
Controversial influencer Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan have landed within the US after leaving Romania, the place they face expenses of rape, trafficking minors and cash laundering, all of which they deny.
Questions stay about why they had been allowed to journey and what occurs subsequent with their authorized instances.
Who’re the Tate brothers Andrew and Tristan?
Andrew Tate, 38, and his brother Tristan, 36, are twin US-UK residents who declare to have made thousands and thousands from their social media empire.
Their on-line output was controversial even earlier than their authorized troubles, with the pair attracting frequent criticism over offensive statements about ladies.
The pair have an American father who labored for the US Air Pressure in Britain. Their mother and father met within the UK earlier than shifting to the US.
After their mother and father divorced, their mom moved to Luton, England. The brothers frolicked within the UK, the place they constructed their early careers.
Police within the UK have linked Andrew Tate to the “fairly terrifying” radicalisation of boys and younger males in a 2024 report into violence in opposition to ladies and ladies.
The brothers had been first arrested in Romania in 2022. They’re dealing with separate, unrelated expenses of rape and human trafficking within the UK. Each brothers additionally deny the costs in opposition to them within the UK.
Why had been the Tate brothers travelling to the US?
The brothers had been beneath a journey ban in Romania for greater than two years whereas they had been beneath investigation.
Hypothesis that they would go away Romania had been mounting forward of their journey, after the pair went quiet on social media.
They left from a Bucharest airport at round 03:00 native time (05:00 GMT) on a personal jet certain for Florida, sources have advised the BBC.
Prosecutors stated the journey ban had been lifted, and the pair’s US passports had been returned to them, however investigations into their alleged crimes haven’t been dropped and they’re anticipated to return to Romania.
The Tates have a big US following and are common figures amongst some components of the American proper.
Earlier in February, a few of Andrew Tate’s alleged victims stated they had been “extraordinarily involved” by studies that US officers had requested for his journey restrictions to be relaxed.
It got here after US particular envoy Richard Grenell raised the Tate brothers with Romania’s Overseas Minister Emil Hurezeanu on the Munich Safety Convention.
Hurezeanu stated he had not thought of Grenell’s method as a “type of strain”. Grenell advised the Monetary Occasions his assist for the brothers was evident.
The Tates have been vocal supporters of US President Donald Trump, whereas his shut adviser, Elon Musk, restored Andrew Tate’s account on X after he purchased the social media platform in 2022.
What have the Tates and the Trump administration stated in regards to the journey?
Andrew and Tristan Tate haven’t but commented on their journey to the US, and neither has the Trump administration.
Will they must return to Romania to face trial?
The instances in opposition to the Tate brothers in Romania are actually being rewritten by prosecutors, who allowed them to go away the nation on the situation that they return – probably as early as the tip of March.
The pair’s request to go away the nation was accepted, prosecutors stated, however their request for the costs in opposition to them to be dropped was rejected.
The brothers face numerous civil and prison authorized instances.
The pair had been charged with human trafficking and rape together with two Romanian feminine suspects in June 2023. They deny the costs.
They face separate, unrelated expenses of rape and human trafficking within the UK. Final yr, a Romanian court docket dominated they could possibly be extradited to the UK after their case in Romania concludes.
A separate, civil case has been opened in opposition to the Tates within the US.
Individually, attorneys for 4 ladies who declare they had been assaulted by the Tates stated they had been bringing a civil case in opposition to him on the Excessive Court docket within the UK for “damages for accidents they suffered consequently”.
A consultant for the Tate brothers stated in response that they “unequivocally deny all allegations”.
A separate civil case within the UK, which the brothers are contesting, accuses the brothers and a 3rd particular person of being serial tax evaders.
What has occurred to their belongings?
The brothers have had their properties, autos, financial institution accounts and firm shares returned to them by the Romanian authorities, a spokesperson for the brothers stated.
A Ferrari, a Mercedes-Benz, and an Audi A5 had been among the many autos launched, the spokesperson stated.
The belongings, which had been seized by the authorities within the wake of the brothers’ detention in 2022, had been launched following a court docket enchantment led by their lawyer Eugen Vidineac.
A few of their belongings “stay beneath precautionary seizure”, the spokesperson stated, however described the ruling as a “vital step towards justice.”
What have Tate’s alleged victims stated?
4 ladies who allege they had been sexually abused by Andrew Tate have stated they’re in “disbelief and really feel re-traumatised” by information of him leaving Romania.
In a joint assertion, the 4 stated: “It’s clear that he’ll no longer face prison prosecution for his alleged crimes in Romania; he’ll use it as a chance to harass additional and intimidate witnesses and his accusers, and he’ll proceed to unfold his violent, misogynistic doctrine world wide.”
Additionally they urged British authorities to “lastly take motion, do one thing about this terrifying unfolding scenario and guarantee he faces justice within the UK”.
Matthew Jury, a lawyer representing the 4 alleged victims, advised the BBC the Trump administration was “interfering in due course of” in Romania and the UK.
He added he did not assume the Tate brothers would “ever face justice in Romania now”.