MIAMI (AP) — A federal judge is considering Thursday whether social media influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate should remain in jail as they challenge their extradition to face rape and sex trafficking charges in the United Kingdom.
The Tates have remained in a federal detention center in Miami since making a brief court appearance after their July 18 arrest. Their attorneys have argued that their high profile and active social media presence makes
it nearly impossible for them to flee.
U.S. Magistrate Lauren Louis is questioning defense attorneys and prosecutors before determining if the brothers, who have repeatedly denied wrongdoing, should be released during what could be a monthslong extradition process.
The Tates have become among the world’s most polarizing internet personalities by promoting wealth, male dominance and misogyny through their social media empire. The new allegations are the latest in the Tates' long-running international legal saga spanning the U.S., Britain and Romania.
On his way into court Thursday, defense attorney Joseph McBride told reporters he hasn’t heard of a case where this judge has allowed people out on bail while awaiting an extradition hearing. But while the odds aren’t in their favor, McBride felt like the truth was.
“They have never ran away from the law. They have leaned into the court process everywhere they go. They are innocent men. They are free men. They are good men,” McBride said.
No date for an extradition hearing has been set. The U.K. has until mid-September to provide evidence to the State Department.
The brothers were wearing tan prison clothes and shackled for Thursday's hearing. Their lawyers spent more than an hour arguing the U.K.'s request was out of line because their criminal case in Romania is going first and Romanian officials have let them remain free until the proceedings conclude.
The judge reminded defense attorneys she has to follow U.S. laws.
Federal prosecutors have urged the court to keep the brothers in custody, citing the strong presumption against bail in international extradition cases. The Tates' claims of having multiple passports and access to wealth and influence in numerous countries demonstrate a heightened risk of flight that no amount of bond could overcome, prosecutors argued.
Attorneys for the Tates say they largely exaggerated their claims of wealth to boost their social media personas, their claims of multiple passports were satirical and a “$50-million-dollar superyacht” featured in one of the brothers' videos does not actually belong to them. The expensive luxury cars, including a $2.1 million Aston Martin, that were featured in other videos were rented, the defense says.
The Tates' attorneys also argued in court filings that the brothers proved they won't flee by complying with pretrial restrictions over a separate case in Romania, where they are accused of luring women for sexual exploitation.
The brothers have long claimed that their violent and misogynistic statements have been taken out of context or were intended as jokes.
“That is not the real Andrew Tate, the person Andrew Tate," said his lawyer Howard Srebnick, who in court Thursday compared Tate on social media to Sasha Baron Cohen's confrontational Ali G character.
The former professional kickboxers, who have dual U.S. and U.K. citizenship, have millions of social media followers and are vocal supporters of President Donald Trump. The White House has said the brothers shouldn’t expect any help from the president.
Andrew Tate, 39, became famous a decade ago when he was a contestant on the U.K. reality television show “Big Brother.” He was ejected from the show when a video appeared to show him assaulting a woman.
He has amassed over 10 million followers on X but has been banned from other platforms, including YouTube, TikTok and Instagram, for violating hate speech guidelines. He has made widely condemned comments, such as saying women who are sexually assaulted should bear some responsibility for the attacks and sharing graphic descriptions of how he might attack women.
Tristan Tate, 38, has worked with his brother on multiple businesses, including the production of online webcam pornography.
___
Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, South Carolina, contributed to this report.
