Andrew Tate will now be able to move freely through Romania after a judge changed the conditions of bail as he awaits trial on charges of human trafficking.
Tate, his brother Tristan Tate and two Romanian women were arrested in December on forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women, trafficking and tampering with evidence. Tate has also been charged with two counts of rape.
They were kept in jail for almost three months before being released into house arrest, and eventually released from that as well, but under certain conditions including regularly reporting to authorities and gaining permission to travel outside Bucharest and its Ilfov County.
Now a judge in Bucharest has ruled the two brothers may travel anywhere in Romania without permission from the courts. However, they will still have to regularly report in with authorities.
"This decision is acknowledged as a step forward, and we recognize the judiciary's careful consideration in this matter," a spokesperson for the Tate brothers told Newsweek in an exclusive statement.
"This adjustment in judicial control signifies a notable development in the ongoing legal proceedings, reflecting the Tate brothers' and their legal team's commitment to clearing their name."
But for the lawyers representing four women who are suing Tate over alleged violence and sexual assault, the decision was "not significant."
"The exact terms of the Tates' judicial control are not significant in the grand scheme of things. What is important is the extremely serious indictment against Andrew and Tristan Tate and their associates, for which they will soon stand trial," a representative of the McCue law firm told Newsweek.
The four women filed a civil suit against the British-American influencer in June in the U.K., accusing him of crimes including rape, physical violence and coercive control between 2013 and 2016.
Tate has denied all the allegations against him.
One of his U.K.-based accusers, whose name is being kept confidential for her privacy and security, previously told Newsweek that her life after the alleged abuse was "torture."
"It is torture trying to live my life with constant reminders from work colleagues, friends online, the radio, the hairdressers, basically anyone randomly mentioning his name. This isn't supposed to happen," she said in October.
"The person who put you through the worst time of your life, who you tried to stop hurting others 10 years ago, isn't supposed to become famous online."
Tate is a former professional kickboxer who came to public attention while competing on the U.K. version of reality show Big Brother. He was known for his controversial comments about women and was later removed from the show after a video, taken before he entered the house, showed him hitting a woman with a belt. He said the act was consensual.
Since then he has become an influencer and has run courses to teach men on how to be more masculine and about cryptocurrency.
Update, 11/23/2023, 10:45 a.m. ET. This story was updated to include additional information.
Update, 11/24/2023, 2:36 a.m. ET. This story was updated to include comment from the McCue law firm.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Shannon Power is a Greek-Australian reporter, but now calls London home. They have worked as across three continents in print, ... Read more
