BUCHAREST, Romania — Influencer brothers Andrew and Tristan Tate checked in at a police station near Romania's capital on Monday, complying with judicial control requirements in the case in which they are charged with human trafficking and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women.
Outside the police station in Voluntari, self-described misogynist Andrew Tate told reporters, “I'm a free person who has not been convicted of anything,” and stated he would “comply with all judicial authorities everywhere around the world because I'm completely innocent.”
The Tates, dual U.S. and British citizens, were arrested in Romania in late 2022 and formally indicted last year on charges that they participated in a criminal ring that allegedly lured women to Romania for sexual exploitation. Andrew Tate also faces a charge of rape. The brothers firmly deny all allegations against them.
“It doesn’t matter what you’re accused of, it matters what you are proven guilty to have done in a fair court of law,” Andrew Tate said on Monday. “Accusations mean nothing. It doesn’t matter how many times you repeat an accusation on the news. That is garbage.”
Early on Saturday, March 22, 2025, the Tate brothers returned to Romania on a private flight after spending weeks in the U.S. They had flown back after a travel ban imposed on them was lifted last month.
They remain under judicial control, which requires them to appear before authorities in Romania when summoned. Days after arriving in Florida, on March 4, Florida's Attorney General James Uthmeier announced that his office opened a criminal investigation into Andrew and Tristan Tate. He indicated in a social media post that he directed his office to collaborate with law enforcement for a preliminary inquiry into the brothers.
Andrew Tate accused Florida's governor of being “hijacked by the media” after their arrival in his state. “The media jumped on him and he didn’t realize I was an American citizen,” Andrew explained. “And now he understands he made a mistake ... there’ve been some conversations and everything has been settled.”
The lifting of their two-year travel ban followed a Bucharest court ruling in December that a case against the brothers could not go to trial due to multiple legal and procedural irregularities by the prosecutors. However, the case remained open, posing ongoing challenges for the Tates.
Last August, Romania’s Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) also launched a second case against the brothers, investigating allegations including human trafficking, trafficking of minors, sexual intercourse with a minor, influencing statements, and money laundering. The Tates have vigorously denied these allegations as well.
Andrew Tate, 38, a former professional kickboxer with over 10 million followers on X (formerly Twitter), has maintained that Romanian prosecutors lack evidence against him and that there exists a political conspiracy aimed at silencing him.
The legal battles facing the Tate brothers extend beyond Romania’s borders. Four British women accused Andrew Tate of sexual violence and physical abuse are suing him in the U.K. after the Crown Prosecution Service opted not to prosecute. Additionally, in March of last year, the Tate brothers appeared at the Bucharest Court of Appeal in relation to a separate matter after U.K. authorities issued arrest warrants concerning allegations of sexual aggression occurring between 2012 and 2015. While the appeals court granted the U.K. request to extradite the Tates, this action is conditioned on the conclusion of legal proceedings in Romania.
As the case against the Tates develops, legal experts and observers will be watching closely. The brothers’ next steps could significantly impact their futures, both in the court of law and in the public eye. The high-profile nature of the case has already drawn significant media attention and sparked discussions around issues of power, consent, and the treatment of women in society.
The Tates’ legal saga serves as a crucial reminder of the complexities involved in modern legal battles involving influential figures. Ongoing developments will likely capture the public's interest as this dramatic case continues to unfold.
