Controversial influencer Andrew Tate has released a bizarre mashup video claiming that he is being unfairly persecuted, after Romanian authorities launched a fresh raid over new allegations of trafficking minors and sex with a minor.
One of the world’s best-known influencers known for being a self-described misogynist, Andrew Tate has been accused of having formed an organised criminal network in early 2021 in Romania and Britain, along with his brother Tristan.
Romania’s office for organised crime (DIICOT), said that four search warrants were executed, in connection with ‘the crimes of forming an organised criminal group, trafficking in minors’, ‘sexual relations with a minor’ and ‘money laundering’.
Shocking images showed masked policemen making their way to the Tate residence carrying battering rams.
But just hours after the Tate brothers raided their home, Andrew Tate’s account posted a more than six minute-long video, in which he claimed that the criminal proceedings were an attempt to discredit him.
The video was posted to X with the caption: ‘The Matrix is real. And they have a tried and true playbook. Slander is their number one tool and the process is the punishment. But unfortunately for them, Good always wins in the end.’
The video is made up of a mix of previous clips in which they claim to be unfairly attacked by authorities from across the world, stock images of news media, footage from the 9/11 terrorist attack and seemingly stolen clips from movies including Russell Crowe’s The Flood Begins and Tom Hanks’ Saving Private Ryan.
The video was posted to X with the caption: ‘The Matrix is real. And they have a tried and true playbook’
Andrew Tate’s account posted a more than six minute-long video, in which he claimed that the criminal proceedings were an attempt to discredit him
Andrew Tate (C) and his brother Tristan Tate (R)
Police squad cars outside the Tate brothers residence in Pipera, Ilfov, near Bucharest, Romania, August 21, 2024
Gendarmes wearing balaclavas walk outside the residence of internet influencer Andrew Tate during an early morning police search raid, on the outskirts of Bucharest, Romania, Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024
He also compared himself to Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, who spent years behind bars in London to avoid extradition to the US for spying charges related to the release of evidence of alleged war crimes committed by the US.
The video then plays Coldplay’s Vida La Vida over clips of him meeting his fans, while claiming that as ‘the good guys’, he and Tristan would ‘win in the end.’
‘Since the dawn of time, it seems to be that evil always has the advantage,but somehow good wins in the end’, he said as clips from Saving Private Ryan flash on screen.
The bizarre video came after prosecutors alleged that 37-year-old Tate, his 36-year-old brother and two women set up a criminal organisation and sexually exploited several victims.
They have denied those charges, and a trial date has not yet been set.
The brothers were previously detained in 2022 in Bucharest and spent three months in detention before being released under judicial supervision to await trial
Gendarmes wearing balaclavas hold a battering ram used to break down a door outside the residence of internet influencer Andrew Tate
Police officers outside the Tate brothers residence in Pipera, Ilfov, near Bucharest, Romania, August 21, 2024
One of the world’s best-known influencers known for misogynist and sometimes violent maxims, Andrew Tate has been accused of having formed an organised criminal network in early 2021 in Romania and Britain
Prosecutors ‘conducted a raid this morning, on August 21, 2024, at the residence of the Tate brothers as part of a search related to a new investigation’, an official said
Internet influencer Andrew Tate’s lawyer Eugen Vidineac exits the residence of Andrew Tate during an early morning search raid by the police, on the outskirts of Bucharest, Romania
Prosecutors ‘conducted a raid this morning, on August 21, 2024, at the residence of the Tate brothers as part of a search related to a new investigation’, an official said.
The brothers were detained in 2022 in Bucharest and spent three months in detention before being released under judicial supervision to await trial.
The brothers also face rape and assault allegations in separate cases in Britain, where they have also been accused of tax evasion.
Today’s raid comes a month after the Tate brothers were banned from leaving Romania.
The Court of Appeals in Bucharest said in July it had overturned a previous ruling which allowed the controversial internet personality free movement within the European Union while awaiting trial on charges of human trafficking.
That ruling came after the brothers just two weeks earlier had celebrated being given permission to leave the country for the first time in two years.
Andrew Tate (C) and his brother Tristan Tate (L) return to Bucharest Court after a snack break. Andrew and Tristan Tate, Bucharest Court, Bucharest, Romania – 04 Jul 2024
Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan were banned from leaving Romania last month
Tate strikes a pose at the Court of Appeals in Bucharest before it overturned a July 5 ruling allowing him and his brother to leave Romanian territory providing he remains within the European Union, as he awaits trial on charges of human trafficking, rape and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women
Andrew Tate grimaces upon arriving at the court
When the brothers received initial news that they were able to leave Romania, a spokesperson for the pair said: ‘The Romanian courts have ruled in favour of Andrew and Tristan Tate, lifting restrictions on their travel within the European Union,’ adding: ‘This represents a significant victory and a major step forward in the ongoing case.’
‘It reflects the significant progress the legal team have made in challenging the allegations brought against them.
Andrew and Tristan’s lawyer, Eugene Vidineac said: ‘We embrace and applaud the decision of the court today, I consider it a reflection of the exemplary behaviour and assistance of my clients.
‘Andrew and Tristan are still determined to clear their name and reputation; however, they are grateful to the courts for placing this trust in them.
‘For the brothers, who have faced limitations on their movement for nearly two years, this ruling is a welcome relief.
‘It allows them to resume their lives with greater freedom and peace of mind.
‘They are now able to travel freely throughout the EU to pursue professional opportunities without restriction.’
This ‘relief’ was short-lived, however, and the ruling was overturned just a fortnight later.
Just two weeks ago, the brothers celebrated as they were given the news they were allowed to leave Romania and had free movement within the European Union
Tate took to X on July 5 to share a message in celebration of being given the right to leave Romania for the first time in two years. This celebration was, however, short-lived
Pictured: A police officer escorts Andrew Tate, centre, handcuffed, from the Court of Appeal in Bucharest, Romania, Tuesday, March 12, 2024
Tate and Tristan were initially arrested in December 2022 along with two Romanian women – model Georgiana Naghel and former cop Luana Radu – but were formerly indicted in June last year.
The two female suspects – dubbed ‘Tate’s Angels’ – also face extradition to the UK once their court proceedings in Romania come to an end.
The brothers have been accused of 10 allegations of rape and sexual assault from three alleged victims in the UK.
The pair faced complaints from victims who claimed they were drugged and subjected to sexual acts between 2012 and 2015.
Romanian law states the trafficking of adults carries a lengthy prison sentence of up to a decade, as does rape.
The Tate brothers were held in police custody during the criminal investigation from late December 2022 until April 2023, to prevent them from fleeing the country or tampering with evidence.
They were then under house arrest until August, when courts placed them under judicial control, a lighter preventative measure that enabled them to move around freely but not leave the country.
Romanian prosecutors have said the Tate brothers recruited their victims by seducing them via social media and falsely claiming to want a relationship or marriage – ultimately pretending to fall in love with them before getting them to work for their business after luring them to their villa on the outskirts of Bucharest.
The victims were then taken to properties outside the capital Bucharest, and through physical violence and mental intimidation were sexually exploited by being forced to produce pornographic content for social media sites that generated large financial gain, prosecutors said.
Tate, who has amassed 9.7 million followers on X has repeatedly claimed that prosecutors in Romania have no evidence against him and that there is a political conspiracy to silence him.
In 2016, Tate appeared on the ‘Big Brother’ reality television show in Britain but was removed after a video emerged showing him attacking a woman.
He then turned to social media platforms to promote his divisive views.
Giving tips on how to be successful, along with misogynistic and sometimes violent maxims, his videos have made him one of the world’s best-known influencers.
