Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Andrew Tate threatens legal action against accuser

Andrew Tate threatens legal action against accuser

Controversial influencer Andrew Tate has threatened legal action against at least one of the women making rape and human trafficking claims against him.

Lawyers for the woman in the US say a "cease-and-desist" letter was sent by a US law firm in December, on behalf of Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan.

The letter threatened to sue the woman and her parents for $300m (£249m) if she did not retract her statements.

A lawyer for the Tates said they were pursuing valid claims for defamation.

The BBC has seen a redacted copy of the letter, apparently sent on behalf of the brothers.

"In April 2022," it reads, "you falsely stated to a third party that our Client human trafficked you, abused you and held you against your will […] You have repeated false and defamatory statements to the police, the media, and another United States citizen about the Tate brothers."

Andrew and Tristan Tate are currently being held in preventative custody in Romania, while police investigate allegations of trafficking and rape, which both men deny.

Benjamin Bull - who works for the National Centre on Sexual Exploitation - says his client is a key witness in the Romanian investigation, and that the letter was designed to do "one thing and one thing only":

"[It] was intended to shut down the witness; stop the witness from bringing testimony forward in any proceedings," he said.

"They want these young ladies to climb into a hole and hide, never come forward [or] describe what they saw and what happened to them. It's clearly an effort to intimidate."

Andrew and Tristan Tate are currently being held in preventative custody in Romania

Lawyers for the Tates have confirmed to the BBC that the cease-and-desist letter was sent in December, as a civil matter for defamation and slander in the US, but deny any intimidation.

Tina Glandian, one of their legal advisors, said there was nothing abnormal in them pursuing valid legal claims for defamation. "The fact that [the Tates] are incarcerated right now is not a basis for them not to pursue their legal rights," she said.

The investigation into rape and trafficking allegations is believed to rest, at least partly, on the testimony of six women. No charges have yet been brought.

The Tates' legal team have also revealed that the brothers filed criminal complaints in Romania last April against two women, including the witness who received the cease-and-desist letter in December.

Ms Glandian said the criminal complaints in April were filed in response to allegations that two women were being held against their will by the Tate brothers.

"There was no evidence whatsoever of that," she said, "which is why [the Tates] were not arrested in April. [At that time], they were nothing but victims of false allegations, and they had every right to file criminal complaints for having their homes raided [and] property seized."

The results of those criminal complaints are still pending, she says.

One of the Tates' legal advisers Tina Glandian said the brothers were pursuing "their legal rights"


Benjamin Bull, who represents some of the witnesses in the current Tate investigation, says the impact of legal action on his clients has been upsetting and intimidating.

But Dani Pinter, part of the same legal team, says it is not just the threat of legal action that is intimidating, but the online harassment many of her clients receive for speaking out.

"Regular, high production value videos, meant to embarrass and harass them, are shared among Tate's followers," she told me.

"Making really salacious claims, attempting to slut shame them, saying they're liars. But included in that is their private information - where they work, who their family members are - with the clear intention to incite harassment. And it's working."

The two alleged victims she represents have been getting death threats, she says.

"They're scared to death. They're both in hiding. They feel they can't settle anywhere, because people are trying to find them."

Prosecutors have been careful to keep the names of the six women in their case strictly confidential. But some have had their full names published on social media.

And the names of two witnesses even appeared in a statement to the BBC from the Tates' US communications team. The BBC is not naming them publicly.

Andrew Tate and his brother have no access to their social media while in custody, but they've built a vast and loyal network of fans and supporters who are very active online.

Some accounts appear to be fully-staffed operations, regularly releasing videos and documents designed to undermine the testimony of witnesses and other women making allegations against the Tates.

Earlier this week, one of the most active accounts published the full name, social media handles and WhatsApp messages of one of the alleged victims in the investigation.

The BBC has approached the account for comment, but has not yet received a response.

Even those who barely break the surface of this story can find themselves a target.

Daria Gusa spoke to the BBC and others about receiving a private message from Andrew Tate's Instagram account when she was 16 years old. It followed the same pattern laid out by him in online speeches about how to win a woman's attention and gain influence over her.

She did not allege that he had committed any crime.

"I got a bunch of messages," she told me. "Most were from people saying I was lying or calling me a slut."

But she also received "10 to 15 threats" online.

"I had a guy texting me, telling me 'I know you're studying at this university, the schedule is published online, I know where you are'" Daria said.

Several of her friends, who also appear to have had contact with him, have refused to speak out about their experiences, she says.

"It's not just the people who work for him," she explained. "It's that there are basically millions of men out there who really idolise these people, and would do anything to protect them and their image, so I think it's completely justifiable that so many girls don't want to speak out."

It is not clear exactly who runs some of the most active accounts defending the Tates, or how much cooperation exists between them.

But the risks for women making public allegations against Andrew Tate can be high, and they can come from many directions.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Elon Musk Unveils Grokipedia: An AI-Driven Alternative to Wikipedia
Russia’s President Putin Declares Burevestnik Nuclear Cruise Missile Ready for Deployment
US Administration Under President Donald Trump Reportedly Lifts Ban on Ukraine’s Use of Storm Shadow Missiles Against Russia
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
China Presses Netherlands to “properly” Resolve the Nexperia Seizure as Supply Chain Risks Grow
Merz Attacks Migrants, Sparks Uproar, and Refuses to Apologize: “Ask Your Daughters”
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Dutch Government Seizes Chipmaker After U.S. Presses for Removal of Chinese CEO
AI and Cybersecurity at Forefront as GITEX Global 2025 Kicks Off in Dubai
Ex-Microsoft Engineer Confirms Famous Windows XP Key Was Leaked Corporate License, Not a Hack
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated that Hungary will not adopt the euro because the European Union is falling apart.
Mayor in western Germany in intensive care after stabbing
Australian government pays Deloitte nearly half a million dollars for a report built on fabricated quotes, fake citations, and AI-generated nonsense.
BYD’s UK Sales Soar Nearly Nine-Fold, Making Britain Its Biggest Market Outside China
Latvia to Bar Tourist and Occasional Buses to Russia and Belarus Until 2026
Wave of Complaints Against Apple Over iPhone 17 Pro’s Scratch Sensitivity
Munich Airport Reopens After Second Drone Shutdown
Pro Europe and Anti-War Babiš Poised to Return to Power After Czech Parliamentary Vote
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sentenced to Fifty Months in Prison Following Prostitution Conviction
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Trump Says Ukraine Can Fully Restore Borders with NATO Backing
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Germany Weighs Excluding France from Key European Fighter Jet Programme
Cyberattack Disrupts Check-in and Boarding Systems at Major European Airports
Björn Borg Breaks Silence: Memoir Reveals Addiction, Shame and Cancer Battle
When Extremism Hijacks Idealism: How the Baader-Meinhof Gang Emerged and Fell
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
Trump Orders $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visas and Launches ‘Gold Card’ Immigration Pathway
France’s Looming Budget Crisis and Political Fracture Raise Fears of Becoming Europe’s “Sick Man”
Three Russian MiG-31 Jets Breach Estonian Airspace in ‘Unprecedentedly Brazen’ NATO Incident
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
×