Andrew Tate’s head of security Bogdan Stancu appeared to defend his boss, saying young women “misunderstood the reality” and thought they would be “his next wife”.
In an interview with the BBC, Mr Stancu said more than 100 women had come to Mr Tate’s compound in Bucharest in the past two years and many of the women living with him were under the age of 25.
Mr Tate and his brother Tristan are in 30 day custody of Romanian police after being detained on suspicion of human trafficking and rape, which he denies.
Detectives investigating human trafficking claims against Mr Tate have seized £3.2m worth of assets from his home in Bucharest.
Romanian authorities said that 29 assets – including luxury vehicles, watches and cash – had been taken from the divisional online personality.
On Saturday several cars, including a Rolls-Royce, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, were seen being taken from Mr Tate’s compound on the outskirts of the capital, to be transported to a storage location.
The detained challenged their 30-day arrest warrant, but the Bucharest court of appeals rejected the challenge this week and said they should remain in police custody.
Authorities suspect the pair, along with two Romanian nationals, of running “an organized crime group”.
Key Points
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Bodyguard says women thought they’d be ‘his next wife’
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Authorities size £3.2m in assets from Tate’s home
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Tate and brother deny accusations
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Andrew Tate was detained in Romania on suspicion of human trafficking and rape
Andrew Tate: A timeline of his rise and fall
07:06 , Shweta Sharma
Andrew Tate, the controversial former kickboxing world champion turned social media influencer, has lost his court appeal against his detention in Romania over rape and human trafficking charges.
Eugen Vidineac, a lawyer representing the 36-year-old and his brother Tristan, who has also been detained, has insisted that “there is not a single piece of evidence apart from the victim’s statement” to back up the allegations.
Mr Tate has amassed millions of followers across Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and TikTok over the past decade. But he has also seen his accounts banned over the inflammatory statements he has made, often appearing to advocate violence against women, which the platforms ruled violated their policies.
The rise and fall of Andrew Tate: A timeline
Bodyguard says women thought they’d be ‘his next wife’
04:51 , Shweta Sharma
In an interview with the BBC, Andrew Tate’s head of security Bogdan Stancu dismissed women who are accusing the controversial influencer and said some “girls misunderstood the reality”.
“Some of the girls misunderstood the reality and believed [they would] be his next wife,” Mr. Stancu said. “When they realize the reality, it’s easy to transform from a friend into an enemy, and make a statement to the police.”
He said more than 100 women passed through the compound in Bucharest in the last two years and some were under 25. Their expenses were paid for by Mr Tate.
He called the woman accusing his boss “young and stupid” and said, “I never doubt Andrew”.
Who is Tristan Tate?
Monday 16 January 2023 23:59 , Andy Gregory
When influencer Andrew Tate was arrested in Romania during a police raid, he was arrested alongside three other people – one of them his brother, Tristan Tate.
The 34-year-old is two years younger than his older brother Andrew. He has followed in the footsteps of his sibling in more ways than one.
Tristan started off as a kickboxer in his hometown of Luton where he grew up with Andrew as the middle child of three siblings. He learned kickboxing at Storm Gym in Luton under coach Amir Subasic and later became a four-time ISKA kickboxing champion.
He won the ISKA Kick Boxing title in 2009 and his career record stands at 43-9. In 2011, the 34-year-old appeared on Channel 4’s Shipwrecked: The Island Season 4.
Tristan boasts 2.3 million Instagram followers where his posts boast different aspects of his luxury lifestyle including sports cars, private jets and parties.
All we know about Tristan Tate after arrest with brother Andrew in trafficking raid
Tate issues cryptic post after losing appeal
Monday 16 January 2023 20:42 , Andy Gregory
After Andrew Tate lost his appeal last week challenging the 30-day arrest warrant under which he is currently in custody, a cryptic post on his Twitter account read: “When Allah said ‘I test only those I love.’ I took the pain like it was an honor – Abu Hurayrah.”
It was one of several ambiguous posts that have appeared on the account since his arrest.
Who is Andrew Tate? All you need to know about the influencers arrested in Romania
Monday 16 January 2023 19:30 , Andy Gregory
For those joining us on the blog who are still unaware of who exactly Andrew Tate is, my colleague on The Independents‘s lifestyle desk have put together this explains:
Who is Andrew Tate? All you need to know about the influencers arrested in Romania
Tate arrest ‘sending very important message’, Romanian authorities claim
Monday 16 January 2023 18:29 , Andy Gregory
While no charges have yet been brought against Andrew Tate, a spokesperson for Romania’s National Anti-Trafficking Agency claims the case is already sending a strong message to traffickers and victims.
“The fact that the justice system has decided to keep the brothers in custody, even during the preliminary phase of the [case]sends a very important message,” Mihaela Dragus told the BBC.
How can we stop losing vulnerable men to the ‘manosphere’?
Monday 16 January 2023 16:44 , Andy Gregory
In this feature asking “how can we stop losing vulnerable men to the ‘manosphere’”, Matthew Neale speaks to Ali Ross, a psychotherapist and spokesperson for the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP), who often helps men struggle to find their place in the world.
Despite the aggressive language of such influencers, he believes that what makes them so appealing to men isn’t just the invective, but the comforting message that sits at the heart of their narratives: it’s not your fault.
“The reason why men connect with what people like Tate are saying is because they’re feeling disenfranchised and misunderstood,” he explains. “But like many men, they don’t know how to be vulnerable, how to review their choices or take responsibility for their lives.”
You can read the full piece here:
People like Andrew Tate put men at risk – how do we stop them?
ICYMI: Romanian authorities seize more luxury cars from Andrew Tate’s compound
Monday 16 January 2023 15:25 , Matt Mathers
Romanian authorities have seized luxury cars from the compound of influencer Andrew Tate, who remains in custody on rape and trafficking charges.
Anti-organised-crime prosecutors arrested Mr Tate, his brother Tristan and two Romanian female suspects on 29 December on charges of forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit six women. They have denied any wrongdoing.
my colleagues Joe Middleton reports:
Romanian authorities size more luxury cars from Andrew Tate’s compound
How Andrew Tate became the poster boy of the hard-right
Monday 16 January 2023 14:11 , Matt Mathers
Tate should have been anathema – instead, he became a well-dressed, wealthy caricature of a successful ‘alpha male’, writes Katherine Denkinson.
Read Katherine’s full piece here:
Opinion: How Andrew Tate became the poster boy of the hard-right
Generation Tate: How can we stop losing vulnerable men to the ‘manosphere’?
Monday 16 January 2023 12:26 , Matt Mathers
Try to ignore it all we like, but young men across the world are being seduced by the misogynist, conspiratorial teachings of influencers, writes Matthew Neale. Is early compassion the way to stop it?
Read Matthew’s full piece here:
People like Andrew Tate put men at risk – how do we stop them?
Monday 16 January 2023 11:21 , Matt Mathers
I’m a teacher – this is what my 15-year-olds are saying about Andrew Tate
As you might have read in recent weeks, Andrew Tate has a huge following online and his “misogynistic” views are gaining traction, particularly among disabled young men.
Mr Tate’s views have become so widespread among teenagers that some schools have begun holding assemblies to counteract what critics describe as his dangerous ideology.
here, Matt Adamsa teacher at a performing arts school in west London, talks about the impact Mr Tate is having on pupils there:
Opinions: I’m a teacher – this is what my students are saying about Andrew Tate
ICYMI: This is why young men are still listening to Andrew Tate
Monday 16 January 2023 10:06 , Matt Mathers
He’s been banned before from Twitter and TikTok and even arrested – but the self-proclaimed misogynist’s influence abounds, writes Clint Edwards.
Read Clint’s full comment piece below:
Opinion: This is why young men are still listening to Andrew Tate
Re-cap: who is Andrew Tate?
Monday 16 January 2023 09:06 , Matt Mathers
Andrew Tate is no stranger to controversy.
The former kickboxer and social media influencer, who has gained notoriety over the years for peddling misogynistic views, was detained in Romania on Thursday 29 December on suspicion of human trafficking, rape, and forming an organized crime group, which he denies.
But who is Mr Tate? Roisin O’Connor, Ellie Muir and Saman Javed report:
Who is Andrew Tate? All you need to know about the influencers arrested in Romania
Romanian authorities seize £3.2 million of assets in the Andrew Tate case
Monday 16 January 2023 08:04 , Matt Mathers
Romanian authorities said they had seized goods and money worth 18 million lei (£3.2m) as part of a criminal inquiry into alleged human trafficking that led to the arrest of divisive internet personality Andrew Tate.
In the past week, the National Agency for the Management of Seized Assets has taken into administration 29 movable assets, including luxury vehicles and watches, and various amounts of cash in different currencies, it said in a statement late on Saturday.
On Saturday several cars, including a Rolls-Royce, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, were seen being taken from Mr Tate’s compound on the outskirts of the capital, Bucharest, to be transported to a storage location.
Mr Tate, his brother and two Romanian female suspects were arrested on 29 Dec on charges of forming a criminal gang to exploit six sexually women. They have denied wrongdoing.
Monday 16 January 2023 08:01 , Matt Mathers
Good morning and welcome to our rolling coverage of the Andrew Tate case.
The controversial British-American online personality is detained in Romanian on suspicion of human trafficking and rape, which he denies.
We’ll bring you any updates as they come in.
