Andrew Tate has said he "takes seriously" allegations of sexual assault made against him by women in the U.K. but also described them as "malicious."
The controversial social media content creator was recently indicted for multiple crimes in Romania, including trafficking women and rape.
While he was under house arrest in Bucharest lawyer Matthew Jury delivered a letter stating that four women in the U.K. alleged he had committed various crimes against them between 2013 and 2016. These crimes included, rape, physical violence and coercive control.
But now in an exclusive statement to Newsweek, Tate and his legal team have responded.
"Contrary to some reports, there is no civil case or lawsuit pending against Andrew Tate. The allegations in question stem from a letter submitted by Matthew Jury, in which he suggested mediation through financial compensation," a spokesperson for Tate said. "We take all allegations seriously and are committed to addressing them in a transparent and responsible manner."
Tate's team also provided Newsweek with his lawyers' response to Jury's letter where they insisted on wanting to reveal the women's identities publicly should they carry out legal action.
"The allegations are malicious and disputed," the response read, and claimed "allegations are brought as part of an opportunistic press campaign to exploit my present difficulties in Romania, and to mirror some of the allegations made against me Romania in an effort to extract money from me."
It also described the women's objective to pursue legal action against Tate for "vindication" as a "sham."
"I fully intend to pursue your clients for defamation and maliciously bringing legal proceedings," the legal response read.
Tate also accused Jury of "a nasty implied threat of reporting me to the police if I do not admit" the allegations.
Newsweek has contacted Jury by email for comment.
The legal letter was delivered to Tate in June, just one day after he was officially charged in Bucharest with two counts of rape, human trafficking and forming an organized crime group to sexually exploit women.
Tate and his brother Tristan were arrested in December 2022 alongside two female Romanian nationals.
All four denied any wrongdoing against the seven alleged victims who it is said were coerced, often by violent means, to produce pornographic material. The suspects have also been charged with tampering with computer evidence, according to Romania's Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT).
The brothers spent three months in jail and were later placed under house arrest. This recently ended, but they face certain conditions in their newfound freedom, including regularly reporting to authorities and seeking permission to leave Bucharest and its wider county.
The British-American influencer rose to infamy during a stint on reality show Big Brother in the U.K. in 2016. He became a controversial figure on the show because of his misogynistic comments and for a video recorded of him striking a woman with a belt during a sex act that was released while he was in the Big Brother house. Producers removed him from the show but Tate and the woman said the act was consensual.
The former kickboxer then rose to prominence on YouTube and other platforms, where he claimed to educate men on masculinity, shared misogynistic views and offered courses through his online academy, "Hustler's University."
In 2013, a woman accused Tate of rape in the U.K., but he was never charged. Two other women also reportedly accused him of similar crimes, according to news website Vice.
The Vice report included graphic details of Tate allegedly raping the woman and text messages they exchanged. British prosecutors later declined to pursue charges in 2019.
Specialists from the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN) sexual assault hotline are available 24/7 via phone (1 (800) 656-4673) and online chat. Additional support from the group is also accessible via a mobile app.
Update 9/25/23, 5:26 a.m. ET: This story was updated to include additional background information.
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