On December 29, 2022, social media influencer Andrew Tate was arrested by Romanian officials on charges of rape, human trafficking and organized crime. He was taken into custody alongside his brother, Tristan Tate, and two Romanian women. The 36-year-old kickboxer-turned-”alpha male” influencer was apprehended by the Romanian Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism, or DIICOT. They stated that Tate and his brother have been subjects of investigation since April of last year.
Prosecutors stated that “The four suspects … appear to have created an organized crime group with the purpose of recruiting, housing and exploiting women by forcing them to create pornographic content meant to be seen on specialized websites for a cost.” They have identified six women who were forced by Tate to perform in pornographic videos for profit.
Allegedly, the Tates and other suspects lured women into trafficking by convincing women they were interested in relationships to get close to them (aka the “loverboy” method). The suspects are accused of taking the women they coerced to houses where they were made to act in adult videos under threats of violence.
Both brothers have denied any illegal action. As he was being escorted to DIICOT offices, Andrew Tate told reporters, “They know we have done nothing wrong…This file is completely empty…there is no justice in Romania unfortunately.”
Yet, this “unfortunate” lack of justice in Romania sounds similar to what drew Tate to the eastern European nation in the first place. When he moved there in 2017, he cited the country’s “lax” laws regarding corruption and violence towards women as his motivation.
Tristan Tate also claimed that there was no evidence, saying, “the authorities are planning to steal my cars and steal my money. That is why I am in jail.”
Authorities seized the Tates’ collection of cars, money, watches and various weapons, among other things. In all, roughly $4 million in assets were confiscated. If the Tates are convicted, the seized assets would be used to pay for the investigation and provide compensation to the victims.
In order for the Tates to be found guilty, there would need to be proof that they profited off of the exploitation of unconsenting women. If the goods seized by authorities from the Tates’ residence are found to have been bought using money earned through trafficking, the Tates would be found guilty of the charges against them.
After their original 24 hours being held by police, the Tates’ detention was extended by 30 days. After the 30 days were up, their time in custody was extended by another month, keeping them there until February 27. The Tates appealed both extensions and were denied both times, as the court in Romania’s capital city of Bucharest ruled that it was necessary for them to remain in custody while the investigation takes place. Most recently, on February 21, their detention was extended by yet another 30 days. The two Romanian women who are also under investigation have been placed on house arrest.
The Tates continue to be defensive throughout the investigation. “Anyone who believes I’m a human trafficker is genuinely a moron,” Andrew Tate tweeted on January 14. He also referred to his arrest as “the Matrix [sending] its agents.” References to “The Matrix” are abundant on Tate’s Twitter, which he continues to use to claim his innocence. His past activity on the internet — labeling himself a misogynist, promoting male superiority and female submission, footage of him beating a woman with a belt etc. — weakens these claims.
Many believed that Tate’s online presence was the cause for his arrest. The specifics of the arrest itself have not been released, but officials have confirmed that it was not sparked by Tate’s Twitter interaction with then 19-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg only two days before his arrest. The conversation was started by Tate when he sent a tweet saying “please provide your email address so I can send a complete list of my car collection and their respective enormous emissions.” Thunberg responded, “yes, please do enlighten me. email me at smalld***[email protected].”
Tate replied with a video, in the background of which a box from a Romanian pizza place is visible. Many speculated that this slip-up allowed the authorities to confirm Tate’s location, but this theory has since been debunked.
There does not appear to be an end in sight for the investigation. Authorities continue to search for evidence but have not reported details about their findings as of yet. As Romanian police are not releasing much information, a date for when the Tates could face trial is unknown. They will most likely remain in custody until the investigation is complete, which may be a long time away.
