LONDON, United Kingdom — A British woman has accused Andrew Tate, a controversial social media influencer, of choking her during sex until she lost consciousness, followed by threatening behaviour.
The allegations are the latest in a series of legal challenges faced by Mr Tate, who has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
The woman, known by the pseudonym Evie, told BBC Newsnight that she first encountered Mr. Tate in August 2014 at a bar in Luton, where he worked as a club doorman.
The then-20-year-old student alleges that a consensual sexual encounter later turned violent.
Evie claims that Mr Tate choked her during a sexual encounter in late 2014, which she describes as non-consensual. “I didn’t consent to it,” she stated.
Tate “vehemently denies” the allegations, according to a spokesman, who emphasized that the self-styled ‘king of toxic masculinity’ does not condone violence of any kind towards women and insisted all his sexual acts were consensual.
Evie, now 30, also alleges Tate threatened her life and subjected her to intimidation during the incident, repeatedly stating: “I own you, you belong to me.” She did not report the alleged incident to the police at the time, stating that she did not initially recognize it as a crime. It wasn’t until several years later, after recounting the incident to friends, that she began to identify the experience as a possible sexual assault.
Evie is one of four British women currently planning to pursue civil claims for damages against Mr. Tate, alleging they were victims of sexual violence between 2013 and 2016 when he resided in the UK.
The women, now in their late 20s and early 30s, aim to hold Mr. Tate accountable.
In response to the former kickboxer, Evie stated: “You’re going to be held accountable for what you’ve done.”
Last week, Mr Tate dismissed the accusations against him in a BBC News interview, denying any promotion of misogyny or harm towards women.
The influencer and his brother Tristan were arrested at their home in Bucharest, Romania, in December 2022, in relation to alleged human trafficking, rape, and formation of a criminal gang to sexually exploit women. The brothers are currently under house arrest and deny all allegations.
Tate’s spokesperson urged women who have experienced assault to report it to the authorities, adding: “He is saddened that a few opportunistic women who he has allegedly spent time with nearly a decade ago have decided to try and take advantage of his current situation.”
Legal proceedings continue as investigators piece together the claims against Tate, casting a dark cloud over the influencer’s controversial career.
