Who is Andrew Tate? Controversial Romanian influencer sues Florida woman accusing him of human trafficking

Controversial social media influencer Andrew Tate filed a lawsuit against a Florida woman last month, claiming she falsely accused them of imprisoning her in Romania, leading to their arrest there.

Tate and his brother Tristan are seeking at least $5 million in the lawsuit, which was filed in Palm Beach County against the woman, her parents, another woman who lived at the Tates’ Bucharest estate, and a male friend of the woman.

Here's what we know about the lawsuit and about the problematic social media star:

Tate charged: Andrew Tate and his brother charged with human trafficking, rape in Romania

Who is Andrew Tate?

Andrew Tate, whose full name is Emory Andrew Tate, is a former pro-kickboxer and social media personality who was previously banned from various platforms for his controversial views. The 36-year-old has racked up more than 7 million Twitter followers, with many of those being young men and school-aged children.

What does 'Top G' mean?

Within his dedicated fanbase, many, including Tate himself, refer to the influencer as the "Top G." According to Urban Dictionary, the term Top G or "Top Gangster" refers to the individual that is capable in all realms. It is meant to describe someone who is feared and respected.

Who are his parents?

Tate's father might ring a bell to a niche group of people in the chess world.

His parents are Eileen and Emory Tate, with the latter being an international chess master, and five-time winner of the United States Armed Forces chess championship.

Where exactly is Andrew Tate from?

Tate was born in Washington, D.C. in December 1986 before moving to the U.K. with his family when he was five. Many supporters and critics online have commented on his unique American-Luton accent.

How did Andrew Tate first get popular?

Tate originally tried to follow in his father's footsteps as a chess player, competing in adult chess tournaments while he was still a child.

Eventually, he shifted into the world of professional kickboxing in 2005 and gained a following once winning his first championship in 2009. Throughout his entire career, he has 76 wins and 9 losses.

When did he first get attention on social media?

Tate reached an entirely new audience in 2016 when he appeared on the U.K.'s reality show Big Brother for season 17 and was later removed after a video of him whipping a woman with a belt emerged.

He denied the clip, calling it a "kinky sex video" that was edited to make it look more sinister. He said the footage was fully consensual and the pair still remain friends. He also claimed the producers were purposely trying to get him out after unaired altercations with other housemates got too heated.

In the years following his reality TV appearance, he rose to fame as an internet celebrity, promoting an "ultra-masculine, ultra-luxurious lifestyle" to men. Tate's misogynistic commentary has resulted in millions of views and shares across several social media platforms, even leading to temporary bans for his accounts.

What has Andrew Tate said?

Tate has risen to notoriety by broadcasting his misogynist and controversial opinions on social media.

Some of Andrew Tate's quotes include:

• “I’ve gotten mixed reviews about the color of my Bugatti. Some people like it, some people don’t like it. So I said, ‘What color is your Bugatti?’”

• “I think the women belong to the man.”

• “If we talk about tradition—traditionally—every single man in history had multiple wives, and there was not a single woman who was celebrated for having multiple husbands. Female promiscuity has always been disgusting and frowned upon.”

• “Depression isn’t real. You feel sad, you move on. You will always be depressed if your life is depressing. Change it.”

• “I called this virus [COVID-19] a hoax from the start and everyone called me crazy. The virus isn’t real. There is a virus, yes. Is it deadly? No. Is shutting down the economy an appropriate response? Absolutely not. Clown world.”

• “Do you not see how the elites play you? They stop mentioning the virus, everyone stops mentioning the virus, no one talks about the virus anymore. Now it’s racism.”

• “I do know how to administer CPR. However, I will not administer CPR unless you’re a hot female… If you’re some fat dude and you just had a heart attack and I don’t really know you, you’re gonna die… No, not even if you’re a friend…”

• “The masculine perspective is you have to understand that life is war. It’s a war for the female you want. It’s a war for the car you want. It’s a war for the money you want. It’s a war for status. Masculine life is war.”

• “I realized yesterday that I can actually, genuinely, right now nothing is stopping me from becoming Batman. Nothing. I have a bat cave. I have an Alfred. I have a Batmobile, a Bugatti. I can fight.”

How has the public responded to Tate's ideologies and social media posts?

Tate's messages spread like wildfire on sites such as TikTok and Twitter.

His gospel has captured the attention of millions, particularly young men aged 12 to 21. According to New York Magazine, he has especially captured those in "rural American pro-gun constituencies and to the anti-vax, anti-mask communities." Some of these groups have identified with Tate's logic and have tried to emulate it in their own lives.

On the opposite end, critics have spoken out on how harmful his videos are, especially for women, minorities, and young children. Numerous social media platforms, including YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, have banned him - with the latter saying that "misogyny is a hateful ideology that is not tolerated".

Why was Tate detained in 2022?

Tate, along with his brother Tristan, were detained in Romania as part of an investigation into alleged human trafficking in December 2022. Seven victims were identified.

The Romanian court approved a 30-day detention of Tate following his arrest for alleged human trafficking, rape, and forming a criminal group. Initially, they were to be held for questioning for up to 24 hours.

According to the Washington Post, Romanian authorities had launched an investigation into Tate and his brother Tristan back in April of that year. They reportedly raided Tate’s Romania home, where he was allegedly holding two women captive, after being tipped off by the U.S. Embassy that an American citizen was being held against their will.

Tate denied that he held women captive or committed any wrongdoing during an interview with Tucker Carlson in August, claiming the raid was an act of “swatting."

Social media users were quick to point out that the arrests came after he exposed his location when he provoked climate activist Greta Thunberg on Twitter following his return to the app after being banned. He taunted her with the “enormous emissions” of his 33 cars and requested an email address to which he would send a list of his car collection.

Thunberg responded by inviting him to “enlighten” her at a fake email address that suggested Tate's enormous emissions might be overcompensating for something else.

Tate posted a response video showing him smoking a cigar and sitting next to two pizza boxes, which he asks someone off camera not to recycle, attacking her activism.

Users said the pizza boxes gave away Tate's location in Romania since the chain Jerry's Pizza is specific to the country but that theory was never confirmed by authorities. Thunberg did have a good laugh by tweeting a final dig at Tate.

Was Andrew Tate charged with trafficking?

Andrew and Tristan Tate were charged with rape, human trafficking, and forming a criminal gang to exploit women, Romanian officials said last month.

In a statement, the agency said the four defendants formed a criminal group in 2021 “in order to commit the crime of human trafficking” in Romania, the United States, and Britain, the Associated Press reported. The agency said seven female victims were misled and transported to Romania, where they were sexually exploited and subjected to physical violence.

The agency said the victims were forced to take part in pornography and allegedly controlled by “intimidation, constant surveillance” and claims that they were in debt, prosecutors said.

Tate claimed Romanian prosecutors have no evidence and alleged their case is a political conspiracy designed to silence him, the AP reported.

Why is Andrew Tate suing two people from Florida?

Tate and his brother are suing a Florida woman, saying she falsely accused them of imprisoning her in Romania, which to their arrest there on human trafficking charges.

According to AP, the brothers claim the five Palm Beach County residents conspired to falsely accuse them of human trafficking and rape, costing them "their freedom and millions of dollars in income from their lucrative social media, podcasting, and business ventures."

Their lawsuit alleges the Tates are the victims of the unnamed woman and insists she pursued a sexual relationship with Tristan Tate in order to move to Romania, then tried to defraud the brothers. When that failed, AP said the lawsuit says that she conspired with the others to make false statements to Romanian and U.S. embassy authorities.

“At no point did the Tate brothers engage in human trafficking,” the lawsuit says. The attorneys say the woman “is a serial liar, manipulator, and schemer who exploits vulnerable, often wealthy men with good intentions for sexual, financial, and emotional profit.”

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Andrew Tate sues Palm Beach woman accusing him of human trafficking