Three women are suing disgraced influencer Andrew Tate in the UK to seek “justice, accountability and compensation” for the abuse they endured, according to their lawyers.
Now in their late 20s and early 30s, the women claim Tate sexually and physically assaulted them between 2013 and 2016, when he was living in the UK.
The British-US citizen was released into house arrest by a Romanian court last week after spending several months in prison.
Tate, who has 4.7 million followers on Twitter, has been held in Romania since he was arrested on December 29, along with his sibling Tristan and two women, on charges of rape, human trafficking and being part of an organised crime group. They deny the accusations.
Lawyers with firm McCue Jury & Partners say the suit aims to encourage “a UK criminal investigation into Tate’s crimes in the hope of his prosecution and conviction in the UK, in addition to the charges he is facing in Romania”.
Matthew Jury, a managing partner of McCue Jury & Partners, told The Guardian: “We are honoured to have been entrusted with this important case.
“Our clients’ bravery in coming forward to tell their stories and hold Tate to account is remarkable, and they hope it will empower other victims and survivors to come forward and join them.
“Perhaps focusing on the victims’ stories, rather than Tate’s misogynistic rants, will also mean his followers will come to understand his true nature. That rather than being a champion of masculinity, he is simply an exploitative coward who likes to hurt women.”
A representative for Tate told the newspaper: “We are concerned that the intention of suing was first communicated to the mainstream press and not to Andrew Tate or his legal team.
“Andrew Tate vehemently denies these allegations, which he was completely unaware of until today, and is saddened that the press chooses to act as a facilitator for opportunistic attempts by women for monetary gain.”
Prosecutors in Romania claim the brothers used deception and intimidation to bring six women under their control and “transform them into slaves”.
A court document, dated December 30, contains details of how Tate is being investigated over two counts of rape of a woman from Moldova, who he allegedly lured by discussing marriage and offering her a new life.
Tate, 36, claims the women he is accused of abusing were all willingly working in the adult entertainment industry.
He has been based mainly in Romania since 2017.
Andrew Tate detained in Romania — in pictures
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Police officers escort Andrew Tate to the Court of Appeal in Bucharest, Romania. AP -
Tate, the divisive influencer and former professional kickboxer, was detained on suspicion of being involved in organised crime and human trafficking. AP -
The British-American, who has 4.7 million followers on Twitter, was also accused of rape. Reuters -
Tate, his brother Tristan and two women are escorted by officers into the Court of Appeal in Bucharest. EPA -
Tate rose to notoriety in 2016 when he was removed from reality TV show Big Brother over a video that appeared to show him hitting a woman with a belt. Reuters -
On a podcast last year, he said he started making money when he lived in London by convincing girlfriends to videochat and share the profits. AP -
A police officer looks on as a luxury vehicle is seized on the outskirts of Bucharest, in the case against Tate. AP -
A car is pictured at 'The Hustlers University' site belonging to Tate in Bucharest. AFP -
Romania said it had identified six victims in a human-trafficking case who had been subjected to 'acts of physical violence and mental coercion'. EPA
The allegations against him have put intense focus on a self-described misogynist who has built an online fan base, particularly among young men, by promoting a lavish, hyper-macho image of driving fast cars and dating beautiful women.
In 2022, he was the world's eighth-most Googled person, outranked only by figures such as Johnny Depp, Will Smith and Vladimir Putin, according to Google analysis.
But he has repeatedly come under criticism for misogynistic comments, and was banned from Twitter and YouTube for breaching their policies on hate speech.
Tate was also banned from Facebook, Instagram and other leading social media platforms last year after comparing women to dogs and saying they bear some responsibility for being raped.
His Twitter account was reinstated in November, a month after billionaire Elon Musk bought the platform.
