Andrew Tate has been arrested in Romania on a British arrest warrant, spokesman says
Andrew Tate, the wealth-flaunting online influencer known for his misogynistic views, and his brother Tristan were taken into custody in Romania on Monday evening on a European arrest warrant issued by British authorities, a spokesman for Mr Tate said.
The charges related to the arrest were made between 2012 and 2015 and include allegations of sexual assault, the spokesperson said. He added that the charges were dismissed by the Crown Prosecution Service years later.
It is unclear which British force issued the order or why the case was reopened.
The Bucharest Court of Appeal in Romania is expected to make a decision on Tuesday afternoon on whether the Tate brothers should be extradited to Britain, the spokesman said.
The spokesperson said the brothers “categorically reject all allegations and express their deep disappointment that such serious allegations are resurfacing without substantial new evidence.”
Mr Tate, who regularly uses various platforms to broadcast his virulent brand of male chauvinism, posted on social media Tuesday morning: “The Matrix is afraid, but I only fear God.”
Mr. Tate, a former professional kickboxer, and his brother were charged separately in 2022 with forming an organized criminal group and engaging in human trafficking in Romania, Great Britain and the United States.
Some details of these allegations have been kept confidential, but an official from the Public Prosecution Service in Romania confirmed that Mr Tate also faced rape allegations in the 2022 case. The brothers have denied the allegations against them and maintain their innocence.
It was not immediately clear when a trial in that case would begin.
Mr Tate’s profile grew after he appeared as a contestant on the British reality show ‘Big Brother’ in 2016. According to the tabloid The Sun, he was kicked off the show after a video surfaced of him hitting a woman with a belt. he and the woman said it was consensual.
He later gathered millions of followers, including many young men, by claiming that men are victims of feminism and that women “belong” to men and need men’s guidance.