The British-American social media influencer Andrew Tate and his brother, Tristan Tate, have both been involved in a number of criminal and civil legal affairs in relation to their joint business and personal activities. As of October 2025 they are facing six legal investigations—four criminal and two civil—in Romania, the United Kingdom and the United States. In response, they filed two lawsuits against their accusers in the US. Andrew also faces an additional civil case in the UK. The brothers have denied all charges and allegations.
In December 2022, the brothers were arrested in Romania along with two women. In June 2023, all four were charged with rape, human trafficking and forming an organised crime group to sexually exploit women. In July two of their accusers reportedly went into hiding after a campaign of online harassment, and the brothers filed a defamation lawsuit, claiming 5 million USD in damages against one of the accusers.
In March 2024, British police obtained an arrest warrant for the brothers, and in May 2025, the Crown Prosecution Service brought 21 charges against the Tates, including rape, actual bodily harm and human trafficking. In July 2024, a civil case in the UK began against the brothers and a third person for alleged tax evasion. A month later, Romanian police raided four properties Andrew owns and expanded its investigation to include trafficking minors, sex with a minor, money laundering and attempting to influence a witness. In July 2026, both brothers were arrested by US Marshals in Miami, acting on a sealed warrant from the UK. They are jailed in Florida as of Q3 2026, and they appeared in court as late as 27 August. As of September 2026, the Tate brothers are indicted in Romania, and "there is no trial on the calender", according to a media outlet.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDMhVqUWp1o. Dave Aronberg/Florida LawMan, channel on YouTube.com. Retrieved 2026-09-07
Criminal cases
Romania On 11 April 2022 the US embassy received a report that an American citizen was being held against her will in a property the brothers own in Pipera, Romania. Romanian police raided the home and a nearby webcam studio belonging to the Tates, where they discovered four women. Two of them, the American and another Romanian woman, told the police they were being held against their will, sparking an investigation into human trafficking and rape by the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT). The brothers were interrogated and released. At the time, they were heard as witnesses rather than suspects.
The criminal case in Romania has not ended, as of late July 2026.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIFULMsUsmM. BBC News's channel on YouTube.com. Retrieved 29 July 2026
Arrests, investigations and asset seizures On 29 December 2022 the police arrested the brothers and two women. All four are suspected of human trafficking and forming an organised crime group, and one of them (unidentified, per Romanian law) is suspected of rape. DIICOT accuses the Tates of having recruited women through the "loverboy" method—which consists of misrepresenting one's intention to commit to a romantic relationship—and forcing them to create explicit content for websites like OnlyFans as part of an organised crime group the Tates are alleged to have formed in early 2021. DIICOT identified six potential victims.
Social media rumours attributed Andrew's arrest to pizza boxes from the Romanian restaurant chain Jerry's Pizza shown in a video addressed to Greta Thunberg replying to a tweet she had made at his expense. These rumours were denied by Romanian authorities; a spokesman for DIICOT described the rumours as "funny" but untrue.
In April 2023, the brothers filed criminal complaints in Romania against two witnesses in the case. The witnesses' lawyer characterised this as intimidation, and the lawyer noted that the witnesses had received death threats.
As of 5 January 2023 two potential victims had joined the case as civil parties and filed statements against the suspects. On 7 January 2023 one of the Tates' lawyers said the defence team had still not obtained a copy of the evidence the prosecution presented to the judge. The lawyer also stated that the court had not provided the Tates with an accurate translation during their 30-day extension hearing. He requested the opportunity to confront the accusers in court and said that some of the six alleged victims DIICOT identified had not filed a complaint against the Tates. Two women who have lived with the Tates have publicly defended them, and two of the six alleged victims DIICOT identified have denied that they were victimised.
Romanian authorities seized 29 assets, including 15 cars, more than 10 properties, watches, and sums of money, that belonged to the Tates or their companies, totalling almost US$4 million. If the Tates are convicted, these assets will be forfeited to the state and used to pay civil and moral damages to any victims. On 14 January 2023, the cars at the Tates' home were transported to a storage location. On 11 December 2023, a Romanian court rejected a request to return assets seized during the investigation. On 8 January 2024, the Bucharest Court of Appeal overturned this decision on appeal and ordered a new trial over the seized assets.
On 21 August 2024 Romanian police expanded their investigation against Andrew to include trafficking minors, sex with a minor, money laundering, and attempting to influence witnesses. DIICOT raided four homes belonging to Tate in Ilfov County and Bucharest in connection with new accusations and the criminal case of setting up an organised criminal group. The next day, Andrew and Tristan, whose property was also raided, were among six people taken into custody for allegations related to the raids. Both Romanians and foreigners were among those arrested. Prosecutors said the new investigation involves 35 alleged victims, including a woman who was a minor at the time. The accused are alleged to have made a total of $2.8 million via "sexual exploitation." The brothers have denied all the allegations.
Rape and human trafficking charges On 13 June 2023 DIICOT adjusted the charges from human trafficking to "human trafficking in continued form," a more serious charge. One additional victim was identified, bringing the total to seven. On 20 June 2023, the four accused were indicted on charges of rape, human trafficking, and forming an organised crime group to sexually exploit women. They continue to deny all charges and remain under investigation for money laundering and trafficking of minors. Andrew's attorney argues that Andrew was playing an online character, while Andrew and his supporters have spread various conspiracy theories about the criminal charges.
Sky News reported that the allegations include committing "human trafficking in Romania and other countries," including the United States and the United Kingdom. ABC News reported that the case centres around three women—of American, Moldovan, and British nationality—who accuse the Tates of "luring [them] to Romania and exploiting them on webcam." According to the Anti-Defamation League, "Prosecutors allege that [Andrew] Tate raped at least one of the women repeatedly, controlled them by threatening them with violence and financial ruin and posted pornographic videos to the women's social media accounts."
In January 2024 the case was heard in the preliminary chamber before a trial date was set. In April 2024 a Romanian court ruled that all four defendants could be tried in the country without specifying a trial date. The Bucharest Tribunal decided that the case against Andrew "met the legal criteria." The defendants have appealed the ruling and have engaged in a legal strategy of delaying and drawing out the case. In November 2024 the Bucharest court ruled to remove certain pieces of evidence from the trial, including statements from the brothers and witness testimonies.
Pre-trial detention and restrictions After an initial 24-hour pre-trial detention following the arrests on 29 December 2022, the judge prolonged their detention by 30 days. The Tates appealed the extension, but the appeal was rejected on 10 January 2023. Under Romanian law, it can be prolonged for a maximum of 180 days. On 20 January 2023, a Romanian court extended the brothers' pre-trial detention to 27 February 2023; the court's reasoning was based on a desire to safeguard the investigation and prevent the Tates from leaving the country. On 25 January 2023, while being taken for questioning at Romania's organised crime unit, Andrew said the case against him was "empty" and told reporters that "they know we have done nothing wrong."
On 1 February 2023, Andrew Tate appealed the decision to extend his detention. The Bucharest Court of Appeal rejected his appeal. That same day, Tina Glandian, a lawyer who previously represented Chris Brown and Mike Tyson, was added to the defence team. She released a public statement alleging that the situation constituted a "violation of international human rights." On 21 February 2023 a Romanian judicial institution prolonged the brothers' detention for 30 more days. Prosecutors allege wiretaps of phone calls made by Andrew to two associates, instructing them to lobby two Romanian right-wing politicians, George Simion and Diana Iovanovici Șoșoacă, to support his release.
On 14 March 2023 their petition for bail was refused for the third time. On 29 March their detention period was lengthened until the end of April. On 31 March 2023 the Bucharest Court of Appeal overturned the previous court's decision, transitioning the brothers' pre-trial detention to house arrest, initially set until 29 April and later extended to the end of August 2023. In total, the four suspects, including the brothers, were held in police custody from 29 December 2022 until 31 March 2023.
On 4 August 2023 their house arrest was replaced by judicial control until 2 October 2023, allowing the four to leave their house but not Ilfov County. On 28 September 2023 the travel restriction was relaxed after an appeal, allowing Andrew to travel within Romania. The decision was overturned on appeal, but restrictions were again relaxed by a judge on 28 November 2023.
On 30 January 2024 the Bucharest Court of Appeal rejected Tate's appeal to relax judicial control measures after pre-trial restrictions imposed on 18 January 2024 were extended another 60 days. The restrictions determine that he cannot leave the country. On 10 May the Bucharest Tribunal extended the same travel restrictions another 60 days, and on 20 May 2024 Andrew lost his appeal in the Bucharest Court of Appeal to have the restrictions relaxed. On 5 July 2024 a Bucharest court announced that the brothers were no longer restricted to travel only within Romania. The travel restriction was lifted, allowing the brothers to travel freely within the EU. The Bucharest Court of Appeal reversed that ruling on 16 July 2024.
On 21 August 2024 the brothers were held for questioning as part of a new investigation against them. A hearing was held at which a Romanian judge placed Andrew under house arrest for at least 30 days amid new allegations of human trafficking and sexual intercourse with a minor. The arrests came one day after Romanian police raided his home in the country. Tristan was placed under judicial custody.
On 5 September 2024 the Bucharest Court of Appeal turned down prosecutors' request to jail Andrew, keeping him under house arrest. Tristan was allowed to be kept in judicial custody, but he and Andrew were allowed to communicate with the alleged victims they have children with and who deny the allegations against them.