It’s hard to think of an influencer who has faced more accusations of horrific crimes than Andrew Tate. Just a few years ago, after being taunted by Greta Thunberg, Tate accidentally revealed his location. This lead to his arrest in Romania on charges of human trafficking and rape. The Romanian government has since dropped those charges.
Tate has also faced accusations of battery and rape in the UK. The Crown Prosecution Service declined to file charges, citing insufficient evidence. Now, reportedly thanks to Donald Trump, Tate was allowed back into the United States a few weeks ago. His arrival has coincided with more accusations of violence against women.
On Saturday, March 29th, NBC News reported that model and influencer Brianna Stern filed a lawsuit accusing Tate of severe physical and sexual abuse during their 10-month relationship. The most harrowing incident allegedly occurred in March at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Stern claims Tate strangled her until she was nearly unconscious and punched her.
Medical records reportedly show Stern had “post-concussion syndrome.” The texts Stern says she received from Tate are somehow even more alarming than the alleged physical abuse. “You back talk too much whore so I beat you. I will hit you today. But I love you,” one text allegedly said. “What’s the point in having you if I don’t beat you and impregnate you. You should be thankful,” said another, according to the complaint.
So what has Andrew Tate been up to since these accusations became public? He’s used them to make more content. While Tate is banned from TikTok, Meta, and YouTube, he still has a home on X (previously Twitter).
Tate spent the weekend Tweeting mostly about two things: how all women are predators and how amazing he is. He did this by posting what can only be described as propaganda videos about himself and his charity.
I know what you’re thinking. Andrew Tate has a charity? Yes, he created the Tate Pledge during his last lawsuit, which seems suspicious. But who knows? Maybe he just felt in an altruistic mood right after a bunch of people happened to accuse him of forming an organized crime ring?
In the series of videos from 2023 that Tate shared this weekend, he doesn’t just say that he is feeding hungry children, but rather that he is helping children “of both genders.” Tate repeats this again later for emphasis, saying they are “both male and female.” The way Tate lingers on this point makes it sound like feeding girls is some radical act of altruism deserving of applause.
Before I could decide to do a deep-dive, Steve Boggan, a reporter at UnHerd, had already found that his charity is bogus. Tate claims he has donated 25 million dollars to charities worldwide, affecting millions of children.
However, he has yet to show evidence of it. Several major charities, including Muslim Hands, Human Appeal, and Muslim Global Relief, have stated that they have not received any direct donations from either of the Tate brothers. Muslim Global Relief says that they received 30,000 GBP, which is a far cry from the millions Andrew claims to have donated.
Another charity said that the images he used for his videos were provided to a third-party donor for verification purposes. The children and people in the images hadn’t permitted Tate to use them. In fact, they were worried about the harm it could do to their reputation to be included in such a video. Despite all these allegations swirling around his fake charity, he tweets, “I’m going to save the world.”
While Tate is presenting himself as some kind of humanitarian hero for feeding kids, his alleged victim says that she’s become the target of death threats from his millions of followers. He’s framing himself as the victim in this story, tweeting that men with money are targets for lying women and calling her the “hoe who cried wolf.” In reality, the story highlights how wealth, political connections, and a cult-like online following shield abusers.
The question isn’t whether Tate will face consequences. It’s whether platforms that profit from his inflammatory content, and governments enabling his mobility, will ever prioritize justice over clout. Until then, Tate’s cycle of alleged abuse, both physical and ideological, will continue, fortified by every algorithm boost and diplomatic loophole.
Tate’s goal is to silence women both ideologically and, according to the latest complaint about him, physically and psychologically too. The real test is whether society lets him.
– Liz Plank, Passionfruit Contributor
CULTURE
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