, since December 29. They have denied the allegations against them.

    • Andrew Tate to appear in court Romanian court as his lawyers argue he should be released

      Andrew Tate to appear in court Romanian court as his lawyers argue he should be released

      The alleged rape and human trafficking charges against the former kickboxer turned influencer, which he denies, have him in custody. Defense attorneys will attempt to counter that there is not enough evidence to keep him and his brother Tristan in custody today.

      Additionally, two female suspects from Romania have been detained.

      According to allegations, the Tate brothers lured their victims into relationships or marriages by seducing them.

      Prosecutors say the women were then forced to produce pornographic content under duress.

      Kickboxer turned influencer, Andrew Tate, is also accused of raping one of the victims last March. All four deny the allegations.

      Police officers escort Andrew Tate handcuffed to his brother Tristan Tate 
Pic:AP
      Image:Police officers escort Andrew Tate handcuffed to his brother Tristan Tate. Pic: AP

      Earlier this month, a court extended their preventative custody period to 27 February.

      Today, defence teams will try to argue that there is not enough evidence to continue to hold them.

      Following the arrests, Romanian authorities said they seized goods and money worth almost £3.25m ($4m) including luxury cars.

      The brothers’ legal team is also fighting for these items to be returned.

      Romanian officials transport the cars seized from the Tate compound to an undisclosed storage location. Pic: Inquam Photos/Octav Ganea/Reuters
      Image:Luxury cars were seized from the influencer’s villa earlier this month

      Last week, Andrew Tate made his first comments since his detention.

      “They know we have done nothing wrong,” he told reporters as he was brought in for further questioning by anti-organised crime prosecutors. “This file is completely empty. Of course it’s unjust, there is no justice in Romania unfortunately.”

      Famous for misogynistic content, Tate has a huge following despite being banned from most mainstream social media platforms.

      His Twitter account was reinstated in November after Elon Musk took charge of the company.

    • How Andrew Tate approached Romanian teens on social media

      How Andrew Tate approached Romanian teens on social media

      Daria Gusa, then 16 and still in school, claims that she got a private message on Instagram from prominent influencer Andrew Tate, who is over 20 years her senior.

      “It just read ‘Romanian girl’ and he put some flirty emoji,” Daria told me. “I was confused because I [only] had 200 followers, and it was a private account.”

      She is one of two teenagers who have described to the BBC how Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan approached them online, apparently using a standard formula.

      “It was obvious we were high-school girls,” Daria said. “We had our high school in our bio and everything. I think he was just trying to find girls who were as innocent or naïve as possible, in my opinion.”

      She showed us a screenshot of the message, which she never replied to. But she says some of her friends did.

      A message from Andrew Tate's Instagram account to Daria
      Image caption,Daria showed the BBC the messages, which appear to be from Andrew Tate’s Instagram account

      Daria, who’s now at university in the UK, is the daughter of a prominent Romanian politician and feels able to speak out publicly when others have refused to go on the record.

      The Tate brothers are currently in 30-day custody in Romania while police investigate allegations of rape and trafficking, which both men deny.

      In video posted online Andrew Tate appears to instruct others on how to approach women on social media.

      “In my experience, what raises intrigue [and] inspires them to respond [is]… I ask where they are,” he says in the recording.

      “Sometimes [for] intrigue, I’ll put a completely pointless emoji on the end: some cherries, or an orange, or a strawberry.”

      Since sharing her experiences, Daria says many young men have accused her of lying.

      “Even guys that I used to know from high school are calling me a liar for saying I once received a message from Andrew Tate,” she told me. “But [they] don’t find anything strange about all the other allegations.”

      Daria
      Image caption,Daria says men have accused her of lying about receiving the message

      She says many men of her age idolise Andrew Tate, who is 36.

      “This is a big problem,” she told me, “because we can’t wake up in 20 years with two million Andrew Tates.”

      In publicity for his online courses, in manipulating and exploiting women, Andrew Tate said: “I’ve been running a web-cam studio for over a decade… Over 50% of my employees were actually my girlfriends at the time and, of all my girlfriends, NONE were in the adult entertainment industry before they met me.”

      He describes his job as “to meet a girl, go on a few dates, sleep with her… get her to fall in love with me, to where she’d do anything I say,” the publicity continues, “and then get her on web-cam so we could become rich together.”

      He has previously said he would never date a woman over 25.

      Gabriela (not her real name) was 17 when she was contacted on social media by Andrew Tate’s brother Tristan – though she later pretended she was 19.

      She’s asked that we call her Gabriela to disguise her identity.

      She showed me his initial message, which read, “You’re beautiful”.

      “I knew he was using the same approach with other girls,” she said. “He always starts the conversation with the same exact line: ‘You’re beautiful’.”

      Young person wearing hoodie looks at computer screens
      Image caption,The BBC is not identifying Gabriela

      Gabriela said a friend of hers received exactly the same opening message from Tristan Tate.

      In his video online, Andrew Tate says the phrase ‘”you are beautiful” isn’t bad as an opening, and goes on to outline what he describes as “a perfect example” of a conversation.

      After establishing where the woman is, Mr Tate advises men to ask: “Why do I never see you? Where are you hiding?”

      “99% of them say [they’re] not hiding,” he says in the recording.

      This is exactly what appears to have happened in the exchange with Gabriela.

      Screenshots of what is purported to be her conversation with Tristan Tate show his next message is exactly as Andrew describes: “Feel I’ve seen you around town before somewhere. Is that possible? Where have you been hiding?”

      “It is likely,” Gabriela replies. “I didn’t hide.”

      Gabriela says he invited her out in his car, and to a party, though she declined.

      Screenshots of their exchange indicate that the conversation ended abruptly after she posted a video about him on social media.

      “Important people will never want to write you if they see you

       do stuff like this. Just a friendly warning,” one of his last messages says.

      Screenshot from a message from Tristan Tate's account on Instagram

      There is nothing illegal in the Tate brothers contacting girls of 16 or 17 online, or inviting them out.

      But the testimony of these young women, along with Andrew Tate’s comments online, suggest a pre-planned method for initiating contact.

      The BBC has seen the screenshots that appear to support the claims made by these women. The messages appear to be sent from handles whose username matches that used by Andrew and Tristan Tate before they were banned from the application.

      However, the BBC has been unable to independently verify their authenticity, or establish whether the messages were sent by Andrew and Tristan Tate themselves or someone working on their behalf.

      The BBC has put these allegations to the Tate brothers through their lawyer, and asked for their response.

      Social media updates have continued to appear on Andrew Tate’s accounts, even while he’s in custody.

      On Thursday, he wrote that five people had been authorised to visit him in detention, including a 22-year-old American influencer called Adin Ross, with millions of followers, who said he was flying to Romania on Thursday.

      No charges have yet been brought against the Tate brothers. Their 30-day detention period is set to expire in just over a week.

      For all the confessional videos and commentary on their personal life, the allegations against them remain unproven; any evidence against them, veiled – for now – from public view.

      Source: BBC

    • Andrew Tate: Romanian police widen investigations into controversial influencer

      Andrew Tate: Romanian police widen investigations into controversial influencer

      A fleet of high-end vehicles were seized from Andrew Tate’s Bucharest compound over the weekend, while Romanian police raided seven additional homes, including a recently refurbished villa in the Carpathian Mountains, as part of their investigation into the former kickboxing champion.

      The sight of Mr Tate’s shiny dove-grey Porsche perched delicately on the battered frame of a police tow truck neatly captured his shift in fortunes as, through the high black gates of his compound, a slow procession of trucks carried his prized collection of luxury cars to join him in police custody.

      At the side of the road, a single fan stood watching. “I consider myself a fan,” Emmanuel told me. “Every boy likes his lifestyle.

      “I don’t like what I’m hearing about him, but we’ll see if it’s true. I’ll change my attitude if I see proof.”

      Some here see the confiscation of the cars as a sign that the Romanian authorities are preparing for the next stage in this case, securing assets as collateral against potential compensation claims from victims, in the event that Andrew Tate or his brother Tristan are charged with people trafficking.

      Raids on seven more properties last week are widely seen as a sign that investigators are expanding their search for evidence in the case.Media caption,

      Watch: Beatrice and Jasmin, who Romanian police deem to be potential victims of Andrew Tate, say they were friends, not victims

      In the town of Comarnic, two hours’ drive to the north, the Tate villa, freshly raided by police on Thursday, towers over the houses around it. Small homemade sheds perch against the high walls that surround the property.

      Neighbours here say the property was fully renovated last year, and only completed a few months ago.

      Trandafir Beldica lives in a worn housing block beside the main gate to the villa.

      “The guy in charge of the construction asked me to work on the electrics, but when they explained what they wanted, I told them it was way beyond what I knew how to do,” Trandafir told me.

      Inside, he said, the house has “all the amenities you can think of”.

      “It’s extremely luxurious,” he explained. “It’s divided into flats [and] they could afford to build a swimming pool – things that people like us couldn’t even dare to dream of.”

      How Andrew Tate made his money is a key part of this investigation.

      Police want to know whether he lured women to Romania with promises of a serious relationship or marriage, before forcing or manipulating them into working for him as models in adult entertainment chat rooms.

      They are also looking into rape allegations made by one of the witnesses.

      Investigators have confirmed that six women have been identified as potential victims. But last week, two of the women in the investigation publicly denied any mistreatment by the Tate brothers.

      Porsche being taken away on police tow truck at Andrew Tate's compound in Bucharest
      Image caption, Andrew Tate’s luxury cars were towed away from his compound in Bucharest

      The women – who have tattoos reading “Property of Tate” and “Tate Girl” – worked in the compound in Bucharest, where Andrew Tate lived with his brother and the models who staffed his adult web-cam business.

      Speaking to Romania’s Antena 1 TV channel, one of the women – identified as Beatrice – said she had been “good friends” with the Tate brothers for two years and had “Tate Girl” tattooed on her arm “out of respect for them”.

      The other woman – Jasmin – said she had never seen Mr Tate or his brother Tristan be “aggressive or rude”.

      The BBC has verified their identities with a former member of Tate staff.

      “I was never threatened,” Beatrice said. “If I was, I wouldn’t be stupid enough to stay in that house.

      “You can’t describe me as a victim in the case file if I’m not a victim.”

      Describing the moment police first entered the compound in December, Beatrice said 20 police officers charged in and went upstairs to a bedroom where, she says, two other women had locked themselves inside the room in fear of the raid.

      “They broke the door down. [The women] screamed,” Beatrice said.

      “But the police didn’t see that the key to the bedroom was lying on the bed.”

      BBC News has spoken to others who have different memories of the raid.

      There is little clarity about what evidence investigators have gathered so far. And among the Tates’ former associates, claims, counter-claims and conspiracy theories exist side-by-side.

      The Tate villa in the town of Comarnic, north of Bucharest
      Image caption, Investigations have also taken in the Tate villa in the town of Comarnic, north of Bucharest

      No charges have yet been brought, but Mihaela Dragus, spokeswoman for Romania’s National Anti-Trafficking Agency, says the case is already sending a strong message to both traffickers and victims.

      “The fact that the justice system has decided to keep the brothers in custody, even during the preliminary phase of the [case], sends a very important message,” she says.

      In one of his social media videos, Andrew Tate explains why he moved to Romania in 2017.

      “One of [my reasons] is the #MeToo era,” he says. “People say: ‘Oh you are a rapist’. No, I am not a rapist, but I like the idea of being able to do what I want, I like being free.”

      “If she goes to the [Romanian] police and says: ‘He raped me yesterday’, they’ll say ok, do you have evidence? Is there CCTV proof?”

      None of this is evidence that Mr Tate was involved in human trafficking or rape, but his assessment of Romania’s attitude to sexual crimes is not wrong, says Laura Stefan, a legal expert and prominent anti-corruption campaigner working with the Expert Forum think tank.

      “In a way, he’s right,” she told me. “Listening to him, the way he explained why he came here, I could relate to that; I thought he made a good calculation – unfortunately.”

      But she says things are changing.

      “Romania has a serious problem with trafficking, and I think the Romanian authorities have come to understand that this has to be dealt with,” she explained.

      “That means not only investigating a handful of hotshots, but also working with the victims and providing them with support.”

      Last year, Romania made enough progress for the US Trafficking In Persons report to take it off their watchlist.

      But the report also repeated concerns about Romanian officials themselves being involved in people trafficking.

      This case, involving a controversial, high-profile personality with US-British citizenship, has put a fresh spotlight on how Romania handles allegations of organised crime and sexual exploitation.

      Police have less than two weeks to charge the Tate brothers, or find enough evidence to convince a judge to extend their detention while the investigation continues.

      Andrew Tate’s reputation is on the line. Romania’s is too.

      Source: BBC

    • Romanian police seize Andrew Tate’s luxury property

      Romanian police seize Andrew Tate’s luxury property

      British-American Influencer, Andrew Tate, had several high-end vehicles seized from his Bucharest home.

      Last month, Mr. Tate and his brother Tristan were taken into custody as part of a probe into allegations of rape and human trafficking, both of which they deny.

      According to Reuters, vehicles including a Rolls-Royce, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz were taken from the property on Saturday.

      The attorney for Mr. Tate was unavailable to comment right away.

      A Lamborghini sports car of former professional kickboxer and social media influencer Andrew Tate

      On Tuesday, Mr Tate lost a bid to end his detention in Romania after a court rejected his appeal and said he should remain in custody.

      Mr Tate was seen carrying what appeared to be a copy of the Quran as he walked into Bucharest Appeal Court handcuffed to his brother.

      After the arrests on 29 December, police said they had identified six people who were allegedly “sexually exploited” by what it called an “organised criminal group”.

      Police alleged the victims were “recruited” by the British citizens, who they said misrepresented their intention to enter into a relationship with the victims – which they called “the loverboy method”.

      They were later forced to perform in pornographic content under threat of violence, a statement alleged.

      Romanian law enforcement officers complete the seizure papers for the luxury cars belonging to Andrew Tate

      The Tates’ lawyer, Eugen Vidineac, has said his clients rejected all the allegations.

      Born in the US before moving to the UK, Mr Tate went on to have a successful career as a kickboxer.

      In 2016, he was removed from British TV show Big Brother over a video which appeared to show him attacking a woman. He then set up a “webcam business”, which he described as “adult entertainment”.

      He went on to gain global notoriety, with Twitter banning him for saying women should “bear responsibility” for being sexually assaulted. He has since been reinstated.

      Source: BBC.com

    • Andrew Tate allegedly wrote ‘I love raping you’ in text to woman who has accused him of rape (UPDATE)

      Andrew Tate allegedly wrote ‘I love raping you’ in text to woman who has accused him of rape (UPDATE)

      UPDATED, 6:50 p.m. ET: Vice News has obtained text messages and voice notes that were allegedly sent from Tate to a woman who accused him of raping her in November 2013. 

      The woman claims they had been dating for two or three weeks when she went to his apartment for the first time. They were kissing on his bed when Tate allegedly tried to take off her clothes. The woman maintains she told him beforehand that she didn’t want to have sex, and Tate reassured her nothing would happen between them, until he suddenly stopped kissing her and laid down on his bed. 

      “I got up and looked at him and went, ‘What’s wrong?’” she said. “This guy literally laid there and went: ‘I’m just debating whether I should rape you or not.’” The woman claims Tate’s demeanor changed shortly thereafter, saying, “It was like his eyes went, and I didn’t have a clue who that person was.” 

      She admits to being in denial about what occurred for a “very long time,” and struggles till this day to use what she refers to as “the R word.” She continued to see him several months after the incident and engaged in consensual sex. 

      How These Three Artists Made the Most of Art Basel With Some Help from Toyota’s Creator Studio

      “If I go and see him again, and I want it this time, then I’m not being degraded, then it’s not the R word,” she explained. “So that’s what I did. I was like, ‘Right, I’ll see you again…you haven’t taken that control of me. You haven’t hurt me.” 

      Trafficking Allegations

      In 2015, the woman received a phone call from an officer for the department in the neighboring county of Hertfordshire, and was informed that two other women filed complaints, accusing Tate of rape and repeated strangulation. “I literally broke down and went, ‘Yes, I am,’” she recalled. “I felt stronger. I felt like, OK, I’m not alone now, I’ve got two other girls.”

      The woman handed over voice notes and texts from Tate, including one message in which he wrote, “I love raping you.”   

      See original story below. 

      Andrew Tate, who was weeks ago arrested in Romania on charges including human trafficking, had his attempts at an appeal turned down by a court in Romania on Tuesday.

      Per a report from the Associated Press, the initial arrest of Tate—who has referred to himself as both “absolutely sexist” and “absolutely a misogynist” in the past—has been upheld by a Bucharest court. As previously reported, a judge had been confirmed to have bumped up what was at first a 24-hour detainment to a 30-day period due to what was then noted as “the possibility of [Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan] evading investigations.”

      In a previously shared media release, the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) detailed the case—which includes allegations of organized crime, human trafficking, and rape—as counting among its impact “six injured persons” officials say were “sexually exploited” by the group in question. In addition to the Tate brothers, two others were also named as suspects in the larger case.

      As has been well-documented, these latest Tate developments began with 20-year-old climate change activist Greta Thunberg responding to Tate bragging (and tagging her in the process) about his gas-guzzling fleet with a succinct, tweeted joke about small penises.

      Shortly after the exchange, news of Tate’s detainment went wide, later resulting in a follow-up roast from Thunberg.

      “This is what happens when you don’t recycle your pizza boxes,” Thunberg said in a tweet referencing speculation that pizza boxes seen in a Tate video played a role in his eventual arrest.

      Source: Complex.com

    • Controversial internet personality Andrew Tate and his brother detained in Romania

      Controversial internet personality Andrew Tate and his brother were detained in Romania on Thursday, according to their defense lawyer.

      Authorities in Romania said police served search warrants at five homes and detained four suspects, including two Britons and two Romanians, as part of an investigation into organized human trafficking and rape. They did not name any of those detained.

      A lawyer for Andrew and Tristan Tate told CNN that the brothers were expected to appear in court later Friday. He stressed that Andrew Tate was not under arrest. “He was not arrested. He was detained for 24 hours,” said the lawyer, Eugen Vidineac.

      The attorney did not discuss any of the allegations.

      Romania’s Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism, a government agency, released an edited, grainy, sometimes out-of-focus video purportedly showing the raids. A man can be seen being patted down by police. It’s unclear who is being detained in the video.

      In a separate video aired by CNN affiliate Antena 3, officers from the crime agency can be seen escorting Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan Tate into police vehicles.

    • TikTok accused by filmmaker for permitting hateful comments on video

      A TikTok video about sexual consent has been inundated with comments from men accusing women of assault.

      Many of them mention Andrew Tate, the divisive influencer who has been barred from multiple sites due to his misogynist views.

      The two-minute video, posted by an account with approximately 1,700 followers, has been viewed almost 1.2 million times.

      Its creator Emmeline Hartley says she believes TikTok’s algorithms are driving more hate toward the film.

      People using TikTok are served content based on a mixture of videos they have previously liked, and on which people like them have watched and commented.

      TikTok said misogyny was prohibited on the platform.

      “Our community guidelines specifically call it out as a hateful ideology and we are crystal clear that we do not want that content on our platform,” said a spokesperson.

      It added that it had removed more than 100 comments from Ms Hartley’s video, which it said was a small proportion of the number that had been left.

      A behind-the-scenes shot. A woman is performing in front of a film crew.
      IMAGE SOURCE, EMMELINE HARTLEY Image caption, Emmeline Hartley performs in the film as well as having created it

      Ms Hartley said she had found it impossible to make direct contact with someone from the platform to get help.

      “We don’t have the capacity or the manpower to respond to all the comments,” Ms Hartley said.

      “I thought, ‘what have I done? I’ve made a film that’s helping rape culture.”

      She says she has seen other videos on TikTok that have been swamped with abusive comments where the creator is appealing for likes and positivity to help “pull them back from the wrong side of TikTok”.

      Fictional story

      Ms Hartley’s original video, Keep Breathing, was 18 minutes long and made in 2018, with funding from various local organizations in Derby and backed by the British Film Institute.

      It is a fictional story featuring a couple arguing in a lift about a previous sexual encounter, interwoven with flashbacks to the evening it took place.

      The characters had both been drinking alcohol, they met in a nightclub, and there were misunderstandings about how they were going to get home and whether the man was going to stay with the woman.

      A still from a film. A man and woman stare at one another inside a lift.
      IMAGE SOURCE,EMMELINE HARTLEY Image caption, Ms Hartley said the film was intended to be nuanced, and to explore complex issues around consent

      However, the clip she posted to TikTok in September featured only the pair’s argument and not the contextual flashbacks. When Ms Hartley tried to add a separate video featuring those, they were repeatedly removed by TikTok on the grounds that they were explicit.

      She has now been able to share the context but says there are still many comments which are abusive towards women.

      Although she considered removing the videos, Ms Hartley says she is content that she decided to share the post.

      “I don’t regret it, but I’m trying to navigate how to respond,” she said.

      “Some of the comments have been healthy, a couple of people have changed their minds while replying to each other. I think it’s important, it needs to go out there.”

      How the algorithm works

      Social media consultant Matt Navarra said that TikTok’s algorithm functions as a recommendation service, drawing both on the previous activity of the individual user and others like them, in order to serve up new content with which the person is also likely to engage.

      This keeps them on the platform for longer and more frequently, which is good for advertisers and therefore also good for TikTok’s advertising revenue.

      “It means if this content has been seen, engaged with, and liked by a group of users who are, for example, Andrew Tate fans, then it’s likely to show that piece of content to even more people who are that sort of user,” he said. “It’s self-perpetuating.”

      The creator cannot stop this train once it is in motion, because they have no control over the algorithm itself and there are limited options for reporting issues, Mr Navarra added.

      In July it was reported that Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, was going to make its algorithm more similar to TikTok’s, rather than prioritising content from accounts that individuals were already following.