The Tate brothers will fight extradition to the UK, where they are both facing rape charges
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Social media influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate will fight extradition to the United Kingdom, where the brothers are accused of rape and sex trafficking, their lawyer said on Monday.
The Tates appeared in court on Monday for the first time since they were arrested on Saturday and are being held in custody. In the coming weeks, a US district judge will consider whether they meet the criteria for extradition.
US Magistrate Lauren Louis set another charge on July 27.
In court papers filed Monday, American prosecutors described allegations from the United Kingdom against the brothers that involved three victims. One woman accused Tristan Tate of rape and assault during a long-term relationship with him since 2012, including when he was unconscious, reporting him to UK authorities on multiple occasions.
Two other women – one who met Andrew Tate through a webcam business and the other through a dating app – also accused him of rape and assault in 2014 and 2015.
The brothers, with their social media empire promoting wealth, male dominance and misogyny, are among the most divisive internet personalities in the world.
Usually photographed in matching suits and fitted shirts, they wore red prison uniforms and handcuffs during Monday’s hearing. Neither brother said anything.
Their lawyer, Joseph McBride, insisted that they should stay in the US
“We absolutely oppose Andrew and Tristan being sent back to the country because they are innocent,” McBride said after the hearing. “They have never done anything bad. They should not be sent back to their countries for crimes they did not commit.”
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The lawyer raises vague political allegations
McBride also suggested that the effort to have them removed was politically motivated.
He said the Tates case was “closely related” to former British prime minister Keir Starmer’s decision to step down, without giving details, and said it was no mistake that the brothers were arrested after meeting “friends in Washington, DC”.
“We went to see our congressmen in DC and now we’re being arrested. This sounds political,” McBride said. He did not specify who they met and what was discussed.
Prosecutors in Britain said the new charges against the four victims were brought after authorities received evidence from police in Bedfordshire in southeast England. The allegations, from 2010 to 2017, include rape, assault, trafficking and charges related to “child pornography and extreme pornography.”
McBride said no recent accusers have been identified, adding that “we would like to know who is accusing Andrew and Tristan of what.”
The brothers have been charged with rape, grievous bodily harm, human trafficking and controlling prostitution for profit in relation to other alleged victims in the UK between 2012 and 2015.
Their lawyer said in a statement on Saturday that he believed their arrests were “lightened by a low-level employee” at the Department of Justice without comment from the leadership. The Department of Justice told the Associated Press that their arrest was authorized by the leadership of its criminal division.
The new allegations are the latest in a long-running international legal case involving the Tates involving the United States, Britain and Romania. The brothers have repeatedly denied wrongdoing.
Two US and British citizens immigrated to Romania in 2016. They were arrested there in 2022, accused of participating in schemes to attract women for sexual exploitation. They denied those allegations and the Romanian case did not proceed due to legal and procedural issues.
Last year, they were allowed to leave Romania and fly to Florida.
Trump supporters
The former professional boxer has millions of followers on social media and is a fan of President Donald Trump.
Andrew Tate, 39, first rose to fame ten years ago when he entered a UK television game show. Big Brother. He was removed from the show when a video appeared showing him beating a woman.
He has amassed more than 10 million followers on X but has been banned from other platforms for violating hate speech guidelines, including YouTube, TikTok and Instagram. He has made widely criticized comments, such as that women who have been sexually assaulted should take responsibility for the attacks and share clear explanations of how he can attack women.
The Tate brothers have always denied allegations of abuse and human trafficking, saying their violent and abusive statements were taken out of context or were intended as jokes.
