Andrew and Tristan Tate charged with rape and human trafficking

The United Kingdom's Crown Prosecution Service have formally charged Andrew and Tristan Tate with a series of grave criminal offenses, including rape, human trafficking, and actual bodily harm, totalling 21 counts.

This marks a pivotal development in the international legal scrutiny facing the controversial brothers, who are also being investigated by authorities in Romania - a nation in Eastern Europe.

There are 10 charges against the 38-year-old Andrew relating to three victims, and 11 against the 36-year-old Tristan relating to one victim, following a detailed investigation by Bedfordshire Police in the UK.

The evidence which was handed over to the S, who made the decision to prosecute in what represents the first public confirmation of the scale and seriousness of the accusations in their country of citizenship.

The charges date back to incidents said to have occurred between 2012 and 2015, although the Tates' legal team maintains that the brothers "categorically reject all charges" and stated at the time of their arrest that they are "very innocent men."

The S clarified that no proceedings in the UK can commence until the ongoing legal matters in Romania are resolved, after which the nation has agreed to extradite the pair to London to stand trial.

Andrew and Tristan Tate's legal battle in Romania: What do we know?

These UK charges come as the brothers are already under legal scrutiny in Romania, where they were first arrested in December 2022 on accusations of human trafficking. Andrew was also suspected of rape.

Both men denied the accusations, but they were held under house arrest for several months. Then in August 2024, prosecutors brought additional accusations, including the trafficking of minors and engaging in sexual acts with an underage person-claims the brothers also deny.

There is also a separate case accusing them of forming a criminal group to sexually exploit women, which was returned to prosecutors for further review as Bucharest upheld a challenge from the brothers in December 2024.

Andrew became a controversial public figure after a stint on the reality show Big Brother in 2016. However, he was removed following a video in which he appeared to hit a woman with a belt. Both he and the woman claimed the act had been consensual.

Following his exit from mainstream television, the ex-kickboxer cultivated an extensive online following through his outspoken views on masculinity and wealth and earned 10 million followers across his social media platforms.

They have been controversially received for their views on women and masculinity, which have been slammed as misogynistic and a dangerous influence over impressionable adolescent boys.

Both brothers were born in the United States and later moved to Luton, England, with their mother after their parents divorced. They hold dual UK-U.S. citizenship and have lived in Romania for several years.