Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan Tate said Thursday they left the US for Joseph McBride, an online British-American influencer who has been held in criminal investigations for two years in Romania and US lawyer.
The brothers boarded a private Romanian jet Wednesday around 10pm and were expected to land at a southern Florida airport Thursday morning, McBride said.
In response to questions about the brothers, Romanian prosecutors said in a news release that they are still pursuing criminal investigations against two British American citizens. They didn't name the people, but they said they were allowed to leave Romania and “had to appear before the judicial authorities every time they were summoned.”
The State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment. However, the brothers' departure from Romania promptly raised questions about whether they would return to the country.
The Romanian lawyer for the brothers did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In a social media post, McBride said, “Romania has correctly determined that there is no more evidence needed to hold them.”
Online influencers face a long legal battle with prosecutors, who accused them of trafficking them and forming an organized crime group. Romanian prosecutors said the brothers misunderstood several women and believed they wanted to have a relationship with them. The woman was instead housed in a compound near Bucharest and forced to appear in online porn videos, prosecutors said.
Tates repeatedly denied all allegations against them and successfully appealed for charges in Bucharest Court. Since then, Romanian prosecutors have said they have been investigating the brothers for other charges of human trafficking and money laundering.
Former kickboxer Andrew Tate, known for his sexist views, promoted the brand of masculinity that was tied to a gorgeous display of wealth. According to an archived page on his website, Tate, who was subsequently deleted, explained how he said he became rich.
“My job was to meet girls, go for a few days, sleep with her, test her if she's quality, fall in love with me where she does what I say, then take her to webcam so we can become rich,” he said. He claimed he worked with “more than 75 girls” on the site.
Over the past few weeks, the brothers have more and more aligned themselves with President Trump. “Tates is free. Trump is president. The good old days are back,” Andrew Tate told X earlier this month.
The Financial Times reports that US officials have urged Romania to lift travel restrictions for their brothers. Richard Grenell, a US envoy and close ally of Trump, filed a lawsuit with the country's foreign minister, Emil Frietzanu at the Munich Security Council this month. Mr. Grenell could not be reached for comment.
Hurezeanu had a “intensive exchange” with Grenell at the meeting, the State Department said in a post about X at the time. The two officials “cover the topic of shared interest” between the two countries, the ministry said, but the Post said it had not mentioned the Tate brothers.
Hurezeanu later told G4Media, an online news site covering judicial issues, that he and Grenell had a brief conversation in the hallways of the meeting. Hurezeanu said he requested another meeting with Grenell to find out “his intentions were related to Romania,” but the conversation never happened.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The brothers were also arrested in Romania in March 2024 on another warrant issued by British authorities. The Bucharest Court ruled that after the Romanian case was resolved, the brothers should be handed over to the UK. It was unclear on Thursday what the outcome of the extradition ruling would be.
Four British women also sued Andrew Tate in 2024, claiming he raped and abused them. Tribunal Matthew Ju, a lawyer representing the women, said on social media on Thursday that he reported that the Trump administration had lobbyed for release.
He urged the British government to “take immediate action” to ensure that the brothers face accusations against them in the UK. “The proposal that Tates will now face justice in Romania is fantastical,” he said.
Earlier this month, an American woman who gave evidence to Romanian authorities pleaded her to Romania and sued her brother who allegedly forced her to work. The brothers first sued her for a loss of honor, claiming that her testimony was produced.
