Controversial influencer Andrew Tate was arrested alongside his brother in Romania on a warrant issued by British authorities, sparked by allegations that include sexual aggression, officials announced Tuesday.
The internet personality and his younger sibling, 35-year-old Tristan Tate, were detained Monday night after law enforcement officers “executed two European arrest warrants issued by the UK judicial authorities for the commission of sexual offences and exploitation of persons on the territory of Great Britain,” police said in a statement to CNN.
The claims date back as far as 2012, according to spokesperson Mateea Petrescu.
Both men were presented to the public prosecutor, who ordered their detention for 24 hours. On Tuesday, they were spotted arriving at Bucharest’s Court of Appeal, where a judge will make a “pivotal decision” on whether to execute the warrants issued by the Westminster Magistrates Court in London. Petrescu noted the legal proceedings could end with the brothers being extradited to Britain.
“This bewildering revival of decade-old accusations has left the Tate brothers dismayed and deeply troubled,” the spokesperson added. “They categorically reject all charges and express profound disappointment that such serious allegations are being resurrected without substantial new evidence.”
A group of four women in the U.K. had previously brought allegations of sexual violence and physical abuse against Andrew Tate, but England and Wales’ Crown Prosecution Service ultimately declined to take up the case. In response, the alleged victims launched a crowdfunding page to cover the costs of their civil suit with the hope that it will lead to the payment of damages as well as the reopening of a criminal investigation in Britain.
“We handed over our evidence about the horrific acts of violence we endured and waited for action. But four years later we were told the U.K. authorities would not prosecute him,” they state on their campaign page. “It’s our one remaining route to hold him accountable.”
It was not immediately clear what Tristan Tate was accused of in the U.K.
In a separate case, Romanian prosecutors charged the brothers in June 2023 with rape, human trafficking and creating an organized crime group. After nearly three months behind bars, they were released on bail in August 2023.
Andrew Tate, who boasts more than 8.9 million followers on X, is a former kickboxer who shot to fame following a stint on “Big Brother.” He was booted from the reality television show after video emerged of him hitting a woman with a belt, though they have both since claimed the act was consensual.
“The Matrix is afraid, but I only fear God,” reads on post on Andrew’s X Tuesday. He often uses the term “matrix” to refer to what he believes is a wide-ranging conspiracy targeting men.
He has repeatedly claimed that prosecutors in Romania have no evidence to support the claims against him, and instead believes it is part of a concerted effort to censor and silence him.
With News Wire Services
