Andrew Tate, left, and his brother Tristan are being investigated over sexual assault and exploitation claims, which they deny (Picture: Reuters)
Andrew Tate, the wealth-flaunting influencer known for his misogyny, has been arrested in Romania – again – over allegations of sexual aggression.
Tate, 36, and his brother Tristan were detained Monday night on charges that date back to between 2012 and 2015.
They have both been charged with forming an organised criminal group in 2021 and engaging in human trafficking across Romania, the UK and the US.
The Tate brothers ‘categorically reject all charges’, a statement from their team said.
Investigators have tracked down seven women who say they were exploited by the group and forced into performing on-camera sexual acts.
Four British women have also accused Tate of rape and serious physical and sexual assaults.
An arrest warrant was issued by Westminster Magistrates Court in London after the British women’s solicitors ‘received information that Tate was planning to flee Romania’.
Andrew Tate faces potentially years behind bars (Picture: AP)
‘We wrote to the British police to bring this to their attention and to urge them to immediately seek a warrant for Tate’s detention in Romania and extradition to the UK,’ McCue Jury & Partners LLP said in a statement on X today.
Romanian police said they cuffed the brothers at around 11.15pm ‘for committing sexual crimes, exploiting some people on the territory of Great Britain’.
‘The two men were presented to the prosecutor from the Prosecutor’s Office attached to the Bucharest Court of Appeal, who ordered the measure of detention for 24 hours, against those in question,’ it added.
What was Andrew Tate been accused of?
Andrew and Tristan have been charged alongside two Romanian women said to be part of the crime group.
The brothers misled the seven women by seducing them and promising them a relationship only to house them in a compound outside the Romanian capital of Bucharest, the Romanian Directorate for the Investigation of Organized Crime and Terrorism has alleged.
One of the women accused the suspect of raping her two times in March 2022. Another victim claimed that when she refused to make a pornographic video, one of the group members used violence against her.
Prosecutors formally handed Anfrew an indictment in June last year, meaning he will face trial in Romania.
Has this all happened because he ordered pizza that one time?
Online sleuths were convinced that a video of Tate he posted online with a distinctive pizza box is what alerted police to his presence in the country.
Sadly this wasn’t the case, Romanian officials later clarified. (It wasn’t thanks to Greta Thunberg telling him to get a life either.)
Andrew had actually been based in Romania for quite some time, though has never disclosed to his fans why.
‘I like living in a society where my money, my influence and my power mean that I’m not below or beholden’ to any laws, the former kickboxer said in an interview last year.
How long will Andrew Tate’s trial take?
With the indictment filed, now it’s a waiting game.
Judges are reviewing the case in a preliminary chamber, a process where the defendants can challenge the prosecutions.
Until then, no trial date can be set.
Will Andrew Tate end up in jail?
He has already. Well, kind of.
The Tate brothers were held in prison for three months after entering Romanian custody on December 22. Judges repeatedly denied them bail, meaning Andrew spent an extra month behind bars.
Under Romanian law, suspects can be detained for up to six months during an ongoing investigation.
Andrew Tate has been released from house arrest but he still cannot leave Romania (Picture: EPA)
Both brothers were briefly on house arrest for two months in May last year as they awaited trial, stuck in their home in Romania and unable to leave the country.
When a court extended this by another 30 days, Andrew claimed on X he ‘wasn’t told why’. He was released in August.
In January, a judge tossed out Andrew’s appeal for the restrictions on where he can go to be eased. Instead, they extended them by 60 days.
How long could Andrew Tate go to jail for?
About a decade if he’s found guilty of trafficking people and up to 18 years if found guilty of rape and a further 15 years maximum for sexual exploitation.
But if he’s found guilty on multiple charges, he faces even longer in prison.
What has Andrew Tate said about this all?
A representative for the influencer today described the arrest warrant as a ‘bewildering revival of decade-old accusations’ leaving the brothers ‘dismayed and deeply troubled’.
‘They categorically reject all charges and express profound disappointment that such serious allegations are being resurrected without substantial new evidence,’ the statement said.
‘They are fully committed to challenging these accusations with unwavering determination and resolve.’
The statement added: ‘As the Bucharest Court of Appeal convenes today, the Tate brothers are still hopeful that the court will consider the broader implications of this case and its potential impact on justice and due process.
‘They remain resolute in their pursuit of truth and justice, confident that the legal system will ultimately vindicate their innocence.’
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