Controversial influencer brothers Andrew and Tristan Tate have returned to Romania, where they face charges of human trafficking and forming a criminal gang to exploit women, and said they returned to prove their innocence.
The Tates, who hold both US and British citizenship, landed at Bucharest Henri Coanda International Airport just before 1 am (local time) on Saturday. Their return comes after a nearly month-long trip to the US, following the lifting of a travel ban that had kept them confined to Romania for two years.
Andrew Tate, 38, known for his outspoken online presence and misogynist views, claimed on social media that their transatlantic journey cost $185,000, writing that they flew “to sign one single piece of paper.”
Speaking to reporters outside their home near Bucharest, Tate insisted they had returned to prove their innocence.
“Innocent men don’t run from anything,” he said. “After all we’ve been through, we truly deserve the day in court where it is stated that we’ve done nothing wrong and that we should have never been in court in the first place. We should have never gone to jail. We should have never had our assets seized. We should have never had our names slandered.”
He further added that anyone who believed any of this “garbage has a particularly low IQ,” AP reported.
His brother, Tristan Tate, said, “I think it’s very telling that we were investigated for two and a half years, and we were dragged … in front of the media, into prison, out of prison, all this time, and in December last year, a judge said … there’s not evidence enough for this to even go to trial.”
The brothers were first arrested in Romania in late 2022 and formally indicted last year. Prosecutors alleged that the duo lured women to Romania under false pretenses before subjecting them to sexual exploitation. Andrew Tate also faces a charge of rape. However, the brothers deny all allegations.
While a Bucharest court ruled in December that the case could not proceed to trial due to procedural issues, the investigation remains ongoing. Romanian authorities have also launched a second case against the Tates, involving allegations of human trafficking, trafficking of minors, sexual relations with a minor, witness manipulation, and money laundering—charges they also deny.
Meanwhile, the Tate brothers remain under judicial control in Romania, meaning they must appear before authorities when summoned. Their lawyer, Eugen Vidineac, confirmed they are due to check in with a surveillance officer on Monday.
Their legal troubles extend beyond Romania. In the UK, four women have filed a lawsuit against Andrew Tate, accusing him of sexual violence and physical abuse after the Crown Prosecution Service declined to bring criminal charges.
