A Romanian court held up the 30-day arrest of masculinity influencer Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan on allegations of human trafficking and rape, according to multiple outlets.
Romanian authorities arrested Tate, his brother and two Romanian nationals Dec. 29. The group was accused of running “an organized crime group,” according to the BBC. The 30-day arrests were held up in Romanian court Tuesday, when the court rejected the individuals’ appeals.
Controversial influencer Andrew Tate loses appeal against 30-day detention in Romania, after arrest over human trafficking allegations https://t.co/zKbXSPE1h7
— BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) January 10, 2023
The judge rejected Tate’s appeal because of the possibility the group could “leave Romania and settle in countries that do not allow extradition,” according to the Associated Press (AP). Andrew and Tristan Tate were originally arrested for 24 hours before a judge granted the prosecutors’ request to extend their arrests for 30 days, AP reported. (RELATED: ‘Oppressed By Feminists’: It Looks Like Some Taliban Supporters Have Denounced Andrew Tate’s Arrest)
“Victims were recruited by British citizens by misrepresenting their intention to enter into a marriage/cohabitation relationship and the existence of genuine feelings of love (the lover boy method),” Romanian authorities said Dec. 29, according to the New York Post (NYP). The victims were allegedly put under “constant surveillance” and “sexually exploited,” the outlet reported, citing unnamed Romanian authorities.
Andrew Tate is a British-American former kickboxing champion who has reportedly lived in Romania since 2017. He became prominent online for giving masculinity advice and imparting misogynistic rhetoric before being banned from many popular social media platforms.
Tate first gained notoriety when he was removed from the British version of the “Big Brother” reality TV show over previous racist and homophobic tweets, as well as a video allegedly showing Tate hitting a woman with a belt, according to the NYP. Tate allegedly built a business empire primarily through his “Hustler’s University” advice program, which reportedly has 168,000 members paying $49.99/month.
Tate frequently flaunts his vast wealth and lavish lifestyle in his social media content. Romanian authorities have seized 15 luxury cars, at least seven owned by the Tate brothers, and 10 properties allegedly owned by the Tate brothers’ affiliated companies, AP reported.
Twitter CEO Elon Musk recently permitted Tate to return to the platform, after which the latter went viral for a spat with progressive climate activist Greta Thunberg shortly before he was arrested. Tate has 4.5 million Twitter followers and has continued tweeting since his arrest.