Misogynist influencer Andrew Tate leaves Romania for the USA

Misogynist influencer Andrew Tate leaves Romania for the USA

Andrew Tate left Romania with his brother Tristan and traveled to the United States on a flight, their lawyer confirmed to CNN. The duo were arrested in the country three years ago and face charges of rape, human trafficking and money laundering.

Who is Andrew Tate?

Emory Andrew Tate III is a 38-year-old American-born former professional fighter and media personality who caused a stir online with his provocative views on male dominance, female submission and wealth. He first came to prominence in 2016 when he was eliminated from British reality TV show Big Brother after a video was released that allegedly showed him attacking a woman with a belt.

Since then, Tate has become a controversial online content creator, at times banned from all major social media platforms. In 2017, he was banned from Twitter, now known as X, after he said women should take “responsibility” for sexual assault. Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube also banned him in 2022 after he violated their policies. This distance followed one campaign of the British interest group Hope not Hate, which campaigns against racism and extremism.

Why is its influence considered harmful?

Tate is accused of spreading hateful views online and to make his controversial lifestyle appealing to young and vulnerable people. In one of his many misogynistic online outbursts, he posted on X on February 19: "It's still true. Hate me all you want. Women are all sex workers."

Georgie Laming, director of campaigns and communications at Hope not Hate, told CNN that the confidence Tate exudes and the lifestyle he promotes are central to his harmful influence. "Tate's misogynistic, homophobic and racist content is seen by millions of young people online. His confidence, money and lifestyle are very carefully crafted to make his brand of hateful content seem inspiring and worthwhile," Laming said.

What is the ‘Manosphere’?

Critics argue that Tate's content is harmful in itself, but does not exist in isolation. According to Laming, his ideas can be linked to the far right and the worldview of the so-called "manosphere" - a loosely connected collection of forums, blogs, vlogs and organizations that deal with men's issues and certain interpretations of masculinity that are opposed to feminism.

“Parts of the ‘manosphere’ are highly misogynistic and have become increasingly extreme and close to the far right in recent years, using racist conspiracy theories to explain perceived societal problems,” Laming explained. “Tate is able to attract followers with his misogynistic content and then introduce them to his right-wing friends and dangerous conspiracy theories.”

Litigation ongoing

Andrew and his younger brother Tristan Tate, 36, were originally arrested in Bucharest in December 2022. They are accused of forming an organized criminal group, human trafficking, trafficking in minors, sexual intercourse with minors and money laundering. They deny all allegations.

A first criminal trial against the Tates failed in December 2024 when a court in Bucharest decided to stay the trial due to deficiencies in the indictment. A Romanian court lifted a house arrest order against Tate in January and instead imposed conditions such as regular police checks. In October, a court ruled that he should return his luxury vehicle, worth about 4 million euros ($4.43 million), which had been seized by prosecutors as part of their investigation.

The brothers were previously barred from leaving Romania while the investigation was ongoing. After those restrictions were lifted and the brothers left the country, Matthew Jury - a lawyer who represents Andrew Tate's alleged victims in the UK - told CNN that any suggestion that the Tates would now face justice in Romania was "fantastic."

The lawyer accused the US government of “lobbying” for Tate’s release. Earlier this month reported that Financial Times that U.S. officials had urged Romanian officials to lift restrictions on Tate. Romania's foreign minister said he had not been put under pressure.
But the Tate brothers are not only facing long legal disputes in Romania. They also face charges of sexual offenses in Britain, which they deny. Four women in the United Kingdom who accuse Andrew Tate of rape and coercive control and have filed a civil lawsuit against him said in a joint statement on Thursday that the news that he had left Romania had "retraumatized" them.

"We cannot believe it and feel retraumatized by the news that the Romanian authorities have succumbed to pressure from the Trump administration to allow Andrew Tate to travel... to the United States," said the statement, obtained by CNN.