Influencer Andrew Tate denies rape and trafficking allegations in combative BBC interview
In a recent interview with the BBC, Andrew Tate, a controversial social media influencer, defended his reputation against allegations of misogyny and other accusations. Currently under investigation by Romanian prosecutors for rape, human trafficking, and exploiting women, Tate dismissed these claims during the interview.
This marked Tate’s first television interview with a major broadcaster since being released into house arrest in Romania in April. He denied the testimonies of women involved in the investigation who accused him of rape and exploitation. He also described a woman, interviewed anonymously by the BBC earlier this year and given the pseudonym Sophie, as “imaginary,” claiming she had been invented by the BBC. Sophie is currently assisting Romanian prosecutors with the investigation.
When confronted with concerns from schoolteachers, senior police figures, and rights campaigners about the influence of his views, Tate dismissed these accusations as “absolute garbage.” He also suggested that some of his comments had been taken out of context or intended as “jokes.”
Tate denied admitting to emotional manipulation of women, despite comments made on a previous version of his online coaching course, Hustlers University. He also claimed that he is a “force for good” in the world and believes he is “acting under the instruction of God to do good things.”
Throughout the interview, Tate expressed his distrust of traditional media, and his team filmed the conversation for their own use. The Tate brothers are now in their sixth and last month under judicial control in the ongoing investigation, with any indictment expected within the next few weeks.