ANDREW TATE SPEAKS OUT AFTER LEGAL VICTORY—'I AM FREE'
Andrew Tate has celebrated a court decision to allow him to leave Romania, where he faces multiple criminal charges.
The Bucharest Tribunal ruled he and brother, Tristan Tate, can travel without restrictions within the European Union.
The Context
The former kickboxer and self-confessed "king of toxic masculinity" was first arrested in Bucharest in December 2022 with Tristan and two Romanian nationals, Luana Radu and Georgiana Naghel.
All four are accused of human trafficking, evidence tampering and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women in which they used threats of violence to coerce them into sexual activity. They have denied any wrongdoing. Andrew Tate also faces separate charges of rape.
Through his legal representation, Andrew Tate said he and his brother had "fully cooperated with the authorities" and trusted that the evidence would "clearly demonstrate their innocence and absolve them of any wrongdoing."
What We Know
Until July 5, the controversial influencer and his brother had been banned from leaving Romania while they awaited trial. Now, Andrew Tate has celebrated the decision to let him travel within the EU without restrictions in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
"I AM FREE. FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 3 YEARS I CAN LEAVE ROMANIA. THE SHAM CASE IS FALLING APART. $DADDY X THEREALWORLD GLOABL TOUR LOADING - Will you be there?" he asked in a post on the social media platform, including a link to his website The Real World.
In the accompanying video, Andrew Tate can be seen walking around shirtless as he expands on the sentiment in the caption.
"So I just had to stop sparring as I got some interesting news. For the first time in nearly three years, the judge's decided I can leave Romania. Everyone knows that this case against me is a sham, the process is the punishment, in the end, I'll be innocent and they've tried to punish me with the process," he said.
"But now my judge has decided after three years I am allowed to leave Romania."
Andrew Tate then asks the camera which country he should travel to and which of his sports cars he should drive in.
He continued: "Now I'm free to do a tour around the world, a daddy tour. Tokyo, Dubai, Miami, Geneva, London. I might do it all by car, have you ever driven to Tokyo? No, because you're a p****, I'm built different. Built different. Bruv! Which of my b****** am I going to see? I've got so much work to do."
Andrew Tate finished the video by saying he was going to pack and work on various other projects, such as the release of a podcast.
"I'm going to get into one of my cars, I'm going to drive to the Italian Alps, I'm going to get b**** one, two and three. Bruv! Built different," he concluded.
Andrew and Tristan Tate's lawyer, Eugene Vidineac, shared a statement with Newsweek following the decision from the Romanian court.
"We embrace and applaud the decision of the court today, I consider it a reflection of the exemplary behavior 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," he said.
"For the brothers, who have faced limitations on their movement for nearly 2 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."
Views
Andrew Tate's post has proven to be divisive, with some celebrating the news and sharing their support.
"Alhamdulillah brother. Glad you can finally leave the country freely. Be safe," one person wrote.
"Wow congratulations man your freedom has been long overdue," said another.
A third added: "LET'S GO."
However, others have used the opportunity to criticize the former kickboxer, with one person writing: "Man walks around with shirt off pointing at expensive things and yall don't think he's over compensating? Men who co sign Andrew Tate weren't hugged by their fathers enough."
"Bro you're literally a lanky a*** s*** talker with googly eyes, I'd cook you to make my breakfast and honestly there wouldn't be much of a meal there to eat. Funny he tried to become famous from Romania and realized after all that s*** talkin he did how much he needs America," said another.
"If Andrew Tate goes out the same way Epstein did, I will consider it a win. The Romanian criminal justice system is not taking this s*** seriously and people who don't get it are in denial," someone else commented.
Pundits and domestic violence organizations have warned of Andrew Tate's influence, accusing him of radicalizing boys and men.
What's Next?
The Bucharest Tribunal ruled the prosecutors' case against Andrew Tate met all the relevant criteria, green-lighting his criminal trial. However, it did not set a date for the trial to commence.
Update 07/05/24, 11:27 a.m. ET: This story has been updated with more information.
Update 07/08/24, 03:41 a.m. ET: This story has been updated with a comment from Eugene Vidineac.
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