Two women have shared their harrowing experiences with the BBC, alleging that they were raped and strangled by the controversial social media influencer Andrew Tate. Additionally, a new accusation has emerged from another woman who claims she was raped by Tristan Tate, Andrew’s younger brother, who is also a social media influencer with millions of followers.
The Tate brothers, aged 37 and 36, face charges in Romania for human trafficking and forming an organized group to sexually exploit women. Andrew Tate is also charged with rape. If convicted, they could face more than 10 years in prison, though they deny all charges.
Andrew Tate is currently under house arrest in Romania. Prosecutors are exploring new allegations against him, including having sex with a minor and trafficking underage individuals. Both brothers are also under investigation for trafficking an additional 34 women.
In the UK, two British women not involved in the Romanian case have given detailed accounts to the BBC of alleged rape and sexual violence by Andrew Tate. These allegations date back at least 10 years, to when Tate was living in Luton.
Another British woman has recently accused Tristan Tate of rape, alleging that he assaulted her while putting his hands around her throat.
Anna (a pseudonym) recounted an incident from 2013 when she went out with Andrew Tate in Luton. After a few dates, she went to his house, where he allegedly said, “I’m just debating whether I should rape you or not,” before suddenly grabbing her by the throat, slamming her onto the bed, and strangling her intensely. She claims he then raped her.
Following the attack, Anna reported receiving disturbing text messages and voice notes from Tate, which included a voice note in which he said, “Am I a bad person? Because the more you didn’t like it, the more I enjoyed it,” and a text that read, “I love raping you.”
When we interviewed Andrew Tate in June last year, he denied ever strangling or having sex with a woman without her consent. “I know I’ve never hurt anybody. It’s not in my nature to hurt people,” he asserted.
During the latter part of the last decade, Andrew Tate gained prominence online. The self-proclaimed misogynist’s videos on YouTube and TikTok, along with his posts on Twitter, earned him millions of followers and a global profile.
He promoted a message aimed at boys and young men, advocating that women should be dominated. In one video, he claimed that women were “intrinsically lazy” and added, “There’s no way you can be rooted in reality and not be sexist.”
Authorities in the UK have singled out Mr. Tate for the impact he has had in spreading misogyny online. His videos also showcased the extravagant lifestyle he claimed to lead in Romania. Andrew and Tristan Tate are believed to have relocated to Romania around 2016, after running a webcamming business in Luton where women chat and strip online for money.
Romania, home to one of the largest webcam industries globally with over half a million employees, saw the brothers’ business thrive. Andrew Tate once claimed he was earning £400,000 per month from webcamming and that “75 women worked for him at the peak of it all.” However, when he spoke to the BBC last year, he downplayed these claims, suggesting they were exaggerations and lies.
The adult entertainment business plays a central role in the criminal case against them in Romania. Prosecutors allege that the brothers were trafficking women into the country—recruiting them, arranging their transport, and providing accommodation in Bucharest for exploitation. Two of the women named in the case file were allegedly brought to Romania from the UK.
Another British woman, not involved in the legal proceedings, has shared her experience of working for the Tates for the first time publicly in Panorama.
Daisy (a pseudonym) recounts that in 2017, while dating Tristan Tate in the UK, he encouraged her to work for the brothers’ webcam business in Bucharest. We have seen evidence that Tristan booked her flight to Bucharest.
Daisy chose to go, understanding and agreeing to be involved in the webcamming business. She describes a controlling environment where she and other webcammers lived and worked together. “The girls had their own rooms, but it wasn’t their personal space. Everything was Tristan’s and Andrew’s; the bedrooms the girls worked in were also the bedrooms the brothers would sleep in,” she says.
She reports that there were strict rules governing every aspect of their lives, with almost constant monitoring. This account is supported by a Romanian webcam model, “Raluca,” who worked for the Tates in 2021.
Raluca claims that “control and manipulation” were central to their business model. According to Raluca, most of the models working for the Tates were romantically involved with them, including some women brought over from the UK.
Romanian prosecutors have statements from three women who describe feeling “controlled” by the brothers. In the case file, some women mention being prohibited from leaving the house “on their own.”
When Andrew Tate spoke to the BBC last year, he denied such claims and asserted that the women worked independently. He stated that his role was merely to “help them find a cameraman.”
A few days after arriving in Romania, Daisy says she ended her relationship with Tristan Tate, but he continued to attempt to have sex with her. “I told him, ‘no’ 10 to 15 times that I didn’t want to,” she says. He then put his hands around her throat and raped her.
Daisy has not reported this incident to the police. The BBC has spoken with a friend of Daisy’s who says she was upset and told him that Tristan Tate had been sexually forceful with her upon her return to the UK.
We reached out to Tristan Tate for comment on the allegations, but he did not respond.
The Tates’ legal issues have intensified this year. In addition to the ongoing charges in Romania and a new investigation announced last month, they are facing additional legal threats.
In the UK, Bedfordshire Police have initiated extradition proceedings against both Andrew and Tristan Tate on allegations of rape and human trafficking dating back to 2012-2015. These allegations are unrelated to the women we interviewed.
Moreover, Devon and Cornwall Police have brought a civil case against the Tates, with a magistrate expected to rule next month on whether they owe millions in unpaid taxes for their online businesses.
Sienna and Anna are suing Andrew Tate, and their case is set to be heard in the High Court in London. They are joined by two other women in accusing him of rape and sexual assault. Andrew Tate plans to contest these claims.
We reached out to Mr. Tate for comment on the latest allegations, but he declined to respond. Last year, he stated: “I look forward to the truth coming out. I look forward to the truth being blasted all over the BBC that Andrew Tate was found not guilty because I’ve never done anything wrong.”
