Andrew Tate and his brother, Tristan, leave Romania after being held on rape and trafficking charges, heading back to the USA.
The brothers faced the possibility of over ten years in jail if found guilty, a prospect they both strongly denied. Romanian authorities had arrested them three years ago.
Having both UK and US citizenship, the brothers were previously banned from leaving Romania. The ban seems to have been lifted recently, allowing their departure.
Reports suggest that Trump’s team exerted pressure on Romania to ease the restrictions. Consequently, the Tate brothers are now reportedly heading back to the USA.
US officials raised the case with Romania in a phone call earlier this month. Furthermore, Rick Grenell brought up the issue in Munich during discussions.
However, Romania’s foreign minister has denied any feeling of pressure, stating that his chat with Grenell was informal. He maintains he did not feel influenced in any way.
Adding to their legal issues, a lawsuit has been filed against them in Florida, accusing them of sex work coercion. It alleges they lured a woman to Romania but the brothers sued her for defamation last year.
Tate is a controversial influencer who was banned from platforms like TikTok for hate speech and misogynistic comments. He initially gained fame after appearing on Big Brother.
Despite the controversies, he remains popular on X, boasting almost ten million followers, many of whom are young men and students.