Facing multiple charges of sex trafficking and exploitation in the United States and Romania, controversial Internet personalities Andrew and Tristan Tate have appeared at a police station in a suburb of Bucharest to fulfill their monthly judicial obligations, where they again denied all charges against them.
The brothers arrived in Voluntari, just outside the Romanian capital, shortly after 10 a.m. in a black Mercedes accompanied by five men believed to be bodyguards. They used the occasion to once again proclaim their innocence, dismiss the media, and attack what they describe as "the Matrix" -- a system they claim is out to silence them.
As per a Romanian court order, the Tate brothers must report to police each month as part of judicial supervision measures in two criminal cases.
Prosecutors in Romania accuse the British-American siblings of recruiting women and coercing them into creating online pornographic content for profit -- a case brought to public attention in August 2024 by Romania's Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT). The brothers have denied all charges.
The Tate brothers' legal troubles also extend to the United States and Britain where there are similar outstanding cases against them.
In 2023, Andrew and Tristan Tate were indicted by a federal grand jury in the United States.
US prosecutors charged the brothers with multiple crimes, including sex trafficking, obstruction of justice, and operating an international criminal enterprise aimed at exploiting women.
According to the indictment, the Tates allegedly used manipulation, coercion, and emotional abuse to force victims into creating sexually explicit material distributed for profit.
The US Justice Department described the brothers as central figures in a "global scheme" targeting vulnerable individuals, often under the pretense of romantic relationships or promises of wealth and fame.
The scheme allegedly involved manipulation, coercion, and emotional abuse to force victims into creating sexually explicit material distributed for profit.
In the United Kingdom, four women have filed a civil suit against Andrew Tate, accusing him of rape and coercive control.
Speaking to reporters outside the Voluntari Police Station, Andrew Tate dismissed the Romanian and US cases as baseless attacks.
"I'm happy to be back in Romania -- I live here and I love it," he said, asserting that he's not under investigation in Florida, where he was visiting after leaving Romania earlier this month.
Just days after their arrival, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced an active criminal investigation into the brothers, saying Florida has “zero tolerance for people who abuse women and girls.”
The Tates also addressed the release of Adolescence, a four-part Netflix miniseries that explores the murder of a teenage girl by a 13-year-old boy -- allegedly influenced by the "hypermasculine," "incel"-driven ideology promoted by the Tate brothers online.
Incels are members of an online community of young men who consider themselves unable to be sexually attractive to women and are typically associated with views that are hostile toward women and men who are sexually active.
The Tates have a significant online presence, where they often share controversial views on masculinity and relationships. Andrew dismissed the series, calling it "another Matrix story made by Netflix."