Controversial social media influencer Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan Tate are set to be released after being detained since December.
Andrew Tate has spent the past few months behind bars in a Romanian jail on suspicion of rape, human trafficking, and organized crime. Tate’s lawyers successfully appealed that keeping their client, and three other individuals including Tate’s brother, was especially harsh considering alternative options, including house arrest. The Bucharest Court of Appeal ruled in favor of Tate shortly after another judge had extended his incarceration for a fourth time last week.
Despite being detained since December, none of the individuals, which includes the two Tate brothers and two other women, have been formally charged. Granted their immediate release, the four are expected to remain under house arrest until April 29.
Andrew Tate Has Vehemently Denied The Allegations Levied Against Him
Following the December arrests, DIICOT (Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism) released a statement claiming they had identified six victims who were allegedly subject to “acts of physical violence and mental coercion.” Tate has repeatedly denied the allegations, claiming that his arrest in Romania was “politically” motivated.
Andrew Tate, a professional kickboxer, has found himself under scrutiny dating back to 2016 when he was removed from the British TV version of the popular reality series Big Brother after a video emerged showing him attacking a woman. Years later, Tate would earn notoriety on social media for his overly misogynistic views. At one point, he was banned from Twitter after arguing that women should “bear responsibility” for being the victims of sexual assault.
He was also banned from YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook, but was later reinstated to Twitter following Elon Musk’s purchase of the social media platform.