Andrew Tate news – latest: Influencer and brother to appear in Romanian court today

Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan are due to appear in court today as their lawyers argue they should be released.

The 36 year-old influencer was initially detained on 29 December in Bucharest, Romania’s capital, on charges of being part of an organised crime group, human trafficking and rape.

His brother and two Romanian women are also detained in the same case.

Earlier this month, the court extended their custody until 27 February. Tate’s defence team will today argue that there is not enough evidence to hold them.

A British-US citizen, Tate has 4.7 million followers on Twitter. The former kickboxer and social media influencer, has gained notoriety over the years for peddling misogynistic views.

Detectives investigating Tate have seized £3.2m worth of assets from his home in Bucharest, including luxury vehicles, watches and cash acquired in a raid on his compound. On Saturday, a Rolls-Royce, BMW and Mercedes-Benz were seen being removed from Mr Tate’s property.

Prosecutors earlier said they had seized more than 10 homes and properties belonging to the suspects.

Both men deny the allegations against them.

Key Points

• Andrew Tate and brother to appear in Romanian court today

• Bodyguard says women thought they’d be ‘his next wife’

• Authorities size £3.2m in assets from Tate’s home

• Tate and brother deny accusations

Andrew Tate in for a good week, claims manager

11:54 , Liam James

Andrew Tate is in for a good week, his manager has claimed.

The remarks from Mr Tate’s manager, who goes by the online name “The Sartorial Shooter”, appeared to be based on what he claimed was a lack of evidence for the rape and human trafficking allegations against his client and brother Tristan – but he did not provide any evidence to support this statement.

Speaking on the social app Discord, Mr Tate’s manager said: “This coming week is going to be the most positive week the Tate’s have had since they’ve been in detention.” He went on to claim that Mr Tate’s fanbase was becoming stronger due to his detention.

He was speaking ahead of a court date on Wednesday where lawyers will argue for the brothers’ release.

Romanian authorities arrested the brothers along with two women in December on the accounts of six women who alleged they were sexually exploited by the detained group.

Andrew Tate had eye for vulnerable women, says judge

10:34 , Liam James

Andrew Tate and his co-accused were able to spot women with “increased vulnerability” for recruitment to their sexually exploitative operation, a judge said.

Explaining a 20 January decision to extend the influencer’s detention period for nearly one month, a judge said they took into account the “particular dangerousness of the defendants” and their capacity to identify victims “with an increased vulnerability, in search of better life opportunities”, a document seen by the Associated Press showed.

Mr Tate, his brother and two Romanian women were arrested on allegations of rape and human trafficking.

Channel 4 given ‘full access’ to influencer for new documentary

09:22 , Sam Rkaina

Andrew Tate has given Channel 4 “full access” to his life for a new documentary from the team behind Leaving Neverland.

The former kickboxing world champion, who amassed millions of followers for his misogynistic online content, is currently under arrest in Romania facing allegations of human trafficking and being part of an organised crime gang, along with his brother Tristan.

On Monday, Channel 4 announced it has commissioned a 60-minute documentary investigating Tate, 36, and his rise to fame.

Click here for the full story.

Police officers escort the Tate brothers to court

09:03 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Police officers escorted Andrew Tate who is handcuffed to his brother Tristan Tate to the Court of Appeal in Bucharest, Romania.

Andrew Tate and brother to appear in Romanian court today

08:12 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan are due to appear in court later today in Romania.

Their lawyers are set to argue that the brothers should be released due to a lack of evidence.

It comes after a court ruling earlier this month extended the brothers’ detention until 27 February.

08:10 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Good morning. Welcome to our live blog where we keep you updated with the latest from the Andrew Tate saga. Stay tuned!

Friday 20 January 2023 23:30 , Eleanor Noyce

We’re pausing our live coverage of this story for the evening. For the latest updates, visit https://www.independent.co.uk/.

Julia Hartley-Brewer, Andrew Tate, Jeremy Clarkson: In 2023, let’s end the curse of the ‘anti-woke’ bigots

Friday 20 January 2023 23:00 , Eleanor Noyce

2022 was the year of “anti-woke.” This was the year that saw Elon Musk spend $44Bn on Twitter to defeat “the woke mind virus”, the year of Florida’s “Stop Woke Act”, of the American right siding with Putin over Ukraine because of his “anti-woke” credentials (read, overt homophobia). Woke is in the daily lexicon of both MPs and the press.

Famous bow-tie wearer Tim Stanley accused the literal Conservative Party of going woke in the Telegraph. Education is woke, bikes are woke, the Church of England is woke, seeing a black Santa is woke. It’s hard to find things that someone hasn’t called “woke” this year.

Hartley-Brewer was simply going with the trend – and with her job description – when she sided with Tate against climate activist Greta Thunberg, writes Phil McDuff:

Opinion: In 2023, we need to end the curse of the ‘anti-woke’ bigots

‘The Matrix got me’: How Andrew Tate, Logan Paul and other toxic men found a new way to avoid blame

Friday 20 January 2023 22:00 , Eleanor Noyce

Extremely Online men and their toxic fellow travellers have discovered a novel way of avoiding the consequences of their own actions, turning to one of the biggest sci-fi movies of the 1990s for inspiration.

Logan Paul this week joined the inauspicious company of Andrew Tate and Elon Musk in blaming “The Matrix” for his own personal misfortunes.

Paul, a professional wrestler, podcaster, sports drink entrepreneur and one of the most popular YouTubers in the US, tweeted: “the matrix is real. pray you never become its target”.

It is not clear what prompted Paul’s tweet, but the 27-year-old has been on the back foot for weeks as he faces criticism over accusations of scamming investors and abandoning his pet pig.

Paul, it should be noted, has spoken out forcefully against Tate’s misogyny, which makes his decision to join the ranks of the red-pilled so confusing.

Read more:

How Andrew Tate, Logan Paul and other toxic men found a new way to avoid blame

Who is Tristan Tate? All we know about Andrew Tate’s brother arrested in human trafficking raid

Friday 20 January 2023 21:00 , Eleanor Noyce

When influencer Andrew Tate was arrested in Romania during a police raid, he was detained alongside three other people - one of them, his brother.

Tristan Tate, who is also a former kickboxer turned social media influencer, was detained in December as part of an investigation into human trafficking and rape by Romania’s anti-organised crime agency Didcot.

While the headlines around the arrest focused on the more famous Andrew Tate, his brother is less well known.

Thomas Kingsley looks at everything we do know about him as the investigation into his alleged offences continues.

Read more:

All we know about Tristan Tate after arrest with brother Andrew in trafficking raid

16-year-old daughter of Romanian politician reveals that Andrew Tate targeted her on social media

Friday 20 January 2023 20:47 , Eleanor Noyce

Two Romanian teenagers have stated that Andrew Tate used social media to approach them before his arrest, the BBC reports.

16-year-old Daria Gusa was still at school when she received an Instagram DM from Andrew Tate, almost 20 years her senior.

“It just read ‘Romanian girl’ and he put some flirty emoji,” Daria told the BBC, showing screenshots. “I was confused because I [only] had 200 followers, and it was a private account.”

She never replied to the message, but some of her friends did.

“It was obvious we were high-school girls,” Daria furthered.  ”We had our high school in our bio and everything. I think he was just trying to find girls who were as innocent or naïve as possible, in my opinion.”

Daria is now at university in the UK. As the daughter of a politician, she feels confident in speaking out about her experiences but notes that many young men have accused her of lying.

She states that many of these young men idolise Andrew Tate, something she sees as a “big problem.”

Daria isn’t alone: another teenager recounted similar experiences to the BBC of being approached by Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan online, recounting receiving the same opening message as Daria.

The girl was invited to Tristan Tate’s car, and later to a party. She declined both invitations.

Andrew Tate still selling £4,000 Cameo videos to fans despite being locked up in Romanian jail

Friday 20 January 2023 20:23 , Eleanor Noyce

Influencer Andrew Tate is still making money from online shout-outs to fans on the website Cameo despite being detained in a Romanian jail.

The site allows fans to purchase personalised videos from celebrities, with notable members including Tiger King star Carole Baskin, musician Alice Cooper and Baywatch star David Hasselhoff.

Charging £4000 per video, Tate is still listed on the celeb-messaging site. His profile claims that he is available for film clips that would be the perfect present for “birthdays, graduations and even the holiday season”.

Fans who pay up to £4100 can access a personal “pep-talk” from Mr Tate, with the high prices rendering him the second most expensive celebrity on the site. Floyd Mayweather, who occupies the top spot, charges £12,267 per video.

Read more:

Andrew Tate still selling £4,000 Cameo videos despite detention in Romanian jail

This is what Andrew Tate means for Muslim women like me

Friday 20 January 2023 20:00 , Eleanor Noyce

Is it him? That shiny bald head, manicured beard, and gradient “I’m a celebrity” sunglasses are unmistakeable. A four-minute clip of Andrew Tate, a controversial figure who is known for making vulgar and inflammatory statements about women, has infiltrated the intimate boundaries of my smartphone through a forwarded WhatsApp video. Prior to this, I’ve actively avoided researching or discussing Tate, despite his notoriety on social media – I’d hate to give any more airtime to the self-proclaimed misogynist who is already one of the most frequently googled people on the internet.

But this time I give in, and a quick search leads me to the original video, posted on YouTube a year ago by a “male self-improvement” podcast that hosts “Womanizer Wednesdays”. In the three-hour interview, Tate spews some twisted and simplistic statements about Islam in his apparent attempt to praise the religion.

I can only hope that his arrest will finally discredit him, and raise awareness about his dangerous, misogynistic ideology that’s completely at odds with Islam, writes Hafsa Lodi:

Opinion: This is what Andrew Tate means for Muslim women like me

I’m a teacher – this is what my 15-year-olds are saying about Andrew Tate

Friday 20 January 2023 19:00 , Eleanor Noyce

In our termly equalities meeting at the secondary school where I teach, we usually discuss the broad concerns we’re trying to tackle as a staff body. This week, it was different. Rather than talking about systemic issues and how they affect our students, such as racism, homophobia and ableism, we ended up talking about one man. That man was Andrew Tate.

After discussing the controversial influencer who appeared in court this week, we decided that – due to his continued reach on social media – it would be best to hold assemblies across all the school years to make sure they are being smart about the content they are consuming online.

As a school we have decided it would be best to hold ‘Andrew Tate assemblies’ across all year groups, writes Matt Adams:

Opinions: I’m a teacher – this is what my students are saying about Andrew Tate

How Andrew Tate became the poster boy of the hard-right

Friday 20 January 2023 18:00 , Eleanor Noyce

Andrew Tate should have been anathema to the folks who spend half their time telling us they’re not far right. But, instead, he became a well-dressed, wealthy caricature of a successful “alpha male”, conducting high-profile TV interviews with people like Piers Morgan.

Tate should have been anathema – instead, he became a well-dressed, wealthy caricature of a successful ‘alpha male’, writes Katherine Denkinson:

Opinion: How Andrew Tate became the poster boy of the hard-right

Who is Andrew Tate? All you need to know about the influencer arrested in Romania

Friday 20 January 2023 17:00 , Eleanor Noyce

Andrew Tate is no stranger to controversy.

The former kickboxer and social media influencer, who has gained notoriety over the years for peddling misogynistic views, was detained in Romania on Thursday 29 December on suspicion of human trafficking, rape, and forming an organised crime group, prosecutors said.

The arrest came after Tate shared a video hitting back at climate activist Greta Thunberg, prominently displaying pizza boxes from local chain Jerry’s Pizza. Authorities have debunked reports that the pizza box led them to Tate’s location.

Here’s everything you need to know.

Who is Andrew Tate? All you need to know about the influencer arrested in Romania

This is why young men are still listening to Andrew Tate

Friday 20 January 2023 16:00 , Eleanor Noyce

If you’re still unfamiliar with Andrew Tate, you’re one of the lucky ones. Wherever it is you’re sheltering, I hope it is warm, comfortable and you have enough tinned food for the foreseeable.

Tate sells himself as a hyper-masculine, ultra-wealthy, red-pilled lothario, who is willing to teach his young Padawans the ways of the world, women, and of the secrets of his own success. He offers young men the inside track on life. A ticket to the dream they didn’t quite know they had. In short, he is selling them a blueprint of how to be a man. And with a dearth of alternatives, they are more than willing to buy it.

He’s been banned before from Twitter and TikTok and even arrested – but the self-proclaimed misogynist’s influence abounds, writes Clint Edwards:

Opinion: This is why young men are still listening to Andrew Tate

Generation Tate: How can we stop losing vulnerable men to the ‘manosphere’?

Friday 20 January 2023 15:00 , Eleanor Noyce

Try to ignore it all we like, but young men across the world are being seduced by the misogynist, conspiratorial teachings of influencers, writes Matthew Neale. Is early compassion the way to stop it?

Read more:

People like Andrew Tate put men at risk – how do we stop them?

Here’s how to beat toxic men like Andrew Tate

Friday 20 January 2023 14:30 , Eleanor Noyce

Without urgent intervention we may end up with a lost generation of young men, writes Sufyan Ahmed:

News of Andrew Tate’s arrest has been met with relief by many hoping this will bring an end to his relevance. However, in my view (and experience) the damage is done. Tate’s views, amplified by social media, has already led to huge numbers of young men from my generation being manipulated, and without urgent intervention we may end up with a lost generation of young men. Let me tell you what I’ve seen.

There is no denying the immense reach Tate achieved. He was the most Googled man over the summer of 2022. Videos with his hashtag have amassed 13 billion views on TikTok. His mentoring scheme currently has 160,000 paying subscribers.

Here’s how to beat toxic men like Andrew Tate

Romanian teens reveal that Andrew Tate approached them on social media

Friday 20 January 2023 14:00 , Eleanor Noyce

Two Romanian teenagers have stated that Andrew Tate used social media to approach them before his arrest, the BBC reports.

16-year-old Daria Gusa was still at school when she received an Instagram DM from Andrew Tate, almost 20 years her senior.

“It just read ‘Romanian girl’ and he put some flirty emoji,” Daria told the BBC, showing screenshots. “I was confused because I [only] had 200 followers, and it was a private account.”

Gusa isn’t alone: another teenager recounted similar experiences to the BBC of being approached by Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan online.

She never replied to the message, but some of her friends did.

“It was obvious we were high-school girls,” Daria furthered.  ”We had our high school in our bio and everything. I think he was just trying to find girls who were as innocent or naïve as possible, in my opinion.”

Andrew Tate in prison for another month as Romanian police extend detention

Friday 20 January 2023 13:30 , Sam Rkaina

A Romanian court has extended the police custody of influencer Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan until 27 February.

The pair are being held on suspicion of human trafficking, sexual assault and rape, which they deny.

Detectives investigating the claims against Mr Tate have seized £3.2m worth of assets from his home in Bucharest.

Click here for the full story.

Wednesday 18 January 2023 09:59 , Sam Rkaina

We’re pausing our live coverage of Andrew Tate, but keep checking independent.co.uk for the latest updates.

Tate is a role model, ‘like a hero’ - fan

Wednesday 18 January 2023 08:15 , Matt Mathers

Andrew Tate is a role model who fits the mould of a “hero”, one of his fans has said.

Enys Kelmeni, a 19-year-old boxer from east London, said Mr Tate has had a big impact on his life because of his masculinity.

“Kids have always looked up to a masculine role model, like a hero, and Tate fits that category, “ he told The Times.

“Of all the celebrities, Tate has had the most influence on our lives because he’s the most masculine.”

He added: “I am a big fan. I admire his intelligence; I admire his confidence.”

Generation Tate: How can we stop losing vulnerable men to the ‘manosphere’?

Wednesday 18 January 2023 07:15 , Stuti Mishra

Try to ignore it all we like, but young men across the world are being seduced by the misogynist, conspiratorial teachings of influencers, writes Matthew Neale. Is early compassion the way to stop it?

Read Matthew’s full piece here:

People like Andrew Tate put men at risk – how do we stop them?

Who is Andrew Tate? All you need to know about the influencer arrested in Romania

Wednesday 18 January 2023 05:58 , Stuti Mishra

For those joining us on the blog who are still unaware of who exactly Andrew Tate is, my colleagues on The Independent’s lifestyle desk have put together this explainer:

Who is Andrew Tate? All you need to know about the influencer arrested in Romania

ICYMI: Romanian authorities seize more luxury cars from Andrew Tate’s compound

Wednesday 18 January 2023 04:27 , Stuti Mishra

Romanian authorities have seized luxury cars from the compound of influencer Andrew Tate, who remains in custody on rape and trafficking charges.

Anti-organised-crime prosecutors detained Mr Tate, his brother Tristan and two Romanian female suspects on 29 December on charges of forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit six women. They have denied any wrongdoing.

My colleague Joe Middleton reports:

Here’s how to beat toxic men like Andrew Tate

Tuesday 17 January 2023 16:30 , Matt Mathers

Without urgent intervention we may end up with a lost generation of young men, writes Sufyan Ahmed.

Read Sufyan’s full piece here:

Here’s how to beat toxic men like Andrew Tate

Andrew Tate fans in Greece protest against arrest

Tuesday 17 January 2023 14:57 , Matt Mathers

Andrew Tate fans reportedly took to the streets in Athens over the weekend despite the influencer being arrested on suspicion of human trafficking and rape.

The Greek City Times reported that a large group of young men - most of whom look like teenagers - walked through the streets of the capital calling for the online influencer to be released.

Earlier this week a teacher told The Independent that his school was having to hold special assemblies to counteract Mr Tate’s “misogynistic” views.

Mr Tate and his brother Tristian, who was also arrested, deny any wrongdoing.

Tate’s compound in Bucharest is ‘extremely luxurious’ and built into ‘flats'

Tuesday 17 January 2023 13:39 , Matt Mathers

Andrew Tate’s home in Bucharest is “extremely luxurious” and built into “flats”, a man who lives nearby has said.

Beldica Trandafir lives in a housing block beside the main gate to Mr Tate’s villa and was asked to carry out some work there.

"The guy in charge of the construction asked me to work on the electrics, but when they explained what they wanted, I told them it was way beyond what I knew how to do," Mr Trandafir explained to the BBC.

He said the house has "all the amenities you can think of".

"It’s extremely luxurious," he added. "It’s divided into flats, [and] they could afford to build a swimming pool - things that people like us couldn’t even dare to dream of."

Full report: Andrew Tate believed someone ‘wanted to hurt him’, bodyguard claims

Tuesday 17 January 2023 12:21 , Matt Mathers

Andrew Tate’s bodyguard has claimed that his boss believed “somebody wanted to hurt him”.

In an interview with BBC, Bogdan Stancu said Tate’s behaviour was “something similar” to paranoia but the far right influencer did not know where the threat was coming from.

My colleague Maroosha Muzaffar has the full report:

Andrew Tate believed someone ‘wanted to hurt him’, bodyguard claims

Tate is a ‘bit paranoid’ and believes someone wants to ‘hurt him' - bodyguard

Tuesday 17 January 2023 10:52 , Matt Mathers

Andrew Tate is “a bit paranoid” and believes that someone wants to “hurt him”, his head of security has said.

Bodyguard Bogdan Stancu, a former police intelligence officer, defended his boss, saying young women who went to Mr Tate’s house “misunderstood the reality” and thought they would be the influencer’s “next wife”.

In a wide-ranging interview with the BBC, Mr Stancu also said “I never doubt Andrew”.

This is what Andrew Tate means for Muslim women like me

Tuesday 17 January 2023 10:30 , Matt Mathers

Is it him? That shiny bald head, manicured beard, and gradient “I’m a celebrity” sunglasses are unmistakeable. A four-minute clip of Andrew Tate, a controversial figure who is known for making vulgar and inflammatory statements about women, has infiltrated the intimate boundaries of my smartphone through a forwarded WhatsApp video. Prior to this, I’ve actively avoided researching or discussing Tate, despite his notoriety on social media – I’d hate to give any more airtime to the self-proclaimed misogynist who is already one of the most frequently googled people on the internet.

Opinion: This is what Andrew Tate means for Muslim women like me

Tate is a ‘little bit paranoid’, his head of security says

Tuesday 17 January 2023 09:30 , Matt Mathers

Andrew Tate is a “little bit paranoid” but only ever asked to have women removed from his home in Romania - not to stop them leaving, his head of security has said.

Bogdan Stancu, who worked for Mr Tate and his brother for several years, claims that he was not once asked to prevent women from leaving the property in Bucharest.

“I never doubt Andrew,” he told the BBC.

Here’s how to beat toxic men like Andrew Tate

Tuesday 17 January 2023 08:30 , Shweta Sharma

News of Andrew Tate’s arrest has been met with relief by many hoping this will bring an end to his relevance. However, in my view (and experience) the damage is done. Tate’s views, amplified by social media, has already led to huge numbers of young men from my generation being manipulated, and without urgent intervention we may end up with a lost generation of young men. Let me tell you what I’ve seen.

There is no denying the immense reach Tate achieved. He was the most Googled man over the summer of 2022. Videos with his hashtag have amassed 13 billion views on TikTok. His mentoring scheme currently has 160,000 paying subscribers.

Once you delve into what Tate preaches to the masses, his social media reach is terrifying. Tate has made comments such as, “women bear some responsibility for rape”; has compared women to dogs and proudly confessed in one video with a fellow YouTuber to being an “absolute misogynist”, stating that he was in fact a “realist” and “when you’re a realist, you’re sexist”. The amplification of these views should terrify everyone.

Here’s how to beat toxic men like Andrew Tate

School holds Andrew Tate assemblies over fears of ‘toxic misogynist’s influence on children’

Tuesday 17 January 2023 07:45 , Shweta Sharma

Social media posts by Andrew Tate could serve as a “gateway drug” to children who go on to view more damaging content, teachers have warned.

At one school the head of performing arts Matt Adams decided to hold “Andrew Tate assemblies” due to fears over what pupils interested in the influencer are exposed to online.

Mr Adams teaches at a west London school, and told The Independent boys he had spoken to would either support Tate outright, make excuses for him or claim he had been misquoted.

School holds Andrew Tate assemblies over fears of ‘toxic misogynist’s influence’

Andrew Tate: A timeline of his rise and fall

Tuesday 17 January 2023 07:06 , Shweta Sharma

Andrew Tate, the controversial former kickboxing world champion turned social media influencer, has lost his court appeal against his detention in Romania over rape and human trafficking charges.

Eugen Vidineac, a lawyer representing the 36-year-old and his brother Tristan, who has also been detained, has insisted that “there is not a single piece of evidence apart from the victim’s statement” to back up the allegations.

Mr Tate has amassed millions of followers across Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and TikTok over the past decade. But he has also seen his accounts banned over inflammatory statements he has made, often appearing to advocate violence against women, which the platforms ruled violated their policies.

The rise and fall of Andrew Tate: A timeline

Bodyguard says women thought they’d be ‘his next wife’

Tuesday 17 January 2023 04:51 , Shweta Sharma

In an interview with BBC, Andrew Tate’s head of security Bogdan Stancu dismissed women who are accusing the controversial influencer and said some “girls misunderstood the reality”.

“Some of the girls misunderstood the reality and believed [they would] be his next wife,” Mr Stancu said. “When they realised the reality, it’s easy to transform from a friend into an enemy, and make a statement to the police.”

He said more than 100 women passed through the compound in Bucharest in last two years and some were under 25. Their expenses were paid for by Mr Tate.

He called the women accusing his boss “young and stupid” and said, “I never doubt Andrew”.

Who is Tristan Tate?

Monday 16 January 2023 23:59 , Andy Gregory

When influencer Andrew Tate was arrested in Romania during a police raid, he was detained alongside three other people – one of them his brother, Tristan Tate.

The 34-year-old is two years younger than his older brother Andrew. He has followed in the footsteps of his sibling in more ways than one.

Tristan started off as a kickboxer in his hometown of Luton where he grew up with Andrew as the middle child of three siblings. He learned kickboxing at Storm Gym in Luton under coach Amir Subasic and later became a four-time ISKA kickboxing champion.

He won the ISKA Kick Boxing title in 2009 and his career record stands at 43-9. In 2011, the 34-year-old appeared on Channel 4’s Shipwrecked: The Island Season 4.

Tristan boasts 2.3 million Instagram followers where his posts boast different aspects of his luxury lifestyle including sports cars, private jets and parties.

All we know about Tristan Tate after arrest with brother Andrew in trafficking raid

Tate issues cryptic post after losing appeal

Monday 16 January 2023 20:42 , Andy Gregory

After Andrew Tate lost his appeal last week challenging the 30-day arrest warrant under which he is currently detained, a cryptic post on his Twitter account read: “When Allah said ‘I test only those I love.’ I took the pain like it was an honour – Abu Hurayrah.”

It was one of several ambiguous posts that have appeared on the account since his arrest.

Who is Andrew Tate? All you need to know about the influencer arrested in Romania

Monday 16 January 2023 19:30 , Andy Gregory

For those joining us on the blog who are still unaware of who exactly Andrew Tate is, my colleagues on The Independent’s lifestyle desk have put together this explainer:

Who is Andrew Tate? All you need to know about the influencer arrested in Romania

Tate arrest ‘sending very important message’, Romanian authorities claim

Monday 16 January 2023 18:29 , Andy Gregory

While no charges have yet been brought against Andrew Tate, a spokesperson for Romania’s National Anti-Trafficking Agency claims the case is already sending a strong message to traffickers and victims.

“The fact that the justice system has decided to keep the brothers in custody, even during the preliminary phase of the [case], sends a very important message,” Mihaela Dragus told the BBC.

How can we stop losing vulnerable men to the ‘manosphere’?

Monday 16 January 2023 16:44 , Andy Gregory

In this feature asking “how we can stop losing vulnerable men to the ‘manosphere’”, Matthew Neale speaks to Ali Ross, a psychotherapist and spokesperson for the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP), who often helps men struggling to find their place in the world.

Despite the aggressive language of such influencers, he believes that what makes them so appealing to men isn’t just the invective, but the comforting message that sits at the heart of their narratives: it’s not your fault.

“The reason why men connect with what people like Tate are saying is because they’re feeling disenfranchised and misunderstood,” he explains. “But like many men, they don’t know how to be vulnerable, how to review their choices or take responsibility for their lives.”

You can read the full piece here:

People like Andrew Tate put men at risk – how do we stop them?

ICYMI: Romanian authorities seize more luxury cars from Andrew Tate’s compound

Monday 16 January 2023 15:25 , Matt Mathers

Romanian authorities have seized luxury cars from the compound of influencer Andrew Tate, who remains in custody on rape and trafficking charges.

Anti-organised-crime prosecutors detained Mr Tate, his brother Tristan and two Romanian female suspects on 29 December on charges of forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit six women. They have denied any wrongdoing.

My colleague Joe Middleton reports:

Romanian authorities seize more luxury cars from Andrew Tate’s compound

How Andrew Tate became the poster boy of the hard-right

Monday 16 January 2023 14:11 , Matt Mathers

Tate should have been anathema – instead, he became a well-dressed, wealthy caricature of a successful ‘alpha male’, writes Katherine Denkinson.

Read Katherine’s full piece here:

Opinion: How Andrew Tate became the poster boy of the hard-right