British-American social media influencer Andrew Tate has been officially charged with a series of serious crimes in the United Kingdom, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) announced in a statement on Wednesday. The charges are rape, actual bodily harm, human trafficking, and trafficking a person into prostitution for gain. The allegations are against three complainants.
The CPS ratified that these charges were sanctioned prior to an extradition request being made in 2024, with a view to bringing Tate back to the UK from Romania. The Romanian courts had sanctioned his extradition. However, Tate is currently subject to independent criminal proceedings in Romania which need to be addressed prior to the extradition being carried out.
Andrew’s younger brother, Tristan Tate, is also in legal trouble. He has been accused of 11 crimes, including rape, actual bodily harm, and human trafficking, against one complainant.
Both Andrew and Tristan Tate have denied any wrongdoing at all times. A spokesperson for the brothers refused to comment on the latest turn of events.
In early 2024, the Romanian authorities suspended a travel ban imposed on the brothers so that they could travel briefly to the United States in February. They subsequently returned to Romania the next month to fulfil continuing legal requirements.
Aside from the criminal case, Andrew Tate is also being sued in a UK civil case by four women. That civil case is set to proceed to trial in 2027. The civil lawsuit includes allegations of coercive behaviour and sexual abuse, which have also been denied by Tate.
Andrew Tate, a retired professional kickboxer, is now an internet personality famous for espousing a hypermasculine lifestyle and often delivering inflammatory statements, especially regarding women. His online presence has attracted universal criticism and fuelled international discussions on misogyny and online influence.
The UK’s criminal charges against the outspoken influencer are the latest in a line of legal skirmishes with the controversial figure.
(With inputs from Reuters)