The British and American social media personality

Andrew Tate Emory Andrew Tate III (born 1 December 1986) is an American and English social media personality, businessman, and former professional kickboxer who is also a citizen of Vanuatu among another countries. He gained notoriety for promoting ...

and his brother, Tristan Tate, have both been involved in a number of criminal and civil legal affairs in relation to their joint business and personal activities. As of March 2025 they are facing six legal investigations—four criminal and two civil—in Romania, the United Kingdom and the United States. In response, they filed two lawsuits against their accusers in the US. Andrew also faces an additional civil case in the UK. The brothers have denied all charges and allegations. In December 2022 the brothers were arrested in Romania along with two women. In June 2023 all four were charged with

rape Rape is a type of sexual assault involving sexual intercourse, or other forms of sexual penetration, carried out against a person without consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority, or against a person ...

human trafficking Human trafficking is the act of recruiting, transporting, transferring, harboring, or receiving individuals through force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of exploitation. This exploitation may include forced labor, sexual slavery, or oth ...

and forming an

organised crime Organized crime is a category of transnational, national, or local group of centralized enterprises run to engage in illegal activity, most commonly for profit. While organized crime is generally thought of as a form of illegal business, some ...

group to sexually exploit women. In July two of their accusers reportedly went into hiding after a campaign of

online harassment Cyberbullying (cyberharassment or online bullying) is a form of bullying or harassment using Electronic communication network, electronic means. Since the 2000s, it has become increasingly common, especially among teenagers and Adolescence, a ...

, and the brothers filed a

defamation Defamation is a communication that injures a third party's reputation and causes a legally redressable injury. The precise legal definition of defamation varies from country to country. It is not necessarily restricted to making assertions ...

lawsuit, claiming US$5 million in damages against one of the accusers. In March 2024 British police obtained an

arrest warrant An arrest warrant is a warrant issued by a judge or magistrate on behalf of the state which authorizes the arrest and detention of an individual or the search and seizure of an individual's property. Canada Arrest warrants are issued by a jud ...

for the brothers, and in May 2025, the

Crown Prosecution Service The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is the principal public agency for conducting criminal prosecutions in England and Wales. It is headed by the Director of Public Prosecutions. The main responsibilities of the CPS are to provide legal adv ...

brought 21 charges against the Tates, including

actual bodily harm Assault occasioning actual bodily harm (often abbreviated to Assault OABH, AOABH or simply ABH) is a statutory offence of aggravated assault in England and Wales, Northern Ireland, the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Hong Kong and th ...

and

. In July 2024 a

civil case A lawsuit is a proceeding by one or more parties (the plaintiff or claimant) against one or more parties (the defendant) in a civil court of law. The archaic term "suit in law" is found in only a small number of laws still in effect today. T ...

in the UK began against the brothers and a third person for alleged

tax evasion Tax evasion or tax fraud is an illegal attempt to defeat the imposition of taxes by individuals, corporations, trusts, and others. Tax evasion often entails the deliberate misrepresentation of the taxpayer's affairs to the tax authorities to red ...

. A month later, Romanian police raided four properties Andrew owns and expanded its investigation to include trafficking minors, sex with a minor,

money laundering Money laundering is the process of illegally concealing the origin of money obtained from illicit activities (often known as dirty money) such as drug trafficking, sex work, terrorism, corruption, and embezzlement, and converting the funds i ...

and attempting to influence a witness.

Criminal cases

Romania

On 11 April 2022 the

US embassy The United States has the second largest number of active diplomatic posts of any country in the world after the People's Republic of China, including 272 bilateral posts (embassies and consulates) in 174 countries, as well as 11 permanent miss ...

received a report that an American citizen was being held against her will in a property the brothers own in

Pipera Pipera village is a neighborhood in Voluntari, Ilfov County, at the northern edge of the city of Bucharest, Romania. Development Until 1995, Pipera was an ordinary village. After that, an "El Dorado" of land transactions began. Plots of land th ...

, Romania. Romanian police raided the home and a nearby webcam studio belonging to the Tates, where they discovered four women. Two of them, the American and another Romanian woman, told the police they were being held against their will, sparking an investigation into

and rape by the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT). The brothers were interrogated and released. At the time, they were heard as witnesses rather than suspects.

Arrests, investigations and asset seizures

On 29 December 2022 the police arrested the brothers and two women. All four are suspected of human trafficking and forming an

group, and one of them (unidentified, per Romanian law) is suspected of rape. DIICOT accuses the Tates of having recruited women through the "loverboy" method—which consists of misrepresenting one's intention to commit to a romantic relationship—and forcing them to create explicit content for websites like

OnlyFans OnlyFans is an Internet content subscription service based in London, England. The service is widely known for being popular with sex workers who produce pornography, and also hosts other content creators including athletes, musicians, and com ...

as part of an organised crime group the Tates are alleged to have formed in early 2021. DIICOT identified six potential victims. Social media rumours attributed Andrew's arrest to pizza boxes from the Romanian restaurant chain Jerry's Pizza shown in a video addressed to

Greta Thunberg Greta Tintin Eleonora Ernman Thunberg (; born 3January 2003) is a Swedish climate activist, climate and political activist initially known for challenging world leaders to take immediate action to climate change mitigation, mitigate the effec ...

replying to a tweet she had made at his expense. These rumours were denied by Romanian authorities; a spokesman for DIICOT described the rumours as "funny" but untrue. In April 2023 the brothers filed criminal complaints in Romania against two of the witnesses in the case. The witnesses' lawyer characterised this as intimidation, and the lawyer noted that the witnesses had received death threats. As of 5 January 2023 two potential victims had joined the case as civil parties and filed statements against the suspects. On 7 January one of the Tates' lawyers said the defence team had still not obtained a copy of the evidence the prosecution presented to the judge. The lawyer also said that the Tates had not been given an accurate translation during their hearing for the 30-day extension. He requested the opportunity to confront the accusers in court and said that some of the six alleged victims DIICOT identified had not filed a complaint against the Tates. Two women who have lived with the Tates have publicly defended them, and two of the six alleged victims DIICOT identified have denied that they were victimised. Romanian authorities seized 29 assets, including 15 cars, more than 10 properties, watches, and sums of money, that belonged to the Tates or their companies, totaling almost US$4 million. If the Tates are convicted, these assets will be forfeited to the state and used to pay civil and moral

damages At common law, damages are a remedy in the form of a monetary award to be paid to a claimant as compensation for loss or injury. To warrant the award, the claimant must show that a breach of duty has caused foreseeable loss. To be recognized at ...

to any victims. On 14 January 2023, the cars at the Tates' home were transported to a storage location. On 11 December, a Romanian court rejected a request to return assets seized during the investigation. On 8 January 2024, the Bucharest Court of Appeal overturned this decision on appeal and ordered a new trial over the seized assets. On 21 August 2024 Romanian police expanded their investigation against Andrew to include trafficking minors, sex with a minor,

, and attempting to influence witnesses. DIICOT raided four homes belonging to Tate in

Ilfov County Ilfov () is the Counties of Romania, county that surrounds Bucharest, the capital of Romania. It used to be largely rural, but, after the fall of communism, many of the county's villages and communes developed into high-income commuter towns, whi ...

and Bucharest in connection with new accusations and the criminal case of setting up an organised criminal group. The next day, Andrew and Tristan, whose property was also raided, were among six people taken into custody for allegations related to the raids. Both Romanians and foreigners were among those arrested. Prosecutors said the new investigation involves 35 alleged victims, including a woman who was a minor at the time. The accused are alleged to have made a total of $2.8 million via "sexual exploitation". The brothers have denied all the allegations.

Rape and human trafficking charges

On 13 June 2023 DIICOT adjusted the charges from

to "human trafficking in continued form", a more serious charge. One additional victim was identified, bringing the total to seven. On 20 June, the four accused were indicted on charges of rape, human trafficking, and forming an organised crime group to sexually exploit women. They continue to deny all charges and remain under investigation for money laundering and trafficking of minors. Andrew's attorney argues that Andrew was playing an online character, while Andrew and his supporters have spread various conspiracy theories about the criminal charges.

Sky News Sky News is a British free-to-air television news channel, live stream news network and news organisation. Sky News is distributed via an English-language radio news service, and through online channels. It is owned by Sky Group, a division of ...

reported that the allegations include committing "human trafficking in Romania and other countries", including the United States and the United Kingdom.

ABC News ABC News most commonly refers to: * ABC News (Australia), a national news service of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation * ABC News (United States), a news-gathering and broadcasting division of the American Broadcasting Company ABC News may a ...

reported that the case centres around three women—of American, Moldovan, and British nationality—who accuse the Tates of "luring

hem A hem in sewing is a garment finishing method, where the edge of a piece of cloth is folded and sewn to prevent unravelling of the fabric and to adjust the length of the piece in garments, such as at the end of the sleeve or the bottom of the ga ...

to Romania and exploiting them on webcam". According to the Jewish organisation Anti-Defamation League, "Prosecutors allege that ndrewTate raped at least one of the women repeatedly, controlled them by threatening them with violence and financial ruin and posted pornographic videos to the women's social media accounts." In January 2024 the case was heard in the preliminary chamber before a trial date was set. In April a Romanian court ruled that all four defendants could be tried in the country without specifying a trial date. The Bucharest Tribunal decided that the case against Andrew "met the legal criteria". The defendants have appealed the ruling and have engaged in a legal strategy of delaying and drawing out the case. In November the Bucharest court ruled to remove certain pieces of evidence from the trial, including statements from the brothers and witness testimonies.

Pre-trial detention and restrictions

After an initial 24-hour

pre-trial detention Pre-trial detention, also known as jail, preventive detention, provisional detention, or remand, is the process of detaining a person until their trial after they have been arrested and charged with an offence. A person who is on remand is ...

following the arrests on 29 December 2022, the judge prolonged their detention by 30 days. The Tates appealed the extension, but the appeal was rejected on 10 January 2023. Under Romanian law, it can be prolonged for a maximum of 180 days. On 20 January, a Romanian court extended the brothers' pre-trial detention to 27 February; the court's reasoning was based on a desire to safeguard the investigation and prevent the Tates from leaving the country. On 25 January, while being taken for questioning at Romania's organised crime unit, Andrew said the case against him was "empty" and told reporters that "they know we have done nothing wrong." On 1 February the Tates appealed the decision to extend his detention. The Bucharest Court of Appeal rejected his appeal. That same day, Tina Glandian, a lawyer who previously represented

Chris Brown Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. A Pop music, pop and hip-hop-influenced contemporary R&B, R&B musician who works in a variety of genres, he has been called the "Honorific nic ...

and

Mike Tyson Michael Gerard Tyson (born June 30, 1966) is an American former professional boxer who competed between 1985 and 2024. Nicknamed "Iron Mike" and "Kid Dynamite" in his early career, and later known as "the Baddest Man on the Planet", Tyson i ...

, was added to the defence team. She released a public statement alleging that the situation constituted a "violation of international human rights". On 21 February a Romanian judicial institution prolonged the brothers' detention for 30 more days. Prosecutors allege

wiretaps Wiretapping, also known as wire tapping or telephone tapping, is the monitoring of telephone and Internet-based conversations by a third party, often by covert means. The wire tap received its name because, historically, the monitoring connecti ...

of phone calls made by Andrew to two associates, instructing them to lobby two Romanian right-wing politicians,

George Simion George Nicolae Simion (; born 21 September 1986) is a Romanian politician and civic activist. He is the founder and chairman of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), the second largest party in both houses of parliament since 2024 Rom ...

and

Diana Iovanovici Șoșoacă Diana most commonly refers to: * Diana (name), given name (including a list of people with the name) * Diana (mythology), ancient Roman goddess of the hunt and wild animals; later associated with the Moon * Diana, Princess of Wales (1961–1997), ...

, to support his release. On 14 March their petition for bail was refused for the third time. On 29 March their detention period was lengthened until the end of April. On 31 March the Bucharest Court of Appeal overturned the previous court's decision, transitioning the brothers' pre-trial detention to

house arrest House arrest (also called home confinement, or nowadays electronic monitoring) is a legal measure where a person is required to remain at their residence under supervision, typically as an alternative to imprisonment. The person is confined b ...

, initially set until 29 April and later extended to the end of August. In total, the four suspects, including the brothers, were held in police custody from 29 December 2022 until 31 March 2023. On 4 August their house arrest was replaced by judicial control until 2 October, allowing the four to leave their house but not

. On 28 September the travel restriction was relaxed after an appeal, allowing Andrew to travel within Romania. The decision was overturned on appeal, but restrictions were again relaxed by a judge on 28 November. On 30 January 2024 the Bucharest Court of Appeal rejected Tate's appeal to relax judicial control measures after pre-trial restrictions imposed on 18 January were extended another 60 days. The restrictions determine that he cannot leave the country. On 10 May the Bucharest Tribunal extended the same travel restrictions another 60 days, and on 20 May Andrew lost his appeal in the Bucharest Court of Appeal to have the restrictions relaxed. On 5 July a Bucharest court announced that the brothers were no longer restricted to travel only within Romania. The travel restriction was lifted, allowing the brothers to travel freely within the EU. The Bucharest Court of Appeal reversed that ruling on 16 July. On 21 August the brothers were held for questioning as part of a new investigation against them. A hearing was held at which a Romanian judge placed Andrew under house arrest for at least 30 days amid new allegations of human trafficking and sexual intercourse with a minor. The arrests came one day after Romanian police raided his home in the country. Tristan was placed under judicial custody. On 5 September the Bucharest Court of Appeal turned down prosecutors' request to jail Andrew, keeping him under house arrest. Tristan was allowed to be kept in judicial custody, but he and Andrew were allowed to communicate with the alleged victims they have children with and who deny the allegations against them. On 27 February 2025 various news outlets reported that the Tates had left Romania for the United States via private jet, with Romanian sources reporting that they were headed for Florida. This came after voices in the

Trump administration Presidency of Donald Trump may refer to: * First presidency of Donald Trump, the United States presidential administration from 2017 to 2021 * Second presidency of Donald Trump, the United States presidential administration since 2025 See also * ...

, including Ric Grenell, the Special Presidential Envoy for Special Missions of United States, supported the Tates. DIICOT later issued a statement, making clear the Tates still face their case in Romania, but had been granted their request to be able to leave the country. They will be expected to return to Romania at a later date in order to satisfy the terms of their "under judicial control", which has not ended.

Other

When driving in Romania in June 2025, Andrew Tate was given a £310 ticket and had his license suspended after speeding at in a zone.

United Kingdom

Andrew was first arrested in July 2015 after two women filed complaints accusing him of rape and assault in 2014. He was again arrested on suspicion of rape in December 2015 after an accuser presented messages from Andrew in which he wrote, "I love raping you." In response to the allegations, a spokesperson for Andrew said, "Andrew vehemently denies any involvement in criminal activities such as rape or physical abuse." In 2016, when Andrew appeared on the British reality show '' Big Brother'''s 17th series, ''

Vice A vice is a practice, behaviour, Habit (psychology), habit or item generally considered morally wrong in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refer to a fault, a negative character trait, a defect, an infirmity, or a bad or unhe ...

'' later reported that he was removed because the show's producers became aware of the investigation by

Hertfordshire Constabulary Hertfordshire Constabulary is the territorial police force responsible for policing the county of Hertfordshire in England. Its headquarters is in Welwyn Garden City. The current chief constable is Andy Prophet. As of March 2019, the force consist ...

into him for rape. In 2019, after a four-year investigation, the

(CPS) declined to file charges for any of the allegations for

sexual violence Sexual violence is any harmful or unwanted Human sexual activity, sexual act, an attempt to obtain a sexual act through violence or coercion, or an act directed against a person's sexuality without their consent, by any individual regardless of ...

and

physical abuse Physical abuse is any intentional act causing injury or trauma to another person or animal by way of bodily contact. In most cases, children are the victims of physical abuse, but adults can also be victims, as in cases of domestic violence or ...

, stating that the evidence "did not meet our legal test". The three women said the case was mishandled, with the police apologising for delays in the investigation; according to Tate, the police "found xculpatorymessages from the girls' phones". In March 2024

Westminster Magistrates' Court Westminster Magistrates' Court is a Magistrates' court (England and Wales), magistrates' court at 181 Marylebone Road, London. The Chief Magistrate of England and Wales, who is the Senior Judiciary of England and Wales#District judges, Distric ...

issued an arrest warrant against both brothers and requested their

extradition In an extradition, one Jurisdiction (area), jurisdiction delivers a person Suspect, accused or Conviction, convicted of committing a crime in another jurisdiction, into the custody of the other's law enforcement. It is a cooperative law enforc ...

. According to the Tates' representative, the charges are based on allegations of sexual aggression from 2012 to 2015.

Bedfordshire Police Bedfordshire Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing the ceremonial county of Bedfordshire in England, which includes the unitary authorities of Bedford, Central Bedfordshire and Luton. Its headquarters are in the town of ...

said the warrant was "part of an ongoing investigation into allegations of rape and human trafficking" alongside Romanian authorities. The operation against the brothers was called Operation Moonwalk. Romanian police detained the two on 11 March after the prosecutor of the Bucharest Court of Appeal ordered them to be detained for a day until the court decided on the execution of the warrant. On 12 March the Romanian court ruled that the brothers can be extradited to the UK only after the Romanian trial for human trafficking concludes. The brothers "categorically reject all charges". According to the lawyer representing the accusers, Matthew Jury, they received information that Andrew had told

Adin Ross Adin David Ross (born October 11, 2000) is an American Influencer, internet personality and online streamer. He is known for his collaborations with celebrities and livestreams of the ''NBA 2K'' and ''Grand Theft Auto V'' video games. He pre ...

he planned to flee Romania, and requested British police have him detained. Jury also called on

Piers Morgan Piers Stefan Pughe-Morgan (; O'Meara, born 30 March 1965) is an English journalist and media personality. He began his career in 1988 at the tabloid ''The Sun (United Kingdom), The Sun''. In 1994, at the age of 29, he was appointed editor of ...

and

Tucker Carlson Tucker Swanson McNear Carlson (born May 16, 1969) is an American conservative political commentator who hosted the nightly political talk show '' Tucker Carlson Tonight'' on Fox News from 2016 to 2023. Since his contract with Fox News was term ...

to no longer give Andrew a platform, or otherwise to "properly interrogate him on the allegations", describing the spread of disinformation over the allegations in the UK and elsewhere as damaging. In May 2025 the

brought 21 charges against the Tates, including

and

. Holborn Adams, the law firm representing the brothers, confirmed they would be returning to the UK to face the charges after Romanian legal proceedings.

United States

In March 2025

James Uthmeier James William Uthmeier (born November 20, 1987) is an American politician and lawyer serving as the 39th Florida Attorney General, Florida attorney general since 2025. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he previou ...

Florida Attorney General The Florida attorney general is an elected Florida Cabinet, cabinet official in the U.S. state of Florida. The attorney general serves as the chief legal officer of the state, and is head of the Florida Department of Legal Affairs. The office is ...

, initiated a criminal investigation into the Tate brothers following their arrival in Florida—a visit made possible by their travel bans being lifted, reportedly due to pressure placed from the

. The

governor of Florida The governor of Florida is the head of government of the U.S. state of Florida. The Governor (United States), governor is the head of the Government of Florida#Executive branch, executive branch of the government of Florida and is the comman ...

Ron DeSantis Ronald Dion DeSantis (; born September 14, 1978) is an American politician, attorney, and former United States Navy, naval officer serving as the 46th List of governors of Florida, governor of Florida since 2019. A member of the Republican Pa ...

, has expressed discontent with their unexpected appearance, declaring that they are unwelcome. The brothers are allegedly under a federal criminal investigation in the US.

Civil cases

United States

In February 2023 the Tates' legal team confirmed that a

cease and desist A cease and desist letter is a document sent by one party, often a business, to warn another party that they believe the other party is committing an unlawful act, such as copyright infringement, and that they will take legal action if the oth ...

letter was sent to at least one of the accusers in December 2022, threatening to sue her and her parents for $300 million over alleged defamatory statements. A representative for the accuser said the brothers' threats in the United States were an attempt to stop the accuser's testimony in Romanian court. The brothers' legal team denied attempting to intimidate the accuser. Two of the accusers reportedly went into hiding after being targeted by an

campaign, described as an attempt to "scare them into silence" by a "troll army". Senior legal counsel at the

National Center on Sexual Exploitation The National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE), previously known as Morality in Media and Operation Yorkville, is an American conservative anti-pornography organization. The group has also campaigned against sex trafficking, same-sex marriag ...

, who are advising the women, alleges the Tate's following targeted her clients with thousands of online threats, including

doxing Doxing or doxxing is the act of publicly providing personally identifiable information Personal data, also known as personal information or personally identifiable information (PII), is any information related to an identifiable person. The ...

the accusers, their relatives, as well as the use of

private investigators A private investigator (often abbreviated to PI; also known as a private detective, an inquiry agent or informally a private eye) is a person who can be hired by individuals or groups to undertake investigatory law services. Private investigat ...

. In July 2023 the brothers filed a

lawsuit against one of the accusers, their parents and two other people, in

Palm Beach County Palm Beach County is a county in the southeastern part of Florida, located in the Miami metropolitan area. It is Florida's third-most populous county after Miami-Dade County and Broward County and the 24th-most populous in the United States, wi ...

, Florida, seeking $5 million in damages. The Tates claim the five conspired to falsely accuse them of human trafficking and rape, costing them their freedom as well as income from social media and business ventures. One of the other people was dropped from the case by the court as the court had no jurisdiction over them.

Circuit Judge Joseph Curley allowed the brothers' lawsuit against the accuser to proceed in July 2024, while dismissing the allegations they made against her parents and some of the allegations they made against her. In January 2024 US District Judge Robin L. Rosenberg dismissed another of the brothers' defamation lawsuits. They had sued a former

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...

sergeant who reported Andrew to the US Embassy in Romania and military officials, leading to his arrest by Romanian authorities. Rosenberg ruled that the sergeant had assisted the authorities in their investigation and had done what the law encourages people to do against those they suspect of engaging in a crime.

United Kingdom

In May 2024 the three women involved in the investigation with

, along with a fourth British woman, brought a

against Andrew in the High Court to sue for "injuries they suffered". Papers were served at his home in Romania. According to the women, the court granted them anonymity to protect them from harassment and abuse. In July 2024

Devon and Cornwall Police Devon and Cornwall Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing the ceremonial counties of Devon and Cornwall (including the Isles of Scilly) in South West England. The force serves approximately 1.8 million people over an ...

began civil proceedings against Andrew, Tristan, and a woman referred to only as "J". The three are accused of paying no tax in any country for their online businesses, including Hustlers' University and War Room, amounting to £21 million in revenue between 2014 and 2022. The force is attempting to recover £2.8 million from several frozen bank accounts. In December 2024

ruled in favour of Devon and Cornwall Police, allowing them to seize around £2.5 million worth of unpaid taxes from the Tate brothers' online businesses. The

chief magistrate A chief magistrate is a public official, executive or judicial, whose office is the highest in its class. Historically, the two different meanings of magistrate have often overlapped and refer to, as the case may be, to a major political and admi ...

said that the brothers' financial setup was a "straightforward cheat of the revenue" disguised as a "complex financial matrix".

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tate brothers, Legal affairs of the Legal cases United States lawsuits High Court of Justice cases Lists of lawsuits Prisoners and detainees of Romania July 2023 in Romania March 2024 in the United Kingdom 2022 in Romania 2023 in Romania 2024 in Romania Sexual misconduct allegations Sex trafficking Rape in Romania Sexual harassment in the United Kingdom People charged with sex trafficking People charged with rape