Influencer brothers Andrew Tate and Tristan Tate have been charged in Britain with rape and other crimes, prosecutors said Wednesday.
The charges were authorized in January last year and news media at the time reported on arrest warrants issued against the Tates, dual U.S. and British citizens who moved to Romania in 2016. But the Crown Prosecution Service said this was the first time it confirmed the two had been criminally charged in Britain.
Andrew Tate, 38, faces 10 charges related to three women that include rape, actual bodily harm, human trafficking and controlling prostitution for gain. Tristan Tate, 36, faces 11 charges related to one woman that include rape, human trafficking and actual bodily harm.
A spokesperson for the two had no immediate comment when reached by The Associated Press.
The brothers are both former professional kickboxers who have millions of followers on social media. Andrew is more well-known, having drawn a larger following with his unapologetic misogyny that has drawn boys and young men to the luxurious lifestyle he projects.
The Tates were arrested in Romania in late 2022 and formally indicted last year on charges that they participated in a criminal ring that lured women there, where they were allegedly sexually exploited. Andrew Tate was also charged with rape.
They have denied all the allegations in Romania.
The brothers briefly returned to the U.S. earlier this year, after a travel ban imposed on them was lifted, arriving at Florida’s Fort Lauderdale airport on Feb. 28. When asked about the pair’s arrival, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis told reporters that the state was, “Not a place where you’re welcome with that type of conduct in the air.”
Days after they landed in the Sunshine State, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced on social media that he had directed his office to work with law enforcement to conduct a preliminary inquiry into the Tate brothers.
“Based on a thorough review of the evidence, I’ve directed the Office of Statewide Prosecution to execute search warrants and issue subpoenas in the now-active criminal investigation into the Tate brothers,” Uthmeier said without disclosing any details on the nature of the investigation.
The brothers went back to Romania weeks later. When Andrew Tate arrived at their residence near Bucharest, he told reporters they returned because “innocent men don’t run from anything” and he vowed to clear his name in court.
Romanian courts have issued an order to extradite the two to the U.K. once their court case is concluded in there, British prosecutors said.
The warrant issued by Bedfordshire Police for the siblings dates back to between 2012 and 2015.
The whereabouts of the brothers was not immediately clear. They were photographed a week ago outside a police station in Voluntari, Romania, where they have to report regularly while facing charges there.